When Words Don’t Work

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A year ago, my extended family members & ‘myself have experienced deep sadness of grief over the loss of grandma who went home to be with the LORD on 16 April 2017 (Easter Sunday); Today, as I meditated upon the verse that says “Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great” (Job 2:13, NASB). I pondered to understand how Job experienced great tragedy in his life where he had three friends who came to visit. They came intending to sympathize with him and comfort him. (Job 2:11). But when they realized how bad things were, they mourned with him then sat with him in silence. I observed how Job’s friends were friends of action. They looked out for him and noticed he was hurting. They came to Job without him having to call them to attention. They didn’t start out attempting to fix his problems but chose instead to simply be with him in his despair. They acted as friends, even though they were speechless. They joined Job in his active grief but didn’t say a word. There was nothing to be said. They understood the value in the companion of silent presence. They were willing to mourn with him, mingle their tears with his and offer quiet comfort.

 
Likewise, I am very thankful to know how my extended family members were being comforted by visitors and friends at grandma’s wake. Truly, I am also very touched and encouraged to see how the closest friends came to encourage my extended family members who lifted our spirits up as they found the time to chat up with us during this mourning period for grandma’s passing. And that, I can sense a deep emotional loss of grandma in the hearts of my extended family members when we commemorated the 1st anniversary of her parting away from the family a year later;

Surely, Job felt the same way when his friends came and sat with him in a demonstrable way to show their support without offering a solution. Indeed, Solomon says, “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19, NASB), and no matter how Job’s friends attempted to explain to explain Job’s troubles and earned their reputation for being insensitive, heartless and cruel, they stood by him.

Are there any friends who came to you recently when you were hurting?

Today, I truly thank God for sending people into our lives and pray that we can lift people’s spirit up, because your & my presence alone can be a source of comfort to hurting friends whom we care about today.

 

Is there anyone hurting you can comfort today?

(Written by Jeremy Koh, 16th April 2018)

 

Profile Background Source:

Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987-1997). He graduated with a Diploma Degree from School Of Ministry In’ Tung Ling Bible College (1999) and TCA College (2003) with Certificate Degree in Bible and Ministry.’ Jeremy did a research work for the keyguard at (these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months.  Today, Jeremy is an active member, a volunteer & an Inclusion Ambassador in Disabled People Association and YouthCorps Singapore serving in Special Cluster for Special Needs, Friends of Engagement TaskForce and that he does volunteer in multiple places too in the area of disability related contacts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pop Music, Pragmatism, and Christianity

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In February 2016, Singapore’s Catholic Archbishop Goh urged his fellow Catholics to differentiate “pseudo arts” from “authentic arts that lead us to God.” The criticism was directed toward the “Queen of Pop”, Madonna. In everyday discourse, the term popular music can generally be described as types of music of lower complexity than art music, having wide appeal, and ready to be enjoyed by large numbers of musically uneducated people rather than only by a certain élite. Its identifying elements can include the use of simple melodic tunes and repeated choruses.

 

How should Christians view and evaluate pop music along with the culture it spawns?

 

In order to understand the phenomena of popular art, we must understand a certain philosophical background that has helped these phenomena to flourish, that is, the philosophy of pragmatism. According to the pragmatist philosopher Dewey, the special function of art lies above all in the enhancement of human immediate experience. The supremacy of the aesthetic is that art can be immediately enjoyed. The final standard in pragmatism is not truth but experience.

 

Pragmatism criticizes the modern conception of art that has detached art from real life and send it to a separate realm like the concert hall and museum. Instead of associating aesthetic experience with normal processes of living, art has been compartmentalized in an élite realm accessible only for certain people. Dewey disapproves such elitist tradition and want’ to bring art back in everydayness. He therefore rejects the dualism of high versus popular culture by insisting on the fundamental continuity instead.

 

According to pragmatism, the so-called ‘high’ art music performed in the concert halls (and in some traditional churches!) has removed art from human lives. Pragmatist aesthetics therefore privileges art experience over the art object. The way to this enhanced art experience is through popular art. We can appreciate Dewey’s genuine concern about the elitist tradition.

 

Indeed, the Bible does not advocate elitism but opts for universal inclusion. “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.” We also appreciate Dewey’s effort to bring art back in everydayness.

 

However, there are serious difficulties in the pragmatist solution of popular art viewed from the Christian perspective. 

 

Firstly, the immediacy of aesthetic experience as the ultimate goal of art is highly problematic when viewed from biblical perspective. Christianity is not an immediate (read: instant) way of life. There is no easy and convenient truth without a long process of learning and struggling. If we agree that there is a strong relation between the kind of art that we consume and our spirituality, then one of the dangers of popular music lies precisely in its immediacy and instantness. The unformed life is not worth living. Popular music tends to produce instant (pseudo) spirituality.

Secondly, the strong emphasis on experience at the expense of truth is hardly compatible with the biblical view. Biblically speaking, there is no truly satisfying experience apart from truth. Popular music cares little for its content since it aims primarily for enhanced experience (of feeling good, for instance). This kind of experience, however, imprisons humans in subtle addiction. On the contrary, “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). The Swiss reformer Zwingli related the idea of Christian freedom and true happiness when he said, “Truth wears a happy face.” Happy experience cannot be separated from truth.

 

Thirdly, due to its goal to bring music to large numbers of listeners with little or no musical training, popular music frequently, if not always, displays lack of depth and along with it, of deep quality. Any complex music is suspected of succumbing to the elitist tradition. The absoluteness of simplicity, however, can be considered as a denial of growing and becoming mature seen from the biblical perspective.

 

The celebration of simplicity that avoids the process of growing can easily lead to the celebration of triviality and naïveness. The Bible, on the contrary, teaches humans to give up childish ways to become an adult and mature (1 Corinthians. 13:11; Hebrews 5:14).

 

Fourthly, the problem of sharing the complex art and music, the so-called ‘high’ art, is not resolved by replacing them with easy-to-listen music. If that were the case, then there would have been no incarnation. Replacing high Christology with low Christology is never an orthodox evangelical way of settling the problem. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Christianity commits to believe in the incarnation of the Most High. Pragmatism teaches us to discard everything high coming from the idealistic realm while replacing it with popular concrete experience.

 

Christianity celebrates not only the possibility but also the certainty of the Logos that has become flesh. Christianity concurs with pragmatist criticism of Platonic idealism but comes up with different solution. If we believe in the way of incarnation, then we don’t have to replace the ‘high’ with the ‘low’ but to teach and edify our children and ourselves so that we can grow from childhood to adulthood.

The reformers believed in the power of catechism. Luther translated the Bible into German. Zwingli applied the university method of teaching in his Sunday service expository preaching, that is, chapter by chapter of the Gospel. He did not oversimplify the life of Christ through popular preaching; rather, he edified his congregation in the way theological students were taught at the university. Catechism is a Christian protest against the pragmatist easy solution that often leads to uneducatedness and ignorance. Calvin famously stated, “We know that where there is no understanding, there is certainly no edification.”

 

We need not only theological catechism but also catechism on good Christian arts and music.

(Written by Rev. Billy Kristanto, 22nd May 2017)

 

Profile Information Source:

Rev. Billy Kristanto is the Academic Dean of International Reformed Evangelical Seminary Jakarta and a part time lecturer at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. He received a doctorate of philosophy in musicology and a doctorate in theology Systematic Theology both from Heidelberg University. He lives in Singapore since 2002 with his Family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Communion - Not A Memorial

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On this Easter day, I noted that we are being referred as sinners whom He died for in accordance to Scriptures to pay for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). I have read how the apostle Paul explained that. Charles Wesley says, ‘Thus we remember Thee and take this bread and wine as Thine dying own legacy, our redemption’s sign’ as he had mentioned inside the Every Day with Jesus devotional text today. I reflect on how Jesus Christ would not drink the fruit of the vine until He has returned to earth. In fact, the fruit of the vine symbolizes the joy and blessedness in the Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29). Indeed, the apostle Paul reminds us that we should die to old self to become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

 

I also reflect on how Christ has come as a Lamb of God to represent as a bride of the Church (Revelation 19:7-9). I agree with PT Forsyth who has questioned that we could not have the mere memorial for the One who is still alive as present today as PT also highlighted this out inside the devotional text today.

By this, I truly thank God that He has cast’ away doubts in my life like how He did to Thomas to convict my spirit to believe that Christ is indeed risen and is alive in me today (John 20:24-31).

 

Let Christ take away our doubts today!

 

(Written by Jeremy Koh, 1st April 2018)

 

Profile Background Source:

Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987-1997). He graduated with a Diploma Degree from School Of Ministry In’ Tung Ling Bible College (1999) and TCA College (2003) with Certificate Degree in Bible and Ministry.’ Jeremy did a research work for the keyguard at (these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months.  Today, Jeremy is an active member, a volunteer & an Inclusion Ambassador in Disabled People Association and YouthCorps Singapore serving in Special Needs Cluster, Friends of Engagement TaskForce and that he does volunteer in multiple places too in the area of disability related contacts.