SLR: What I Learned About Islam?

Background

Islam as a religion has existed nearly 1400 years, but only in recent decades its influence has reached a new height. The oil resources controlled by Islamic countries are great assets, which in their own ways steer the politics and economics of the whole world. Worldwide migration of people has formed Muslim minorities in traditional Christian countries, and also Christian minorities in traditional Islamic countries. Wars and famines are also causing great migrations, bringing cultures together for better and for worse.

I have not had extensive cooperation or dealings with Islamic culture, and I have not really had any Muslim friends. I have not dealt with the “folk Islam”, which is effectively guiding the behavior of majority of Muslims. I have not needed to. However, nowadays Finland has also a populous Muslim minority, who are being watched by the media and suspicious eyes of phlegmatic Finns. How should I face this new situation? What can I learn about Islam? It turned out that there are plenty I could learn and do.

Religious Essentials

I took a course named “Introduction to Islam”, and thought it to be interesting and contemporary. It provided a lot of information regarding the history, essentials, and many facets of Islam. Here I am listing few items which were new to me or otherwise made an impression on me:

• Qur’an is the holy book of Islam, and it is recited everywhere in Arabic, which is held as the divine language.
• By reciting Qur’an in Arabic, Muslims experience the connection with God
• There were no diacritical marks nor vowels in written Arabic Qur’an, allowing for some degree of ambiguity in interpretation
• Prophet Muhammad had a rich life, and was a capable leader who cared for the poor, the weak, and the needy
• The Arabic culture prior to Islam was full of scattered idol worship, and in general not held in high esteem
• Islam means submission, practically submission/obedience to God and His prophets
• Muslim denotes a person who submits and yields his life to God according to Islam
• Hadith denote the whole collection of the actions and sayings of Muhammad, which are to be followed precisely
• Sunna means the conducts of Muhammad as a man
• Together, the Qur’an, the Hadith, and the Sunna mark the detailed ways of life all Muslims are to follow
• The 5 pillars of Islam are the creed (shahada), prayers (salat), fasting (sawm), alms (zakat), and pilgrimage (hajj)
• Umma denotes the “Islamic community” as one single nation, similar as Christian concept of church as the body of Christ. In this definition, Islamic view of the world is simply divided into the House of Islam and the House of War, basically Muslims and non-Muslims
• The concept of Jihad and power of Islam are rooted to the very beginning of Islam, when wars were fought and won and the House of Islam was quickly expanded to become a world power
• Folk Islam is a concept which describes the beliefs and practices of majority of Muslims, which are not according to orthodox Islam, but which are the way these Muslims live out their religion. Fold Islam contains such things as e.g. superstition, amulets, talisman, the evil eye, and various spiritual things.

There are of course more to Islam than above list. For example, a big surprise for me was how Christians are seen by the Muslims.

Christianity in the Eyes of a Muslim

Just as I did not know about Folk Islam, the Muslims are seldom aware about liberal theology or so called nominal Christians. Most of Muslims think that Christian West really means that all the people in Christian countries are Christians. No wonder Muslims have really low appreciation for Christianity.

Another major tenet I did not know was that Qur’an speaks very positively about Jesus, and that Muslims hold Jesus in very high honor! Connected to this, the deity of Jesus is refuted by Islam, but this relates to their understanding about Christianity: Jesus had the message from God, but Christians replaced/corrupted it by changing the content to the “gospels” in New Testament. In the same line, the concept of Trinity of Christianity is idol worship, where three gods are worshipped: God the Father, Mary, and Jesus. Huge misunderstandings!

Another major issue seems to be the crucifixion of Jesus. I did not know that Qur’an actually talks about this: “but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, …, for a surety they killed him not – Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself” (Sura 4:155-158). So, Islam has interpreted this text to mean that Jesus was NOT crucified at all, but a substitute was crucified, which Jews thought was Jesus. There are other theories also, but this is the majority view. Islam cannot understand, how God could give an innocent man like Jesus to be crucified on others behalf, it is against Islamic understanding of justice of God.

There seems to be many conflicts regarding who Jesus was, did He really die, and who is right about God: Islam or Christianity? At this point, I would like to consider, whether it is possible to find harmony between these two groups?

How to Live in Harmony?

When studying the course Introduction to Islam, at times I had difficulty to breathe: the tight grip of Islam on its adherents took my breath away. There are social, economic, and cultural implications for a Muslim to convert to another faith. The worldview built into Islam is totalistic and requires absolute submission, which the term Islam means. The division of House of Islam from House of War automatically puts non-Muslims into a secondary position, and any amount of oppression seems to be justified.

How does Christianity respond to this? All I can think of is Love. The Agape -love of God that Christians keep on talking about, it encompasses all people on earth, including Muslims. If there are wrongs done to them, Christians would love back, as Jesus taught in New Testament (Matthew 5:43-48). Of course, back in the history there has been plenty of violent responses from Christians to Muslims, but were those done in the spirit of God or in the spirit of man? There has been many a dark moment in human history, when men have erupted against other men and killed, tortured, wronged them, simply because they were somehow different.

Despite the history, I believe there can be harmony. The harmony of Love, which “keeps no record of wrong”, “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1^st Cor. 13:5, 7). Though it IS unfair, the Love of God is able to take all the beatings, humiliation, tortures, and offences. All this, because “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth” (Job 19:23). God will have his fair and just judgement, and by trusting Him in Jesus Christ, anyone can learn to Love.

Without Love, it is impossible to reach harmony, because hate and vengeance are never-ending cycles. Despite the possible absolute submission to Islamic teachings about what is orthodox, in the deep heart of every man and woman, adult and child, there is the need to be loved. So, regardless are you a Christian or a Muslim, I call you to surrender to the Love. It is not blind, it is not cheap, it does not change your circumstances nor history, but it will change you! The Love of God was demonstrated: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And through Jesus: “to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)!

How Do I Choose to Live?

Now in everyday life, how should this Love be seen? How it should affect my life? What I have come to understand is this:

1. Recognize my prejudices and repent about them
2. Pray and ask for Love from God
3. See Muslims first of all as men/women loved by God, and then as friends God has put into my life
4. Spend time together, do something fun, learn language, help with daily chores…
5. Share the Love of God via warmth, actions, and words.

There is always a risk of becoming hurt or deceived, if one chooses to Love. Then again, we are not called to love dumbly, but there are wise principles and safe limits that help us to Love consistently. To Love is not to forget rationale, but an attitude of life.

Conclusions

What has this blog text brought to your mind? Do you agree or do you object strongly? Your feedback is more than welcome! Our lives are always undergoing processes, because we are human, tied in time and given only each moment we live in. Fortunately God has put eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), so it is not only a meaningless ride, but every moment really counts! Make your words and actions count, not towards worldly and passing things, but towards eternal and meaningful things.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1^st Corinthians 10:31)

SLR: What is Going on in Our World Today?

For a structured reading experience, you can go to here.

Introduction

The acronym “SLR” stands for Service Learning Requirement, which is a part of a course I am taking right now. This article aims to utilize some of the course material and present an evangelistic message to you, my readers. However, this is not meant to become a single-sided sermon on the evil of the world. Instead, I hope to pen down some of the phenomenon during the past years in various parts of the world, and provide some insights for your consideration.

Our World Today

As of September 2016, there has been major terrorism attacks in Europe, which have changed the way people feel about security. The economic down turn in Europe has also been evident for some years, causing increased financial insecurity. Environmental issues have occupied headlines more frequently, little by little erasing the hope for a better future. Technology has brought a lot of new gadgets and entertainment, which are becoming more mundane than ever.

The world is being united: English language removes obstacles in communication; airlines remove obstacles in geography; TV and internet remove obstacles in culture. People are becoming international, or actually more global than ever. What has this development brought to you? Perhaps more job opportunities outside of your native country? Perhaps more travel opportunities to see wonders of the world? Perhaps finding the one you love from other side of the globe? Perhaps all of these, or perhaps none.

What are also real in the world today: wars, famine, abundance, migration, comfort, natural disasters, high tech, tolerance, racism, communalism, individualism, pride, suffering, some love, and a lot of hate. Vengeance. Lies. Soap operas and X-factors, movies, stars, conspiracy theories, self-enlightenment, self-indulgences. Science is not the power driving society anymore; individual aspirations and ideologies have ascended the throne.

There are still some beautiful things in nature, people, life. But these are becoming rare. Or perhaps it is the observant who has learned to neglect better. How is our world today? What do you think?

Why Our World is as It Is Today?

Now, skipping the answer to “how is our world today”, I come to the question: why our world is as it is today? Below are few aspects, and I hope to hear your comments/feedback if any.

• The reasons of the unrest of world: There is no single reason that answers this question. Some say religion is the reason for wars, some say greed is the reason for totalitarianism, some say lack of love is why people hate each other, some say poverty is the reason for unrests. Actually, the condition of our world is nothing new, there has always been wars, murders, uprisings, and violent encounters. The difference is that we are now more aware of these due to advancement in broadcasting and technology. More NEWS has brought more information which has brought sympathy and eventually apathy.
• The reasons for unhappy people in the Western world: The postmodern ideology of the relativity of truth and reality has taken away any firm foundation on which an individual can build his/her life upon. Within the ideology, tradition is a constructed evil meant to control people; society is a necessary evil meant to keep order; and religion is a myth meant to comfort people. What postmodern people do not see is the setting of individual (subjective ideas) to become truth itself, which in turn leads to self-centricity = pride. In this condition, one accepts only values/ideas suitable for oneself, and rejects any “authorities” that do not agree. When one has thus isolated him/herself, one has also isolated oneself from happiness

• The reasons for unhappy people in the Eastern world: The glamorous and enjoyable material abundance occupying Western countries have become the single goal for Eastern countries. Without the Christian worldview, Eastern people tend to give no value to oneself, but rather sees community/family as a priority. Coupled with materialistic outlook developed in recent decades, people in the Easter world compare his/her success to others. They also compare rank, power, beauty, wisdom, wealth, and health, just to name a few. In this endless loop of comparison, people living in Eastern world do not become satisfied, and happiness eludes from them.
• The reasons for unhappy people in poverty: The answer seems obvious: they are poor! But, if we look deeper, it is not poverty itself that takes away happiness. Children are happy if they have family and friends, of course if they get their daily portion of food. If there is no daily portion of food, can the love and care of close people still bring happiness? To certain extend, yes. My view on this topic is, the world is biased in its treatment of people: rich becomes richer, poor becomes poorer. Greed and hording of wealth are fundamental reasons to poverty, and bribery system in most of poor countries only makes it more obvious. People in poverty could be happy if they are cared for, treated as human beings, and given the opportunity to change their lives. Holistic intervention helps.

• What is happiness? Postmodern mind will bring up this question, and it is a fair question to ask. Bible has a saying: “godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Timothy 6:6-7, ESV). The core here are godliness and contentment. I would agree. Godliness offers a set of values that are defined by God (assuming that the Christian God is real), which transcend time, space, culture, society, and which are claimed to bring happiness to every individual. Contentment is a choice of mind, an attitude of living, which helps people to accept happiness produced by godliness. Contentment doesn’t mean lack of ambition; it rather keeps ambitions honorable and worthy.
  One of the problems in the world today is that people are too busy to think, or too lazy to think deeply. Often we do not want to take the pain of delving deeper into our motives, values, thoughts, or emotions. In the text above, I have listed few observations, and below I will list few conclusions. Would you agree with them?

How Our World Should Be?

• Will our world be able to sustain itself? Recently there are more and more news regarding possibilities to migrate to Mars. Also, famous Stephen Hawking has deemed the earth to be inhabitable in less than 1000 years, likely under 200 years. Though I do not agree with Stephen about the way earth will diminish, I concur that current way humanity operates is not sustainable. Our selfish living and tremendous consumption of resources, in addition to pollutions produced, are toxicating the earth without any hope of recovery. Our so called “advancements in civilization” are only nice looking outward improvements without true internal change. People are as evil as ever, and more technology only offers more power to practice evil deeds.

• What then? The Bible tells us that before long, there will be major catastrophes on earth (Rev. 6:8; 8:7; 9:3-6; 11:6, 13, 19), and at the end God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1). Though the “short-term” outlook of our world is not very bright, biblical faith offers comfort and hope, for “God himself will be with them and be their God”, and “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 21:3-4). What is heaven? The essence of it is to be with the loving and righteous God, in full contentment, happy, and forever thankful for what He has done. There will be no hunger, no thirst, no longlines, no pain, no death, no sorrow; because God himself will rule and care. That is how our world should be.

• You might sigh at my quotations from the Bible, thinking it to be outdated or simply superstitious. Then again, have you really sought to disapprove what Bible says? Have you considered the consequences of God being real, and the Bible being really a revelation from Him? You can check some internet resources for deeper study, e.g. C.S. Lewis Apologetics, or Christian Apologetics Research Ministry. In the meanwhile, let me provide an presentation of Christian message for the world today.

• The Christian message for the world today: The Christian message for you today is actually nothing different from what was proclaimed in the first century AD by the disciples of Jesus Christ: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:42-43). Another quote: “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39).

• How it works? Let me break it down for you.
  • We people are sinners in the eyes of God: we are not perfect as He is, we are selfish, proud, self-centered. We compare ourselves with others, which produce either pride or jealousy. We lack compassion, empathy, love. We lack the ability to not sin. (see Psalm 53:3, Romans 3:23, James 2:8-11)
  • We are not able to help ourselves: we cannot remit our sins, cannot remove the guilt, cannot redo what has been done, cannot help ourselves. Acknowledging this, we cannot help other people to remit their sins, as we cannot even help ourselves. (see Hebrews 9:22)
  • God has provided a way: Because God loves us and does not want us to suffer the consequences of sin, He chooses to forgive our sins. However, God is also just, so His nature requires a punishment for our sins. Jesus came to solve this problem: He led a perfect life in humility and power, then surrendered Himself to humiliation and torture, to shameful death on the cross. Jesus took the punishment of our sins, and was able to do so because He is the Son of God, and He did not sin. Jesus also rose from the dead, because death had no reason to keep Him. (see John 3:16-17, 1 John 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Luke 23:47; Romans 5:6, Matthew 26:26-28, Colossians 2:13-15, Galatians 1:4, 1 Peter 3:18; Acts 2:24, 2:32, 3:15, 4:33)
  • Do we choose the way God has provided? God has provided the way of redemption for our sins, salvation for our souls, and true peace and happiness in life. The choice is yours, whether to accept His gift, or to ignore it? To accept it, simply calm down and tell Him, tell Him about your weaknesses, imperfections, and that you cannot help yourself. Tell Him that you want to receive His gift for you: salvation, remittance of sins, the new life promised. Then thank Him for this gift. That’s it. (See John 1:12, Romans 10:9-13)
  

  • How to continue? Life continues, usually, also after your decision to accept salvation by Jesus. What I can recommend is that you would contact someone who is a Jesus -follower, and share with him/her what you have just done. It would also be good to get a Bible and starting to read, e.g. starting with Gospel of Mark, then the letter to Galatians, letter to Colossians, etc. You can also pray to God in the name of Jesus, whenever and wherever you are, regarding whatever issues, aloud or in your mind. Finally, it is important to find a healthy church where you can ask questions, experience love of the Christian family, and find your spot. Do not just keep this to yourself, our world needs more people like you. (see Matthew 5:13-16, Romans 8:14-16, Romans 8:26, Luke 11:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, Hebrews 10:24-25)

Final Remarks

The “How it Works” -section above might be lengthy, but I pray it is right for you, who are looking for answers and seeking for help. Your life does matter, and you have unique value in the eyes of God. He loves you!

I am open to hear from you and learn your story. I might also be able to answer some of your questions, if any. The goal of believing in Jesus and living as a Christian is not simply to receive salvation, or become a better person, or get ideas how to make this world a better place. The goal of believing in Jesus is simply that it is the best thing that can happen to us, and through us, it is the best thing that can happen to people around us and for this world. Believe in Him, follow His guidance in your life, build up a relationship with Him, and you will not be bored.

If you are already a Christian and have been following Jesus in your life, great! I want to bless you and pray that you continue to receive gifts from God, with which you can serve the people around you and build up your church. The gifts from God might be health, or an ability to care for people, or a skill to do something, or finances, or a power to pray, or humility. Do not despise what He gives to you, but use it to your full potential. I am sure you will find Him smiling at you when you do.

Have faith, have hope, enjoy Love, be blessed!

In a Time When Nobody Cares

It certainly has been a while since the last article here. Frankly, I do not feel sorry about it. Or perhaps a little.

Writing is a very therapeutic art, cleansing the inner self by organizing thoughts and emotions into sequels of words. Writing during the deep night is even more therapeutic: one sees oneself reflected in writing, quietly, silently, humming away the words which are never heard during the busy moments of daytime.

Nobody cares. This can be a subtle statement about current society. This can also be the tune played in the deep night of the soul. This might simply express the cynical view about life. This might be a weighty accusation towards everyone around. This is me.

Realizing how I change, it is both bewildering and commonplace. People tend to change, it's just that nobody cares. Usually people notice the change in themselves only when major incidents happen, and they react to them in a way that totally surprises themselves. And it is usually not in the manner one would like it to be. well, nobody cares.

Not being cynical or sarcastic, I have simply come to realize: nobody cares. This mantra so well suits the society I current dwell in, possibly addressing its biggest wound at the same time as pointing to the unfortunate indulgence of human nature. People, we, have been marred by sin, which causes us to be self-centered and twisting the truth, deceiving ourselves into ignorance. No wonder "ignorance is a bliss", it truly is.

On a bit more positive note: in a time when nobody cares, the cold cold society creates an immense desire in people to find warmth, feel cared for, and share the coldness of Winter of their souls. Sharing creates warmth, caring creates hope, courage creates faith. Failures create pain, and failures cause cynicism. What a sad sad time.

Holding on to the most precious source of life, love, joy, happiness, hope, faith, courage, and power, I feel obliged to care. Despite the lack of responses, despite my own ups and downs, the road I know to be worthy, I must continue to travel. Let there be more and more joining me on this road, more hearts touched by this life, more justice done in this place, more hope spread in this time. I believe, and I live. Soli Deo Gloria!

Book of Revelation, Chapter 2, verses 1-7:
 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
  These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
  Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
  Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The New International Version. (2011). (Re 2:1–7). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Self-Deception - Best Friend and Worst Enemy

The landscape of our hearts? Open peaks and hidden valleys.

Now I am arriving at a topic that has long been acutely interesting to me. The reason for this interest is due to the paradoxical and multi-layered nature of the issue.

Self-deception, as Wikipedia defines it, is "highly debated and occasionally argued to be an impossible phenomenon" (accessed 18th Nov. 2012). Through this difficulty, Wikipedia has chosen the definition for Self-deception as "a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of opposing evidence and logical argument". I will provide another aspect to this.

First of all, the opposite of self-deception could be defined as "awakening". This is my proposal. The concept of awakening implies that the self-deceived is in a state of sleeping, or living in a dream world, away from the reality and truth.

Okey, Matrix or MIB kind of movies have done a good job of enlarging our perception regarding what is "true" and what is "The Matrix". However, our capability to conceive and handle these concepts is an ample proof of our ability to live in self-deception. According to one of Triver's theories, self-deception is a side-product of our ability to think abstractly (Wikipedia). However, debate still exists whether self-deception is an innate characteristic of human nature or it is a learned trait through experience to achieve certain goals (Wikipedia).

Here I propose another root cause analysis: the human nature in its original perfect state did not comprehend false or true, because all things were true and the environment was perfect, because God the Creator was perfect. Due to the choice to disobey God, in a seemingly positive desire to learn more (about good and evil), Adam and Eve broke out from perfection and entered into so-called "abstract thinking". This new state is called "the fallen state of mankind", and it can as well be described as "the state of sin".

Now, so much about the definitions and root cause analysis, I will give some applications of this item. Applications of real life implications, let us start with a well-known psychological concept, the Johari Window:

The implications here are obvious: both the Hidden Self and Unknown Self areas of ourselves are more than vulnerable to self-deception. Of course some can argue that the Unknown Self area lies more in the sub-consciousness, thus cannot be classified as deception - how can one conceal something if not even aware of it? But looking from an objective point of view, or frankly, from Divine point of view, the facts are there even though the person is not aware of it, and it is also self-deception since the person is not aware that he is not aware of it. Getting confused? Please don't, following examples could help to clarify.

Let's take a Western lady as an example, purely imaginary. Aged around 60, she has gone through a multitude of life situations. As a Christian, she has heard about all the Biblical truths there can be preached about.
PUBLIC SELF: she is fully aware of her way of talking to others, how people perceive her as a nice lady with a tender heart, which she certainly is and knows it herself.
PRIVATE SELF: she knows things about herself which others do not know, such as a tendency to dress properly according to situations, caused by the fear of being humiliated publicly. Or, that she is a huge fan of a young and handsome pop-singer but dares not to admit it.
HIDDEN SELF: she does not know this about herself, but everybody around her observes it clearly: she is obsessed with speaking in a "correct" manner, always stressing certain vocals or using certain expressions. She might not like herself doing it if she realized it.
UNKNOWN SELF: she might have some childhood dreams which she has already forgotten, but which still affects her desires and causes her to get excited at certain thoughts or ideas, e.g. traveling to a far country somehow attracts her but she has never stepped out from her home country. Another aspect is mostly cultural, she might not be as individualistic as younger generation, but she blindly believes in the goodness and truthfulness of public authorities and media.

Then let's take a Chinese young lady as an example, purely imaginary. Aged around 20, she just started university and is dating her childhood adoration, a popular young man in the neighboring university.
PUBLIC SELF: she is successful, attractive looking, good in her studies and a good girl at home. Everybody agrees about these.
PRIVATE SELF: she has some bad habits such as chatting online with unknown guys hoping to get some fun out of it. Also, she might really hate living with her parents but cannot show it publicly because it is held as inappropriate. She might dream about running away with her handsome boyfriend but definitely cannot say it aloud.
HIDDEN SELF: others see the proud side of her, a bit arrogant in dealing with other people and some issues. Still others see her tendency to be a spoiled princess, being selfish and self-centered. Usually nobody tells her these things, even her boyfriend, because he thinks it is cute, so far.
UNKNOWN SELF: she does not recognize the imbalance inside of her, due to the culture she is immersed in. For example she used all her attractiveness to entice her current boyfriend to leave his ex-gf, and she did not pity the other girl at all, because all these seem natural to her. She will also devout herself to love her bf totally, surrendering everything to him because he is so handsome and good etc. She does not know why she loves in this way, or is this even real love? In short, she does not recognize her behavioral patterns as right or wrong, but just follows them, as everybody else does.

All the examples above might not be orthodoxy according to Johari model, but they are my applications. As this text nears its end, I am finally approaching my claims and reasons.

If the road is clear, it will be good to travel.

All over the world, I have met people from different social classes, backgrounds, age groups, religions, and family conditions. I have seen many positive traits in many people, but I have also observed many negative characteristics of many people. One of the most painful traits/characters that I have seen/experienced is Self-deception.

Self-deception is so subtle that it tarries with us long time, deceiving us, drags us from true freedom and happiness. Self-deception is not caused by others but rather by ourselves (of course the spiritual adversary and the surrounding world have their parts to play). Self-deception is the single most destructive force in individual lives, preventing us to see ourselves as we really are, putting us on a misty mountain road that is full of pits and falls. Self-deception is the single most dangerous enemy we are facing in ourselves. And we are not facing it.

Ignoring to know myself is to ignore my true self, negligence has a price to pay, if not now then eventually. How, then, can I detect self-deception and overcome the pitfalls and destructive effects it brings to my life? The answer is simple but multifaceted: Jesus. Jesus is the only man who has NOT been tangled in self-deception, and He has meant us to learn from Him, to imitate Him, to follow Him. As the perfect man and perfect God, His divinity does not take away His "accomplishments" as a man, thus here are some clues for us to challenge ourselves, to fight against self-deception：

• Acknowledge that you are vulnerable to be self-deceived
• Have motivation to become "awakened"
• Check your life, objectively compare to Jesus, and see what will you notice in yourself that you have missed earlier
• Be honest with God, and you will hear His honest words to you
• This activity requires the Holy Spirit of God - without Him this will lead to desperation and further deception
• Become teachable, find trustworthy friends/pastors/teachers/mentors to help you
• Let them tell you the truth, they are very helpful especially in the HIDDEN SELF area
• Let them instruct you according to the Bible, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Paul's letter to Philippians, 2:12-13)
• "To work out what God had worked in", live in a way that manifests the saving work God has done in you. (p.42, Roger, 2004, Opening Up Philippians)
•  Find out about cultural issues that hold you back from truth
• Such as behavioral patterns, thought patterns, wrong value system, or missing links of truth
• Remember, it will be a process, but a rich and profitable process! Oh, and it takes the rest of your life time. :)
• You forsake self-deception to gain spiritual and personal growth
• You forsake falsehood to gain truth，and the truth will enable you to be free from bondage and lies
• You might loose a couple of seemingly good friends, just to gain more real good friends
• You might loose some fun, but you will gain everlasting joy and happiness

Self-deception is your best friend, when you want to embrace yourself with self-pity and indulge yourself with temporary relief of pain.
Self-deception is your worst enemy, when you want to be true to yourself and everyone around you. It is also your worst enemy on your road to personal growth, blocking your way to spiritual maturity.
Self-deception is your worst enemy if you want to fully enjoy life and have some everlasting impact in this world.

Only by knowing myself better can I better surrender myself to God.

Greetings from Afar

It so happened that the month of May went by without a blog post. Perhaps I could catch up in June.

Recently we have received few greetings from back home. These greetings have come in different formats, some emails, some letters, some cards, some as useful utensils. We have been very grateful for these greetings, and they have brought tears to our eyes.

Today I received an email from an elder lady, whose family I have met only a couple of times. We have served together in her church when I have visited the town she lives in. We are not that close, but this is what made her letter so special: she was so caring and sharing, that I really felt the hearty love she and her family have towards us. Far away, they are praying for us. We share same faith, same Spirit, same God. We each have our challenges and hardships, but together we march on. Soldiers of Christ.

Yes, being far away is special, and those greetings from afar are the diamonds shining the light from above into our dusty everyday life. I treasure these greetings, I treasure these people. I treasure the family I have in Christ. What a width, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ! (Ephesians 3:18)

Thank you, and just to let you know: you are dear to us, and we also pray for you.

The fields of my home village, where I visited for grandma's funerals

Friendship: Now and Back Then

Finally, I aim to clear my list of blog topics by posting the thoughts. This one is about friendship, what's different now and back then?

When I was a kid, friends came easy, because I was good at school and generally held to be a "good kid". This was of course in China, where the goodness of a person (even a kid) is measured by how useful he can be. Well, fortunately not always. Anyhow, I was a good kid, obedient to the teacher (mostly), diligent with my home works (comparatively), and eager to play with other kids (always). Friends meant having good time, being out from home and doing things other than school work. Friends came easy and brought many good adventures and joys of childhood.

Due to moving from China to Finland, I lost most of my childhood friends, simply because of lack of communication, and later on the lack of common topics to talk about. In Finland friendship is different: you are a friend if we get along, if we enjoy things together, and if we have time to be together. My early Finnish friends were from school, and church. The friends from church stayed quite well for some years to come, friends from school vanished mostly due to time and life.

I wasn't until high-school that I started to make best friends, the definition being: consciously forming and up-keeping the friendship. At the same time I experienced the possible shallowness of human relationships, in addition to the pain of having friends: separation by time and space is a vital part of any friendship on earth.

At some point, years later, I really felt that my heart was divided into many pieces, some left in USA with warmth, some left in Russia with appreciation, some left in China with a sense of belonging, some left all over Finland with smiles and fond memories. The pain of the divided heart became so great that I doubted my will to move anywhere anymore, I just wanted to settle. Until, a godly friend commented to my feelings: the divided heart is not a problem, as long as they are divided according to the will of God. Eureka! My pains settled, my heart stopped bleeding, and I started to value friendship with an open arm, again.

The recent years, due to dating, engagement, marriage, and eventually the birth of Viivi, I have found that the role of friendship has unfortunately decreased, quantitatively. There simply isn't enough time to care for the existing friendships, not even talking about creating new ones! I've felt sad that my path has been separated from my friends and we are growing apart. Family is of course top priority, but isn't there a way to keep up the friendships as well? The bottom line seems to be: our society (Finland) cruelly separates people into categories: children, teenagers, students/young adults, singles, couples, families, work communities, church communities, etc. Any lasting friendship between categories seems to be hard to establish, or keep up. Inevitably friends drift away, not willingly, but passively, time for sharing grows few, chances to travel or do things together become rare, even a deep discourse about vital issues has a time limit. I am sad, again.

The old saying goes: new friends are like silver, old friends are like gold. I want to treasure the gold God has bestowed in my life, at the same time I long for the ability to engage with new friends. Fortunately, family as such is not a restraint for new friendships, rather it opens up doors to a completely new world of people and lives. My current conclusion is thus: at every stage of life there are valuable friendships to be formed, and all friendships should be cherished and tended to. Everybody needs somebody, a friend is a friend, no matter the circumstances or time or space. "Friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them..." True friendship is also possible with people of different religion or worldview.

 Friendship, in its true sense, should never be despised nor overlooked.