Pastor's Corner by Larry Tong
January 2007
I was captivated by the caption on the front page of Time Magazine earlier last month: “Why we worry about the wrong things”. I thought it was an intriguing article. It showed how Americans were displacing their priorities. In the article, it provides for us some of the comparisons. For example, it reads, “We agonize over avian flu, which to date has killed precisely no one in the U.S., but have to be cajoled into getting vaccinated for the common flu, which contributes to the deaths of 36,000 Americans each year. . . Shoppers still look askance at a bag of spinach for fear of E. Coli bacteria while filling their carts with fat-sodden French fries and salt-crushed nachos.” Risk taking is part of human’s behavior. Everyone knows the real danger of smoking, yet there are still 20% of adults who still smoke, and I think the number is not any lower for teenagers. This article explains this strange phenomenon in term of The Emotional Brian that reacts to danger—to fight or to flight.
To say the least, I think human’s mind is complicated and difficult to analyze. Some people like to take risks while others are paranoid if anything is out of the ordinary. People look at “Risk” and “Fear” very differently, and will respond according to their temperament. The title of this article, “Why we worry about the wrong things” led me to think that many people do have their priorities switched. When priorities are displaced, they will eventually bring more harm than good. When we pursue instant pleasures and ignore their consequences, we will certainly reap disaster.
When you read this newsletter, 2006 was part of your history. If you had a good year, you can savor fond memories, and build on your successes. If you had a bad year, you need to know that you can’t “forget” the past, but you can replace the bad memories with good ones. Learn to erase mistakes by improving yourself.
2007 is ahead of us. Anytime we face “tomorrow”, there is a certain mystery that goes with the unforeseen future. There are always certain risks we have to take. Unless we have set a proper priority, we may worry about the wrong things for the wrong reason. What do you think is your top priority in life at this moment? This is a soul-searching question you want to spend some time thinking. Is it your career? Your family? Your relationships? Your God? Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This is definitely the priority we should consider.
Before I sign off, I wish all of you a successful year in 2007. I would also like to encourage you to build stronger relationships with God and your family because that will determine your well-being. Happy New Year!
Pastor Larry
