why do we work so hard

It so happened during our recent small group study the subject of "work as a God given virtue" (Adam was assigned the work of naming animals and working in the Garden of Eden before the fall) was brought up and discussed. It then brought to my mind there seems to be some theory claiming Christian Protestantism has something to do with the rise of Capitalism and economical prosperity of modern world. So I dug into the Internet and found something interesting that I thought I share it with you:

Two prominent figures of the Protestant Reformation movement, Martin Luther and John Calvin, had the following views on work that were somewhat different from traditional Catholic church's: 

Martin Luther believed that people could serve God through their work, that the professions were useful, that work was the universal base of society and the cause of differing social classes, and that a person should work diligently in their own occupation and should not try to change from the profession to which he was born. To do so would be to go against God's laws since God assigned each person to his own place in the social hierarchy. The major point at which Luther differed from the medieval concept of work was regarding the superiority of one form of work over another. Luther, being a former priest himself, regarded the monastic and contemplative life, held up as the ideal during the middle ages, as an egotistic and unaffectionate exercise on the part of the monks, and he accused them of evading their duty to their neighbors. For Luther, a person's vocation was equated as his calling, but all calling's were of equal spiritual dignity.

Luther still did not pave the way for a profit-oriented economic system because he disapproved of commerce as an occupation. From his perspective, commerce did not involve any real work. Luther also believed that each person should earn an income which would meet his basic needs, but to accumulate or horde wealth was sinful.

According to Max Weber, an early 20th century German political economist/sociologist who coined the term "Protestant work ethic", it was John Calvin who introduced the theological doctrines which combined with those of Martin Luther to form a significant new attitude toward work. Calvin was a French theologian whose concept of predestination was revolutionary. Central to Calvinist belief was the Elect, those persons chosen by God to inherit eternal life. All other people were damned and nothing could change that since God was unchanging. While it was impossible to know for certain whether a person was one of the Elect, one could have a sense of it based on his own personal encounters with God. Outwardly the only evidence was in the person's daily life and deeds, and success in one's worldly endeavors was a sign of possible inclusion as one of the Elect. A person who was indifferent and displayed idleness was most certainly one of the damned, but a person who was active, austere, and hard-working gave evidence to himself and to others that he was one of God's chosen ones.

Calvin taught that all men must work, even the rich, because to work was the will of God. It was the duty of men to serve as God's instruments here on earth, to reshape the world in the fashion of the Kingdom of God, and to become a part of the continuing process of His creation. Men were not to lust after wealth, possessions, or easy living, but were to reinvest the profits of their labor into financing further ventures. Earnings were thus to be reinvested over and over again, ad infinitum, or to the end of time. Using profits to help others rise from a lesser level of subsistence violated God's will since persons could only demonstrate that they were among the Elect through their own labor.

Selection of an occupation and pursuing it to achieve the greatest profit possible was considered by Calvinists to be a religious duty. Not only condoning, but encouraging the pursuit of unlimited profit was a radical departure from the Christian beliefs of the middle ages. In addition, unlike Luther, Calvin considered it appropriate to seek an occupation which would provide the greatest earnings possible. If that meant abandoning the family trade or profession, the change was not only allowed, but it was considered to be one's religious duty.

In sum, the combined theological teachings of Luther and Calvin encouraged work in a chosen occupation with an attitude of service to God, viewed work as a calling and avoided placing greater spiritual dignity on one job than another, approved of working diligently to achieve maximum profits, required reinvestment of profits back into one's business, allowed a person to change from the craft or profession of his father, and associated success in one's work with the likelihood of being one of God's Elect.

So goes the theory.

hypocrites

"Are we hypocrites?" my wife asked me the other day, on our way home from a small group meeting.

BIG question.

I remember when I first started attending small group meetings back 15-20 years ago, the word "hypocrite" often came to my mouth for no reason (sometimes during the middle of the night). Rather than interpreting this as a serious criticism or negative reaction to those nice people I was "fellowshipping" with (I was not officially a Christ follower then), I think it was more a reflection of my young, uncompromising heart that associated so closely with Jesus' harsh sentiment toward the Scribes and Pharisees, the hypocrites of his day, that is recorded in the New Testament. What a "joy"--for lack of better word, to hear Jesus call these fake people the living dead, walking coffins, snakes and vipers!

Then I grow older, see more things and experience more people, I get mellower, and I no longer burst out these words in my mind that often, nor as vividly as before when they do occur.

Instead, sometimes I wonder, if I am the hypocrite.

Do I say things that I don't do myself?

Do I pretend to be someone that I am not?

Take, for example, this occasion when my wife asked that firy question. It came after we had a vehement argument about how we treated our teen age kid, her 19-year old nephew, whom we took in 3 years ago and had just left for college last September. Long story short, he's not the great, nice behaving kid we expected him to be, we had both concluded long ago, and there were instances that made us both decide we had to be strict on him, to teach him some life lessons, so to speak. But now, after he had left home, my wife feels maybe we have been too harsh on him after all. "He's just a kid, really, no better and no worse than any other kids his age," she said. "Did we really give our care to him unconditionally, or did we do that only based on what suited us?"; "We talk about love all the time in front of other people, but have we really loved our kid enough?"

Though I tried to argue with her, in my heart I know what she said were true, as I have long pondered these questions myself and concluded the answers. We didn't really love him enough as parents should.

Am I a hypocrite then?

I guess I am.

The only solace I can take in this is that I know I am a hypocrite that knows himself to be one, and there is a higher standard that I can strive for, or, more accurately, a supreme power that I can rely on, to become a non-hypocrite one day.

Thank God for that.

cheap valentine

Other than my wife's birthday, Valentine's Day is probably the most intimidating day of the year for me.

First of all, I tend to forget it. It's just another day, isn't it? It usually falls on a weekday and people don't even take work off of it (Lucky are kids who get the day off as "Presidents' Birthday".. Hmm, why can't we have it as "Homeboss' Day" and all men get to go home and clean the house for the wives, supposedly, then I'll remember). Ah, wouldn't it be lovely if everyone, especially ladies, let it slip by just like any other normal, peaceful day of the year..

But nope, the commercial world won't let you go easy. Eventually I am reminded of the day's coming by all the Valentine's Day sales specials on TV and in stores. I have to act, that is, to buy something for my wife, while helping the economy a bit.

Now comes the other intimidating part: what to buy? Knowing my wife, and with the husbandly wisdom I gain through years of living with her, I know if I buy something really fancy, meaning high priced, she will first be flattered, perhaps, but then almost in an instant become upset that I "wasted" that much money on it (and in my honest mind I agree these overpriced vanity items have no practical use in life therefore "waste" is a right word for them). I may even have to return them afterwards.

The following is my true Valentine's Day gift story of last year:

I was buying some miscellaneous stuff at one Big Lots discount store, and noticed some tiny earings on sale near the checkout counter. Looked nice and pretty, I thought my wife would like it. So I bought it. I left the price tag on the earings.

I gave it to my wife on Valentine's Day. She did like it, and she noticed the price on the tag: $25.

"Hmm, not too expensive, huh," she said, smiling, knowing I didn't "waste" a fortune getting this thing she likes.

"Yup," I said, "Better still, it's on sale when I bought it."

"Really," She smiles even more. A woman always likes a good bargain, and she's been lecturing me never buy anything unless it is on sale. It looks like I finally am taking heed to her advice.

"How much was it on sale?" she asked.

"They marked it down to $15, 40% off," I said.

"Wow, that's a great deal." Her face shines. She's happy I saved that much money for her, or, in her name.

Well, I could have stopped here, she's completely happy now, I don't need to worry that she not likes the earings, or she thinks I bought a cheap gift for her. But I cannot resist the temptation.

"Do you know how much I actally paid for it," I said.

"What do you mean?" She's puzzled and real curious now.

"Well, they marked it down even further at the chcekout stand. I actually only paid $5 for it."

Now she's totally taken aback, but then she realizes I am telling her the truth (an honest husband have I always been), she bursts into laughters... She must be thinking that she married the smartest man in the world... or at least that's what I think she thinks.

One cheap Valentine's Day story for laughs. Don't try it at home. May not work for you or your wife :)

what chores would jesus do

"What chores would Jesus do," is a story I read on LA Times last Saturday: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-monk26jan26,1,7718645.story?page=1&ctrack=4&cset=true

It was about two Christian families and one single man, feeling contemporary Christian life too soft and empty, moved in together to a communal house to truly live out a Christ centered life--live frugally, love others and help the needy unconditionally, something similar to what the early Christians did as recorded in the Bible.

It's a rough road, instead of fulfilling their noble goals, they found themselves bogged down by daily chores and petty grudges. After 3 months, they couldn't agree on what constitutes simple living, they hadn't helped any outsider, and they were frustrated by even issues such as whose turn it is to mop the kitchen floor..

But they regrouped and continued on. They invited in and lived with another difficult person; they learned what it really means to serve God and others at every annoying moment; they opened up their place for two homeless women and their kids when they needed it..

I won't divulge too much detail of the story. But if you read it, I think you will find it very real-life, touching, and enlightening.

"A wonderful part of Christianity is growing and learning of God's plan for our lives. Our sinful nature will often distract us from God's PERFECT path, but it's a joy to keep trying."

--One reader's comment after reading the story

shape & essence

A few words that got through to me this morning when reading Oswald Chambers':

"When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God's nature, not ours."

"The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God."

Not to dispute the "SHAPE" approach that emphasizes on finding the kind of ministry work that fits your personality, spiritual gifts, experiences, etc., but I think the above does catch the essence of what a calling should be.

I hope you guys all had had a wonderful Christmas-New Year season. I am glad to see the beautiful blue sky and sunny landscape of Southern California again after my 5-plus week getaway to Taiwan and China. Are we ready to meet again this Saturday? Same time--8:30 AM, same place--at my home backyard. To celebrate my own home coming, I'll cook the breakfast for you guys--my self-styled omelette. "Come hungry, leave happy", as they say in the commercial. Just tell me whether you are coming or not, and I'll prepare the eggs, the sausages, the coffee as usual, and set the grill burning...

interfaith

I went to an "Interfaith Choir Festival" last Sunday evening. It was an event arranged by the Interfaith Councils of several Orange County chapters to promote harmony and mutual understanding between different religious groups. It was held in a Mormon church (right across the Lakeview Senior Center in Irvine), with choirs and representatives from Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, etc. Besides the traditional hymns from Catholic and Protestant groups, I heard for the first time live soul-style gospel singing by a black group, and a Jewish choir worshipping in Psalms. The Irvine Chinese Chorus, the only non-religious group invited, sang a couple of Chinese folk/love songs too.

In between singing, each religion/sect's representative went on the platform to give a short speech about their religion's beliefs, as well as some inspirational sayings. "Righteousness is the highest Virtue, it leads to enlightened happiness, this Radiant happiness comes to the person, who is Righteous for the sake of Righteousness alone, and not for any reward or fear of punishment", says the Zoroastrian Scripture. "One day of life is more valuable than all the treasures of the universe. You still have many years ahead of you, and moreover, you have found faith. If you live even one day longer... how precious life is! So together we will offer a prayer of appreciation", says a Buddhist Scripture. Or "Truth is higher. Higher still is truthful living", says the Sikh Scripture.

I wish I had time to study all these different religions. It seems they all try to reach the same goal, as they say, just with different approaches. But, maybe that's where it matters. All religions may point to the same abstract truth: be good, be selfless, be loving, etc. But how do you achieve that? It seems to me Christianity is the one that gives most straightforward answer and effective way to achieve that: Jesus is the truth, be like him. Simple as that, with evidences you can't deny.

Enough of my monologue. This Saturday our men's group meeting will take a little different venue, going outdoor for a hike with the Saddleback Beginner's Hike group to the Riley Wilderness Park in Coto De Caza, if you will. Please see the following information. You can bring your family along if you like, and we can all walk and talk and enjoy a sunny, beautiful day in the wild!

halloween salute

Wednesday, the Halloween, kids' fun day, is coming. Stories and controversies abound about this day's origin and meaning and whether Christians should celebrate it or not, etc. But one thing historical and surely worth celebrating by all (or at least Protestant) Christians about this day, is that this is the day, exactly 490 years ago, the Protestant Reformation, the movement that split Christendom into Catholic and Protestant camps 'till this day, all got started.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German priest/theologian, posted his famous 95 theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, a little town in today's eastern Germany, to display his objection to the "indulgences" the Church was selling. An indulgence was a printed permit or coupon with monetary value of personal confession of sin. The idea was sinners could buy indulgences to release them from divine punishment, or "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs," went the commercial jingle of the day. The Church used such "fund raisers" to collect revenues to help rebuilding St. Peter's basilica in Rome, or as political payback by some local bishops to Rome for their clergical assignments. 

Though Luther's intention was to dispute and argue the subject within the Church, copies of these theses got spread quickly throughout Europe (making the controversy one of the first in history to be fanned by the printing press) and unleashed a reform movement that would eventually effect all political and social structures of the Western world.

Besides objection to the indulgences, Martin Luther had many other theological differences with the Roman Church of the day. His studies of the Bible, especially the epistles of St. Paul, had led him to the conclusion that Christ was the sole mediator between God and man and that forgiveness of sin and salvation are effected by God's Grace alone and are received by faith alone on the part of man. This point of view turned him against scholastic theology, which had emphasized man's role in his own salvation, and against many church practices that emphasized justification by good works.

Luther also condemned the vow of celibacy and, as a former monk, he married a former nun that he helped escape from a convent in 1525, when he was 42 and she was 26. By all accounts theirs was a happy marriage, with 6 children. One of their descendants was Paul von Hindenburg, President of Germany after World War I and before Nazi takeover.

Another great accomplishment by Luther is his translation of Bible from Latin to German language. He is not the first one to do such work, but is by far the greatest according to historians and literary scholars. The Luther Bible contributed to the emergence of the modern German language and is regarded as a landmark in German literature.

According to American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, these are Luther's most important theological insights:

(1) Humankind is entrapped in the ancient temptation to play God (Genesis 3:5), violating the first of all divine commandments, "You shall have no other gods."

(2)  Liberation from this original sin comes through faith of at least two people ... one who tells another of Christ as the source of freedom from sin, and one who, so addressed, affirms faith in Christ alone.

(3) The Christian life is one in which, though we are sinners by nature, we are at the same time saints by God's grace and love. 

(4) The Christian life is lived in two realms that belong equally to God ... church and society. This calls for Christian commitment to education, fair economic practices, and a life of mission to the ungodly.

Sounds pretty refreshing to me even today.

Happy Reformation Anniversary!