Pastor's Corner by Pastor Larry Tong
September 2008
The opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics were absolutely stunning! It had been a long time since China was able to put on such a fantastic “show” for the world to see how far this country have advanced. Of course, its willingness to finance this event with forty billion dollars helps. China is now a Powerhouse in the International arena. Since the Olympics, I have heard Chinese people say, “It makes me proud to be Chinese!” No doubt that this Olympics tops the previous years, and it’s doubtful that London, England, the next city to host the Olympics, will be able to match China’s spectacular show. Sorry, maybe I’m a little bias, but I’m sure you won’t blame me for a little hype up about my Chinese root.
These couple of weeks brought us Olympics euphoria. Other than a few unfortunate incidences and minor unsportsmanlike conducts, this Olympics brought an excitement from the high level of competitions. I can’t remember watching so many exciting “down to the wire” games. Those games were riveting. In spite of my busyness, I found myself staying up almost every night watching the games. I even stayed up Saturday night until two in the morning (something I never done—it helps that I didn’t have to preach the next day) watching the “Redeem Team” win the Gold Medal over Spain. In the end, China won the most Gold Medals, while the United States gained the most over-all Medals. Not bad for some of us who have dual citizenship!
Most important of all, the Olympics brought the whole world together. As I watched the athletes walking (some running) to the Bird Nest Stadium for the closing ceremony, I saw a glimpse of hope that this world can live in harmony with one another. During these two weeks, there were no Tibet Riot reported; there were no suicide bombing in Afghanistan and Iraq. There was no casualty reported (Maybe I just didn’t pay attention)! The whole world focused on something healthy—sports. Yes, there were competitions, but what I saw was that the individual athletes’ primary goal wasn’t to “beat” his competitor, but rather to perform his best. Many athletes knew they had no chance for a medal, yet that didn’t stop them from going forward with the competition. They were equally proud to represent their countries to compete as those who have high hope of winning medals. I believe this is what Life is all about. It is futile to compare ourselves with others, yet it’s vital to always try to improve. If we have this mentality, we will be successful. In case you don’t know, this is not a “secular” concept. This principle comes from the Bible.
Before I sign off, I like to bring to your awareness that as Christians, like the athletes who represent their country, we represent the Heavenly Kingdom, the Nation of God to compete in this world. We are declared as Salt and Light of the world, equipped with the never changing Word of God to defend the Truths, and charged with one demand—love one another.
Pastor Larry
