Yesterday, the so-called "King of Pop" was eulogized at a memorial service in downtown Los Angeles. While watching the live feed of the memorial service at work, I could not help but find amusement in what turned out to be a media circus instead of a real memorial. For the record, I admire his artistic genius, the way his music inspired others, and the way he gave attention to social needs around the world.
I find it so ironic that millions of "fans" around the world were crying at the loss of their musical "hero" when just a few years ago, none of them would have gone out in public to defend and support him during his several legal troubles involving child molestation. Where were these so called fans who were seen on television weeping and lamenting when Michael Jackson pulled one of his many strange antics in recent memory?
And then at the memorial service, there were a few things that stood out to me. What right did Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson have in speaking at MJ's service other than the fact that they played basketball in the same city where MJ lived? And what the heck was Magic talking about when he claimed MJ made him a better point guard?
Of course Al Sharpton had another one of his moments when he elevated MJ's contribution to the civil rights movement on par with or surpassing that of Martin Luther King Jr's. And he proceeded to say that "there was nothing wrong with Michael Jackson" and turned a memorial service into a rant about racism.
Then there was the price tag on this entire show: $3.5 million. And who would fit that bill? Why, no other than the near bankrupt City of Los Angeles. Nevermind the city closed down a 6-lane freeway just to transport MJ's hearst. After all, it isn't like LA suffers from the worst traffic congestion in the US...(that was sarcasm if you didn't get it). At a time when LA and the state of California faces one of its worse budget crisis that threatens to shut down the government, at a time when jobs such as police officers and teachers are being shed so quickly, the thoughtful family sends a $3.5 million dollar bill to city officials (again, sarcasm). The argument that such a large public event will produce a net economic gain for the city is misplaced since statistical economic analysis of large sporting events have marginal economic benefits. But that is besides the point.
And then the media coverage has been laughable. Is it really "breaking news" that Paris, MJ's daughter, said he was the best father imaginable? Is that what journalism has come down to? At a time when hundreds are dying in the worst ethnic fighting in recent memory in China, when genocide continues to happen in Darfur, when Iran's political situation is still illegitimate, Paris's remarks is what CNN calls breaking news?
At the end of the day, I'm sick of all these "fans" worshipping MJ as if he were God incarnate, without blemish. It was mortifying hearing Al Sharpton tell a revisionist version of MJ's life, that his kids had nothing to be ashamed of regarding their father. Regardless if MJ wasn't convicted of any of the child molestation charges (note: multiple allegations), you cannot possibly say that he's completely innocent when he reached a $20 million settlement with one of his allegers. If you're innocent, why cut a deal with the accuser? Then there's the baby dangling issue, his multiple facial reconstruction and skin issue, his mismanagement of his finances leading to enormous debt, and the list goes on. Yes kids, you have nothing to be ashamed of...just like every child in this world has a perfect dad (again, sarcasm).
Yes, yesterday was a memorial service, and in memorial services, its important for the family and friends to bring closure to the loss of a loved one. And I respect that. I do not argue that it must have been emotionally difficult for the family, especially the children. But to make a memorial into some political, revisionist, and often inappropriate charade (note the horrible performance by Mariah Carey, who wore a rather overwhelming outfit that exposed just a bit too much of herself) was more humorous than anything else.
The world lost an iconic entertainer for sure. But let's not make him out into a saint in the midst of the mania that has somehow swept across the world.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Separatism and Missions
As the struggle for Iran's political future continues, albeit largely overshadowed by the media's saturated coverage of Michael Jackson's death, there's another struggle that is bursting at the seams of another authoritarian government. In Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Uyghur minorities are taking to the streets in Urumqi and Kashgar to voice their displeasure against the communist government. Theirs is a long and tense history fueled by racism and brutality from both sides. In order to keep stability at all costs, the Chinese government has pulled all the stops by turning off the internet and social networking tools and clamping down on the riots that have already claimed hundreds of lives according to official count.
Media coverage of this new rebellion is hardly as colorful as the Iranian struggle and even the "saffron revolution" in Burma in 2007. Is it because all Uyghurs have been generally portrayed as separatists and terrorists according to China, the United States, and the European Union? Perhaps. But whatever the reason for the limited media coverage on this issue, this recent spade of violence in Xinjiang saddens me on a personal level.
It was only two summers ago that I walked the very streets where blood has been shed these past few days. In the Uyghur sections of Urumqi and Kashgar, my team and I snapped photos, talked with locals, and even shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. The smell of fresh naan and lamb meat is still freshly vivid as is the signs of decay in the shanties. Children played with plastic bottles in lieu of toys, unemployed men loitered around the local mosques, and women covered from head to toe walked down the streets. The people I talked to voiced their displeasure of Americans and of the Han Chinese. They talked about their grievances--of lack of economic opportunities, of limited freedom to worship, of exploitation, of secondary social status, etc. They talked about George Bush and how his wars have only exacerbated their conditions.
These were the people we lived with for three weeks. These people, most of whom had never heard of Jesus Christ, were the ones that God called a team of eleven college and young adults to preach the good news to. These people, whom we had previously never knew existed, would open our eyes to a new world and teach us how much God so loves his people.
But as the state clamps down on these very people we reached out, I often find myself having a very pessimistic view of the situation. The missionary that we worked with in Urumqi had said that one of the main obstacles for Uyghurs to put their trust in God is that there is no viable indigenous churches in Xinjiang. And to make matters worse, the burgeoning underground church movement in China has largely skipped ethnic minorities, especially in the western part of China due to the long and complicated history between the Han majority and their ethnic minority peers. And if race relations between the Hans and Uyghurs continues to escalate into violence, how will the gospel penetrate into this lost people group?
But at the end of the day, I'm reminded that God is the one in charge, not me. My pessimist view on reality is dwarfed by the way God can work in impossible situations. Even in such a tense climate, I'm challenged to have faith that God is at work even when we cannot see it. It just reminds me that I need to be more dilligent in praying for the people that I met and for a local church to grow and reach the lost.
Media coverage of this new rebellion is hardly as colorful as the Iranian struggle and even the "saffron revolution" in Burma in 2007. Is it because all Uyghurs have been generally portrayed as separatists and terrorists according to China, the United States, and the European Union? Perhaps. But whatever the reason for the limited media coverage on this issue, this recent spade of violence in Xinjiang saddens me on a personal level.
It was only two summers ago that I walked the very streets where blood has been shed these past few days. In the Uyghur sections of Urumqi and Kashgar, my team and I snapped photos, talked with locals, and even shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. The smell of fresh naan and lamb meat is still freshly vivid as is the signs of decay in the shanties. Children played with plastic bottles in lieu of toys, unemployed men loitered around the local mosques, and women covered from head to toe walked down the streets. The people I talked to voiced their displeasure of Americans and of the Han Chinese. They talked about their grievances--of lack of economic opportunities, of limited freedom to worship, of exploitation, of secondary social status, etc. They talked about George Bush and how his wars have only exacerbated their conditions.
These were the people we lived with for three weeks. These people, most of whom had never heard of Jesus Christ, were the ones that God called a team of eleven college and young adults to preach the good news to. These people, whom we had previously never knew existed, would open our eyes to a new world and teach us how much God so loves his people.
But as the state clamps down on these very people we reached out, I often find myself having a very pessimistic view of the situation. The missionary that we worked with in Urumqi had said that one of the main obstacles for Uyghurs to put their trust in God is that there is no viable indigenous churches in Xinjiang. And to make matters worse, the burgeoning underground church movement in China has largely skipped ethnic minorities, especially in the western part of China due to the long and complicated history between the Han majority and their ethnic minority peers. And if race relations between the Hans and Uyghurs continues to escalate into violence, how will the gospel penetrate into this lost people group?
But at the end of the day, I'm reminded that God is the one in charge, not me. My pessimist view on reality is dwarfed by the way God can work in impossible situations. Even in such a tense climate, I'm challenged to have faith that God is at work even when we cannot see it. It just reminds me that I need to be more dilligent in praying for the people that I met and for a local church to grow and reach the lost.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Cost of Freedom
A few nights ago, I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Halfway across the world, my peers were standing up against a political establishment, itself, established from popular uprising three decades ago. As I lay in bed that night, I thought about the parallel lives that these young and courageous Iranians were living. Risking imprisonment and even death, they took to the streets in the biggest sign of uprising in the thirty-year history of the current Iranian theocracy. Moussavi, himself, has indicated that he would accept martyrdom in the pursuit of greater freedom.
I often take the freedom that I enjoy for granted. For all its flaws, the American political experiment has survived the test of time, insurrections, wars, and other external/internal factors. It enumerates freedoms that I, as a citizen, am entitled to, and the justice system is, in theory, out to ensure due process of law. I am able to freely express myself, among other things, and anticipate my voice to be heard. I have economic opportunities with the possibility of upward social mobility. I don't fear the state's security apparatus barging into my apartment and dragging me off to prison on trumped up charges. I have the ability to gather in public rallies and demonstrations. I can move around the country and the world without government approval. The benefits of living in an open society can go on and on.
Like many outside of Iran, I've been glued to the television and the internet, watching and reading the most current news coming from Iran. I was particularly moved when it was reported that protesters addressed the issue of government crackdown on public rallies. They said that a million lives lost for greater democracy would be worth it for the forty-some million other Iranians and subsequent generations. This is the cost of freedom. Generations before have all paid their dues, many with their own dear lives. In America and in the rest of the world, brave men and women, often students, have shouldered the call to have their voices heard.
Hopefully, future Iranians and global citizens will look to July 2009 as another watershed moment in the pursuit of greater freedoms.
I often take the freedom that I enjoy for granted. For all its flaws, the American political experiment has survived the test of time, insurrections, wars, and other external/internal factors. It enumerates freedoms that I, as a citizen, am entitled to, and the justice system is, in theory, out to ensure due process of law. I am able to freely express myself, among other things, and anticipate my voice to be heard. I have economic opportunities with the possibility of upward social mobility. I don't fear the state's security apparatus barging into my apartment and dragging me off to prison on trumped up charges. I have the ability to gather in public rallies and demonstrations. I can move around the country and the world without government approval. The benefits of living in an open society can go on and on.
Like many outside of Iran, I've been glued to the television and the internet, watching and reading the most current news coming from Iran. I was particularly moved when it was reported that protesters addressed the issue of government crackdown on public rallies. They said that a million lives lost for greater democracy would be worth it for the forty-some million other Iranians and subsequent generations. This is the cost of freedom. Generations before have all paid their dues, many with their own dear lives. In America and in the rest of the world, brave men and women, often students, have shouldered the call to have their voices heard.
Hopefully, future Iranians and global citizens will look to July 2009 as another watershed moment in the pursuit of greater freedoms.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Twenty Years Later
On June 4, 1989, tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square and the army fired on its own people. The world watched in horror as China brutally suppressed any signs of open rebellion to cement its political legitimacy.
20 years later, there are rampant fears that history will repeat itself in another area of the world. Days have passed since the apparently fraudulent presidential election was complete, and the streets of Tehran continue to be hotbeds of political dissent as demands for legitimate democracy are heard with no end in sight. Analysts expect the situation to only worsen. And many anticipate that it is only a matter of time before the tanks coming rolling down in Tehran.If Iran experiences its own Tiananmen Square incident, what will happen next? Will it lead to the broader mobilization of revoluationary activity? Or will it effectively quell any future prospects of democratization?
I'm no expert on Middle Eastern affairs, but something about this is captivating. I've been swept up in the revolutionary spirit. Although I cannot imagine what these brave men and women in Tehran are facing, I embrace the principles they stand for and am there in spirit with them. In a speech, former President George W. Bush once said, Everywhere that freedom arrives, humanity rejoices; and everywhere that freedom stirs,let tyrants fear." So in that spirit, let Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei fear. And let the seed of democracy runneth over into other tyrannical regimes in Sudan, North Korea, Burma, China, Zimbabwe, and others.
Let freedom ring.
pictures courtesy of Boston.com.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
death to the dictator
The world holds its breath as Iran's future holds in the balance. The streets of Tehran are colored in green, the color of Iran's newest revolution, a revolution built upon the promise of real democracy.
The voices of the people can no longer be suppressed. The will of the people can no longer be denied. Death to the dictator!
For photos, click here.
The voices of the people can no longer be suppressed. The will of the people can no longer be denied. Death to the dictator!
For photos, click here.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Hodge Podge of News
It's becoming a busier summer than I had originally anticipated. Work at school has been crazy busy these past few weeks as I coordinate this US-Korea event the day before the South Korean president meets with President Obama. On top of that, I've been reading like crazy for my internship. And then I'm traveling almost every weekend in June. It's been hard to find any meaningful me-time, when I can just relax and recharge. But in the end, this is the road I chose to take. It is what it is. I cannot complain.
There's been a lot of world news that is of interest. North Korea has an heir apparent. It also exploded another nuclear device and fired short range missiles into the Sea of Japan. It put two U.S. reporters on trial for trumped up charges and sentenced them to 12 years in a forced labor camp. South Korea joined the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative in response to North Korea's provocative acts. Its former president committed suicide by jumping off a cliff. It enacted economic sanctions on North Korean companies. China and Russia are apparently showing signs of frustration with North Korea. China stepped up its censorship efforts leading up to the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident.
Elsewhere around the world, Pres. Obama delivered a conciliatory speech to the Arab-Muslim population in Cairo that was received with "cautious optimism." That speech is partially credited with the success of the U.S.-backed political coalition in yesterday's Lebanese parliamentary elections which denied the Shiite Hizbollah from increasing in power. That election could foreshadow the results of another Middle East election coming up on Friday in Iran. In Pakistan, there are signs that locals are fed up with Taliban incursion with local militia fighting Taliban forces in the tribal areas. An Air France flight fell off the radar and into the Atlantic Ocean, presumably killing everyone on board.
All in all, there is no shortage of interesting events going on around the world. We live in challenging but exciting times. I'm cautiously looking forward to Iran's presidential elections that pits the incumbent Ahmadinejad against three other moderates in a seemingly tight race. If Mousavi, the main oppositional leader, can win, it would truly be a promising sign of improving relations in the Middle East and hopes that extremism will continue to wane. But we shall see.
There's been a lot of world news that is of interest. North Korea has an heir apparent. It also exploded another nuclear device and fired short range missiles into the Sea of Japan. It put two U.S. reporters on trial for trumped up charges and sentenced them to 12 years in a forced labor camp. South Korea joined the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative in response to North Korea's provocative acts. Its former president committed suicide by jumping off a cliff. It enacted economic sanctions on North Korean companies. China and Russia are apparently showing signs of frustration with North Korea. China stepped up its censorship efforts leading up to the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident.
Elsewhere around the world, Pres. Obama delivered a conciliatory speech to the Arab-Muslim population in Cairo that was received with "cautious optimism." That speech is partially credited with the success of the U.S.-backed political coalition in yesterday's Lebanese parliamentary elections which denied the Shiite Hizbollah from increasing in power. That election could foreshadow the results of another Middle East election coming up on Friday in Iran. In Pakistan, there are signs that locals are fed up with Taliban incursion with local militia fighting Taliban forces in the tribal areas. An Air France flight fell off the radar and into the Atlantic Ocean, presumably killing everyone on board.
All in all, there is no shortage of interesting events going on around the world. We live in challenging but exciting times. I'm cautiously looking forward to Iran's presidential elections that pits the incumbent Ahmadinejad against three other moderates in a seemingly tight race. If Mousavi, the main oppositional leader, can win, it would truly be a promising sign of improving relations in the Middle East and hopes that extremism will continue to wane. But we shall see.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Marriage and Men
In the past three weeks, I've been to two weddings; in the past three months, I've been to three. In the next month, I'll have gone to two more; in the next four months, I'll have gone to three. In the span of eight months, I'll have attended six weddings and missed out on several more. It is the season of mass weddings, and though it is taking a toll on my already limited budget, I couldn't be happier for my friends who have tied or are tying the knot.
All these weddings have obviously got me thinking about my own status. Though I do wish I could at least be in a relationship, I am thoroughly content in my singleness in my current state. I've got enough immediate concerns with graduate school; but then again, if God were to make it abundantly clear to be in a relationship, so be it; I'd embrace that additional responsibility in a heartbeat for sure.
With that thought and fresh from Dave and Sarah's wedding this past weekend, I listened to a powerful and convicting sermon dealing about relationships/marriage given by none other than Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church out in Seattle. I'm telling you, the man is anointed. He spoke about how men in the church fall into two extreme camps: chauvinism or cowardice. Falling into either of these categories distorts the institution of marriage, and at the end of the day, the fault lies with the men. The sermon wasn't necessarily a new topic, but God used it powerfully to speak to me about my flaws as a man and how much more I need to grow in my character before I'm called to be responsible for another person in my life.
One thing that I've heard him often say is guys tend to think that marriages will make them men, and he rips that philosophy apart. I have to agree with him. As I'm learning what it means to be a man of God, it starts with taking responsibility for my own life. It starts with spending time with God daily. It starts with loving my neighbors as myself. It starts with basic responsbilities like getting a job, cleaning after myself, being organized. How could I expect to take responsibility for another person when I'm having trouble taking care of my own affairs?
I vouch for men like Dave, Moses, and Paul. I respect men like Pastor Jimmy, Yohan, and Davis. They, among others, are good men, striving to be like Christ. I believe God will bless their marriages abundantly as they love their wives as Christ loved the Church. I'm excited for them, and I hope that God would continue to grow me so I can be with someone who I will lay my life down for as Christ gave up His life for the Church. But until then, I will work on the plethora of flaws I find in myself (not including the many others that other people may find in me).
All these weddings have obviously got me thinking about my own status. Though I do wish I could at least be in a relationship, I am thoroughly content in my singleness in my current state. I've got enough immediate concerns with graduate school; but then again, if God were to make it abundantly clear to be in a relationship, so be it; I'd embrace that additional responsibility in a heartbeat for sure.
With that thought and fresh from Dave and Sarah's wedding this past weekend, I listened to a powerful and convicting sermon dealing about relationships/marriage given by none other than Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church out in Seattle. I'm telling you, the man is anointed. He spoke about how men in the church fall into two extreme camps: chauvinism or cowardice. Falling into either of these categories distorts the institution of marriage, and at the end of the day, the fault lies with the men. The sermon wasn't necessarily a new topic, but God used it powerfully to speak to me about my flaws as a man and how much more I need to grow in my character before I'm called to be responsible for another person in my life.
One thing that I've heard him often say is guys tend to think that marriages will make them men, and he rips that philosophy apart. I have to agree with him. As I'm learning what it means to be a man of God, it starts with taking responsibility for my own life. It starts with spending time with God daily. It starts with loving my neighbors as myself. It starts with basic responsbilities like getting a job, cleaning after myself, being organized. How could I expect to take responsibility for another person when I'm having trouble taking care of my own affairs?
I vouch for men like Dave, Moses, and Paul. I respect men like Pastor Jimmy, Yohan, and Davis. They, among others, are good men, striving to be like Christ. I believe God will bless their marriages abundantly as they love their wives as Christ loved the Church. I'm excited for them, and I hope that God would continue to grow me so I can be with someone who I will lay my life down for as Christ gave up His life for the Church. But until then, I will work on the plethora of flaws I find in myself (not including the many others that other people may find in me).
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