From Change to Transformation
'Change' was the mantra for the year 2008. And as the world spins towards the return of our Lord Jesus, we can expect to see many more gripping changes that will blow our imagination. Meanwhile, what do we do?
There were changes galore throughout the world, beginning in our very backyard when the unimaginable happened - the ruling government's loss of a two-third majority in Parliament and defeat in five states in the March election. In November, Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of racial equality woke up to reality with the election of the first 'coloured' US American president.
Political changes also took place all over world, but what was more frightening were the economic changes hitting the world. The years of financial greed and abuse finally imploded in the US and the violent waves soon lashed economies throughout the world.
While changes continue to spin at a frightening speed, let's pause a while to think about its 'twin' word - 'transformation'. According to the dictionary, 'transformation' goes far deeper than 'change'. To change is "to become different" but to transform is to undergo total change or to change something dramatically. Think of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon and that will give you an instant picture of transformation.
NECF Malaysia has, as its mission, "Transforming the Nation through the Local Church." Indeed, it is a lofty mission and some well-meaning friends have even sniggered at the notion that our nation could be transformed as it appears to be beyond redemption with the deeply-rooted corrupt system and dishonest politicians in their firmly-entrenched powerful positions. For this cynical lot, despair has overshadowed hope and the possibility of better days to come.
People of Hope
But we are told to be a people of hope. Throughout the Bible, hope carried people through their death valleys. Two thousand years ago, Jesus appeared as the Hope of all mankind during the dark period of the Jewish nation under the oppressive Roman rule.
People of hope don't just sit around and twiddle their thumbs. They do something - no matter how small that something is. They get busy with God's work even though what they do may seem insignificant, even to themselves.
Consider the two midwives in Exodus 1 during the time of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt. The king of Egypt had ordered the two - Shiphrah and Puah - to kill all male babies delivered by them (vs 16), but they feared God and did not obey him.
Instead, they saved all the male babies, and therefore, the people multiplied and grew very mighty (vs 20).
Did the midwives ever pause for a moment and consider the magnitude of their deed? Perhaps not, for they were too busy delivering babies and…fearing God. They did what they could within their ability to serve God, and left the big picture to Him.
Not many of us can do mighty exploits, but each of us in our own little way, can contribute to the big picture by doing what is within our ability. When we combine each of our 'little', the outcome may just be explosive, just like the many individual votes that were cast in the 2008 elections.
Likewise, smaller churches should never question their contribution to the Kingdom, for when combined, the contributions from many small churches will be large enough to rock the nation. Then, the goal of transforming the nation through the local church will be realised.
One plus one equals three
While every church, big or small, has a part to play in Kingdom work, NECF believes that combined churches' efforts will yield results far greater than the sum of their effects individually. It's the principle of synergy.
We see this happening in Penang where 19 churches in the island have got together to run a ministry to serve the needy families in Penang, focusing on the Rifle Range area - a community of some 26,000 mixed-race residents living in nine blocks of low-cost flats.
The ministry was initiated in 2006 by several Christians who were challenged to go outside the walls of their church. They started off by feeding the homeless in Penang's KOMTAR area several times a week. Through this, they took in a homeless couple and housed them in a flat in Rifle Range. Next, they adopted a man who attempted suicide and housed him in the same area.
It was in Rifle Range that the group saw the vision of starting a 'house of hope', and thus House of Hope (HoH) was born. The 'house' grew, and before long, 19 churches had moved in. More amazingly, HoH comprised churches from the three major languages - English, Mandarin and Tamil (see pg 14 for story on House of Hope).
Inspired by the HoH story, the Johor Baru pastors' fellowship is now looking into setting up a similar ministry for synergic results.
May all churches consider the great gain of working together to advance His Kingdom, and experience the blessed joy of helping to build the nation together.
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