shalom##-05.PDF 1 SONG WRITING AND SEEKING THE SHALOM OF THE CITY “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all those who were in exile... Build houses and dwell in them ; plant g ardens and eat their fruits. Take wives and becom e fathers; find wives for your sons and g ive your d aughters in m arriage, so that they to m ay have sons and d aughters. Increase in num ber, d o not decrease. And seek the shalom of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its shalom you will have shalom . — Jerem iah. 29: 4-7 Song writing c a n b e a n instrum e nt for spiritual warfare as it bring s to rem em b ra nc e the faithfulness of God . The first song of victory in Scripture, the Song of Moses, is rem em b e re d in the Psalm s of David a nd is reprise d a g a in in the last d a ys of Revelation: “The Lord is m y strength and my song; He has becom e m y salvation.” — Exod us 15:2, Psalm 118:4, Rev. 15:3 The song “Se ek the Shalom of the City” b e g a n to surfa c e when the a b ove passa g e from the prophet Jerem iah brood e d in m y m ind d uring the turb ule nt we ek of Dec em b e r 9th, 2004. This translation of the passa g e ha d first d e eply a ffected m e a d ozen ye ars e arlier when I c am e a cross it in a m inistry newsletter. W hen I uproote d m y fa m ily from California to take a job in Stony Brook, N ew York, we felt that we were living in exile. The cre ativity involve d in song writing taps into our unconscious. O ften a se em ing ly d isconne cte d stre am of m em ories m a y b ub b le to consciousness. W hat m a y have appe are d to b e a m ere coincid enc e c an, in retrospect, b e turn out to stones in the stre am —the twelve stones of rem em b ra nc e (Joshua 4:9), stones to b e ar witness (Joshua 24:26-27) or an Eb e nezer stone of God ’s help (1 Sa m uel 7:12). The m em ories that surfa c e d uring song writing are often piec es of a puzzle that fit tog ether to reve al a picture of God ’s work in our lives. The conne cting tog ether of these m em ories into a cohere nt life story g ives us a powerful testim ony that streng thens our resolve not to shrink from the tasks God has g iven us. “They overcam e him by the blood of the Lam b, and by the word of their testim ony; they did not love their lives so m uch as to shrink from d eath.” — Revelation 12:11 The week this song surfa c e d , as I said , was a turb ule nt one. O n Mond a y of that we ek, I le arne d that m y father, John M ar, ha d b e e n d ia g nose d with inopera b le lung c a nc er. O n the Saturd a y of that we ek the song was the birthd a y of our first child , Lauren Alethia M ar, who was stillb orn on Dec em b e r 11th, 1984. Throug h writing this article, I re alize d that the song b e g a n on Dec em b e r 9th, the anniversary of the a nnounc em e nt of a project, which I ha d b e e n involve d with sinc e 1996 and in which Da d ha d playe d a n im portant role. W hen he was a 17- ye ar-old youth in Mod esto, California, Da d joine d the Air Force to fig ht in W orld W a r II. As a lieutena nt b om b a rd ier on a B-17, Da d flew 35 d a ng e rous m issions over N azi Germ a ny. O nc e Da d ’s throat m ic ha d protecte d him from b eing hit with a piec e of shrapnel, and a nother tim e his plane the ‘Lil’ Eig ht Ball’ cripple d in b attle slowly m a d e to the b ase with d isa b le d eng ines. After W orld W a r II, Da d m a rrie d m y m om , Mary Eng, whom he ha d m e t at an Air Forc e b ase in Sa n Antonia. They m ove d to Sa cra m e nto to start the first Chinese take-out restaurant in Sa cra m e nto, the Chinese Kitchen. Then just as his GI Bill was a b out to run out, Da d d e c id e d to g o U. C. Berkeley to b e c om e a n architect. Sinc e he ha d b e e n involve d in the d estruction of b uild ing s, Da d wante d to b e a n architect who would b e involve d in their construction. After Lauren Alethia was stillb orn, Lana could n’t conc eive. At that tim e we were attend ing the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Sa nta Monic a. W hile we were involve d in helping to plant a Vineyard Church in W est Los Ang e les, Lana re c eive d prayer from John W im b e r, one of the found ers of the Vineyard M ovem ent. Our d a ug hter Jessic a Eliza b eth M ar was b orn in Sa nta Monic a in 1986. W hen Jessica was less than one ye ar old , we m ove d to Long Isla nd , b e g inning our life of exile. John W . Mar Dec. 15, 1921 2 O ur son David was b orn two ye ars later as we m ove d into a house in M astic, N ew York. W e b e g a n attend ing La m b ’s Chapel in ne arby Center M oriches. At the tim e I b e g a n working with worship le a d er Eug e ne Greco at Christ for the N ations, a loc al Bib le Colle g e a d ja c ent to Stony Brook University. Eug e ne said it felt as if we were bre aking concrete and m aking prog ress at Stony Brook, which up to that tim e ha d b e e n im penetra b le to Christian m inistries. I was serving as a d e a c on at La m b ’s Chapel, when it was d enie d ac c ess to show a film a fter school hours in Center M oriches. Other g roups, includ ing a N e w Ag e g roup, ha d b e e n allowe d use of the fa cilities, so I urg e d the church to pursue le g a l action . I finishe d tea ching m y first g ra d uate sem inar at Stony Brook, and I was looking forward to Christm as bre ak. David , now eig ht m onths old , ha d just g otten a cle an b ill of he alth. The nig ht a fter Christm as, David b e g a n to cry and so I took the tim e to hold m e and kiss him and rock him to sle ep. The next m orning, David d id not awake as usual. I can rem em b e r to this d a y Lana’s cry as she we nt into David ’s room . Lana ran out with David ’s lifeless b od y, and I d id CPR for the first tim e on m y son. David ha d d ie d d uring the nig ht of Sud d e n Infa nt De ath Synd rom e (SIDS). Lauren’s d e ath ha d b e e n he art wrenching , b ut we were a b le to hold onto our faith. The d e ath of a second child David starte d a slid e into a spiritually trying tim e . In the m id st of these tra g ic losses, we b e lieve d that Lord ’s prom ise for our child ren: “His children will be m ighty in the land; the g eneration of the upright will be blessed.” — Psalm 112:2 I b e g a n to pray Paul prayer in Ephesians 1 over Lana. Lauren Alethia, our first d a ug hter, was burie d in Los Ang e les, and now, our first son, was b urie d in Center M oriches at the other end of the country. I ha d no tim e to g rieve for I was fa cing renewal and tenure and I ha d Jessica, Krista, and Lana to c are for. Attend ing a conferenc e sponsore d b y the Vineyard Christian Fellowship on Long Island , there was a “word ” re g ard ing a wom an who ha d e nd ure d the d e ath of a son and who ha d subsequently ha d a m iscarria g e. I encoura g e d Lana to the conferenc e the next d a y for prayer since the “word ” ha d a c curately d escrib e d her situation. La na rec eive d som e powerful prayer that d a y, and she b e c am e pre g na nt a g a in. After her first visit to the pe d iatrician, Lana was g iven a d a te for the birth of our child that seem e d fa m iliar. W hen La na checke d on her c alend a r, it was exa ctly one ye ar to the d a y of that he aling prayer. Krista Michelle M ar was b orn in 1990. At that tim e, it was d ifficult for us to attend La m b ’s Chapel, a young cong re g ation with m any young pre g na nt m others and a trium phalist style of faith. At this tim e, w e starte d attend ing the First Baptist Church in Patchog ue, N ew York, where Pastor Craig a nd H e len Ad a m s welcom e d us. Lana often spoke with Helen, and I was aske d to tea ch an apolog etics class. W hen the church b e c a m e involve d in fig hting the influx of pornog raphy into Suffolk County d ue to a cra ck d own in neig hb oring N a ssau Country, I was aske d to g ive a presentation on rec ent rese arch into the a d d ictive nature of pornog raphy to Suffolk County officials. Then I land e d a job offer b a c k in California, very close to Lana’s fa m ily. W e were re a d y to return from exile. W e rente d our house in M astic, purchase d our airline tickets, and I g a ve notice to the Philosophy Departm ent that I taking a le ave of a bsenc e . It was then that the Lord used the passa g e from Jerem iah, tog ether with another one a b out two b askets of figs, to spe ak to us a b out rem aining in Stony Brook to “seek the shalom of the city” where we ha d b e e n c arrie d a way captive . These passa g es from the we eping prophet Jerem iah broug ht a flood of te ars: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these g ood figs, I regard as good the exiles from Jud ah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them d own; I will plant them and not uproot them . I will give them a heart to know m e, that I am the LORD. They will be m y people, and I will be their God, for they will return to m e with all of their heart (Jer. 24:4-7).” David John M ar April 11-Dec. 27, 1988 Da d with Jessic a ( b . 1986) and Krista (b . 1990) 3 Lana, who ha d for ye ars long e d to return to California, felt the Lord was d irecting us to stay in Stony Brook. This was a n unexpecte d chang e of he art. However, now we ha d no pla c e to live ; we ha d non-refund a b le airline tickets; and I ha d a lre a d y resig ne d m y job . In Sund a y school, Jessic a and Krista c aug ht the chicken pox, which ena b le d us to refund our airline tickets. W e then found a rental ne ar the University, in the d esira b le Three Villa g e school d istrict, where Jessica would b e g in kind erg a rten at Setauket School. I was a b le to c anc el the le ave of a bsenc e and return to m y job at the university. The d a y Jessic a steppe d onto the school b us, Lana ha d te ars in her eyes. W e were conc erne d that Jessica would b e te ase d for b eing a Christian a t school. W hen she returne d from here first d ay at school, we aske d Jessic a how her d a y went. Jessica said she told her tea cher that she only knew how to spell two word s—“Jessic a” and “Jesus”. It turne d out her kind erg a rten te a cher, Ms. M areng e llo, was a Christian who would play a crucial role in Jessic a ’s e d uc ation. “For I know the plans I have for you,” d eclares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon m e and com e and pray to m e, and I will listen to you. You will seek and find m e when you seek m e with all your heart. I will be found by you,” d eclares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity (Jer. 29:11-14).” Ab out this tim e, I was asked b y two tea chers at Christ for the N ations Bib le Colle g e —Gary Zarling o and Steve n Holm sey—to help them with a d e b a te. They ha d b e e n challeng e d b y two professors at C. W . Post to d e b ate the existence of God . I a gre e d to help them prepare —using m y training in log ic and philosophy of relig ion a nd m y new course notes from m y apolog etics course for the First Baptist Church. W hen I arrived a t Christ for the N ation s, I aske d exactly what proposition they would b e d e b a ting . “Resolve d : the existence of God c an b e proven,” they replie d . I re a lize d im m e d iately that this proposition pla c e d on them an und ue burd e n of proof. I im m e d iately sug g e ste d they g et on the phone and propose an alternative . W hen they d id , a new proposition was a gre e d upon: “Resolve d : It is rational to b e lieve in the God of Christianity.” This proposition, I explaine d , would shift the b attle ground to where their streng th as Bib le scholars could b e utilize d . M oreover, to win the d e b ate they d id n’t have to prove that God exists to everyone’s satisfa ction— a ne arly im possib le task. To win now required what is a d m onishe d in scripture (2 Pet. 3:15) to b e prepare d “to g ive a re ason for the hope within”— to rationally d e fend their faith “with g e ntleness and respect.” It was cold a nd storm y the nig ht I d rove out to C. W . Post to see how te am of David would fair a g a inst te am Goliath. W hen I entere d the aud itorium , I w as questione d a b out which “sid e” I was on. The aud ienc e was polarize d a nd poise d for the intellectual b attle. Se ate d in front of m e, I overhe ard the stud e nts of the philosophy professor talking and laug hing . They were confid ent that their professor would m op the floor with the Bib le colle g e tea chers. Just as the d e b ate was a b out to b e g in, the storm c ause d the lig hts in the aud itorium to b low a circuit. W hen the lig hts could n’t b e turne d on a g a in, Pastor Zarling o b e g a n spe aking for the first a ffirm ative re a d ing his presentation in the lig ht of ha nd -held flashlig ht. He told m e later that this was com forting : as a prea cher, he ha d no fe ar of stand ing in front of a cong re g ation, b ut he felt out of plac e in the setting of a colle g e d e b ate. Just as Gary was finishing his spee ch, he notice d the lig hts flickering and it occurred to him to say, “And God said , let there b e lig ht” at which tim e all the house lig hts cam e on. The stud ents sitting in front of m e who ha d b e e n so confid ent b e fore were taken by surprise as was the aud ienc e . In their over-confid e nc e, the two professors from C. W . Post ha d ne g le cte d to test the consistency of their positions. The philosophy professor arg ue d from the position of m aterialism that d e ath was the end of our existence, but her partner arg ue d from a N ew Ag e perspective in which d e ath is viewed as a d oor to another sta g e of life . They c anc elle d e a ch other’s views out, and w hen Zarling o and H olm sey were a b le to answer, with scholarship and confid ent respect, ob je ctions to the Christian faith, the ne g ative te a m b e g a n to loose their nerve . Two weeks a fter that d e b a te, Zarling o and Holm sey invited m e to a victory lunch. The m e eting , however, was bitter sweet. They ha d obviously won a d e b ate they were expecte d to lose. This joy, however, was m ixe d with sa d ness: Christ for the N ations ha d just announce d it was closing its d oors. In retrospect, they were g la d they ha d d e c id e d to ac c ept the challeng e to d e fend the ir faith for now they ha d a m e m ora b le victory to ac com pany them as they soug ht new jobs. The next ye ar in Stony Brook’s Philosophy Departm ent would b e the m ost d ifficult in its history. A d isg runtle d senior m em b er of the Departm ent was appointe d De an of the Colle g e of Arts and Sciences by the Provost, and he used his new power to fire the d uly ele cte d chair, who ha d recruited m e to com e to 4 Stony Brook, to appoint an interim chair, and to plot the d em ise of the entire “analytic” w ing of the Philosophy Departm ent. Thus b e g a n an intellectual “witch hunt” to d iscre d it all the three of the newly hired m em b e rs of the Departm ent—includ ing m yself. W hen I ha d first le d a Bib le stud y for the Thre e Villa g e Church at Stony Brook with Eug e n e Greco as a worship le a d er, there ha d b e e n few Christian g roups. N ow a ye ar later, a num b er of Christian fellowships ha d b e g un to take root at Stony Brook — includ ing Ca m pus Crusa d e a nd Intervarsity. I b e g a n to g et invitations to speak a b out the issue of the existence of God a nd suffering in the world . These were still very d ifficult thing s for m e to d iscuss since I was still g rieving over the d e ath of m y son David . Besid es stirring up unresolve d g rie f, another re ason for m y reluctanc e to share was that, ye ars b e fore com ing to Stony Brook, I ha d lost m y tea ching position at UCLA when I ha d b e c om e a Christian. It turne d out that m y spe aking to these Christian g roups, althoug h in the evening on m y own tim e , would b e use d b y m y colle a g ues in Philosophy to try to b lock m y renewal the ye ar b e fore tenure . Blatantly d iscrim inatory rem arks spoken “off the record ” by colle a gues were includ e d in the appointe d Chair's letter sum m arizing the m e eting . In their ze al to find any reason to d iscred it m y tea ching, these colle a gues d iscre d ite d the mselves by opening the University to a charg e of d iscrim ination on the b asis of relig ion in the official d ocum ente d letters. W hile I was g oing up for tenure, the d issension within the Departm ent le d to a split with one fa ction, includ ing som e of the m ore biase d d etractors, le aving the Departm ent to form their own a c a d em ic unit. My tenure file — in their a bsenc e —passed throug h the Departm ent with flying colors. During this tim e of persecution, I confronte d the De an on the issue that as a Jesuit his cond uct d id not refle ct the chara cter of Christ. W hen I showe d him m y a ctual stud e nt evaluations, m oreover, he a d m itted that I could not have g otten such hig h evaluations if I ha d b e e n — as fa lsely accuse d b y som e colle a g ues—using the classroom as a forum to prom ote unpopular views on a b ortion. I said to him , “W ho knows whether you have b e e n put in your position, for such a tim e as this?” Yet the De an refuse d to take a ction and a d m itted he was “too sophisticate d ” to b e lieve it he resurre ction of Christ. By the end of the week, he resig ne d his position and le ft for another university in d isgra c e . During this tim e, we b e g a n attend ing Church on the Sound in Setauket b e c ause of its vicinity to the University. For a m e n’s retre at, I ha d re com m end e d that our g uest speaker b e Gary Zarling o, now a n associate pastor at the church which ha d helpe d to obtain a lawyer to pursue the Lam b’s Chapel case . At this retre at, Pastor Zarling o spoke on Rom ans 8:17-39: N o, in all these things we were m ore than conquers through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither ang els nor d em ons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, not anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. W hen Zarling o talke d a b out how we were “m ore than conquerors” (hyper nike), he illustrate d this passa g e with an im a g e: the arrows of persecution shot at b e lievers could b e use d by the Lord as a la d d er to d eliver us from our pit of persecution. W hen news of the id eolog ic al purg es taking pla c e within Stony Brook’s Philosophy Departm ent ha d re a che d the Am eric an Philosophic al Association , d isting uishe d scholars (includ ing Alvin Planting a a nd Bas van Fra assen) from across the country, took tim e to write letters to Presid ent John M arb urg er and to review m y scholarship for tenure . The we ek m y file went to the tenure and prom otion com m ittee, I felt like we were ind e e d “m ore than conquerors” as I was lifte d from m y pit of persecution. I was award e d the Presid e nt’s and Chanc ellor’s Award for Excellenc e in Te a ching, the Suprem e Court of the Unite d States rule d in favor of Lam b’s Chapel vs. the Center Moriches School District (1993), and Scientific Am erican (Fe b. 1993) pub lishe d an article d iscussing m y innovative rese arch in log ic . Ab out this tim e, two of Kore an Am eric an stud ents, approa che d m e to b e the fa culty sponsor for the newly form e d Asian Am eric an Fellowship. Before taking on this responsibility, I urg e d the stud ents to seek the blessing of the Kore an Christian 5 Fellowship, which they were le aving to start the new g roup. The Asian Am eric an Fellowship flourishe d und er the le a d ership of Karina Kim, and Lana and I b e g a n d riving stud ents to Church on the Sound a nd the Three Villa g e Church. Having won the b attle for tenure and now sponsoring the fellowship, we d e cid e d it was tim e to purchase a hom e in Stony Brook “to seek the shalom of the city.” W hen we opene d our hom e to the Asian Am erican Fellowship, Dad was there. Church on the Sound was force d to relocate for financial re asons and several sites were b eing consid ere d . As a faithful m em b er, I b e lieve d that the church should b e reloc ate d to N ichols Roa d ne ar the University. The are a on N ichols roa d ha d b e e n set asid e for churches, but at the tim e, there were only two churches— a Unitarian Church and a Church of Christian Scienc e. In stud ying the spiritual history of the are a reve ale d that ha d b e e n covena nts pla c e d on the land prohibiting it to b e used b y Jews and Bla cks. The old est church in the are a was an AME Church that ha d b e e n d esig nate d for slaves a fter the Civil W ar. In praying for the Church on the Sound ’s reloc ation, I b e lieve d that the purpose for th e land on N ichols Roa d would b e fulfille d b y an evang e lic al church that would open its d oors to Blacks and Jews and other m arg inalize d peoples. Church on the Sound successfully soug ht perm ission to m e et in the loc al Mid d le School a d ja c ent to their new property. I rec all the d a y we g athere d as a cong re g ation a nd b urie d stones of rem em b ranc e on the property b e fore the build ing process would b e g in. W ith the help of Karina and the Asian Am eric an Fellowship, we helpe d to start an Eng lish speaking service for a Chinese spe aking cong re g ation which m et d own the street from Church on the Sound . Pastor N icholas Se e b erg er of Church on the Sound g a ve us his b lessing . The success of the Eng lish spe aking service, however, provoke d the je alousy of the Chinese Pastor. She used the conservatism within the Chinese Church with re g ard to spiritual g ifts to polarize the le a d ership and to d iscre d it the success of the Eng lish m inistry. Then she b e g a n to stir up strife by ac cusing several pastors who ha d b e e n helping with the church plant of trying to take over her m inistry. Pastor Ken Tom of VisionQuest, a servant of the Lord , ha d b e e n recruited to help with the start-up and he was sacrificially com m uting long hours from N ew Jersey. Pastor N icholas Se e b erg er of Church on the Sound , who ha d supported and praye d for our efforts, was also accuse d of wanting to take over her church. W hen La na b e g a n a successful m e eting on parenting within a hom e fellowship for the wom en at the church, the Pastor said “no one was intereste d ” in the topic even thoug h the m e eting s were crowd e d . This was a confusing a nd d isillusioning experience. O n Dec em b e r 2, 1993 the tra g ic suicid e pact of two Asian Am eric an hig h school g irls, Ellen Liu a nd Mili Sub ud hi, shocke d the Asian Am eric an com m unity. These tra g ic d e aths were the young est suicid es in the history of the Long Island Railroa d . Ellen a nd M ili c am e from hig hly successful fa m ilies, and they ha d first m et in third g ra d e in the Gifte d a nd Talente d Prog ra m . This tra g e d y d e eply a ffe cte d us b e c ause Jessic a with a re com m end a tion Ms. M areng e llo, now her second g ra d e tea cher, and excellent test scores, was a b out to enter that prog ra m. 6 The tra g e d y was a wake -up call to the Asian Am erican com m unity. W e thoug ht it could b e no ac cid ent that the two g irls were Asian Am eric ans. Yet, som etim es a com m unity, instea d of respond ing with com passion and conc ern, b la m es the victim s— the child ren and the parents—trying to find re asons for d istancing them selves from le arning a b out the pressures that im pact all our child ren. W e felt that som ething ha d to b e d one to a d d ress the issues fa c e d by Asian Am eric an youth in the pub lic school syste m in ord er protect our own d a ug hters. As I b e g a n to think a b out issues of cross-cultural evang e lism , I was invited to b e part of the Am eric an d ele g ation of the Society of Christian Philosophers to attend a c onferenc e in Beijing, China in 1995. The Tiana nm en Square cra ckd own ha d tarnishe d the reputation of China, and a few weeks b e fore our conferenc e, the controversy cause d b y International W om en’s Conferenc e that m et in Beijing was in the news. An Am erican Harry W u ha d b e e n arreste d for raising issues of hum an rig hts violations in China. I wante d m y presentation at the Second Sym posium of Chinese -W estern Philosophy and Relig ious Stud ies to cle arly com m unic ate the claim of Christianity in a way that would not b e lost in translation. I planne d to use Paul’s a d d ress to the philosophers on M ars Hill in Acts 17 as a m od el to reve al the true m e a ning of Tiana nm en or “The Gate of He avenly Pea c e.” In a d d ition to translating this passa g e of scripture into Chinese for an append ix, I found slid es of Christian art work. W hile in a used b ookstore, I ha d stum b le d a cross this Asian Christian artwork in The Bible Through Asian Eyes (Auckland , N ew Ze ala nd : Pac e Pub lishing in association with Asian Christian Art Association, 1991 ) e d ite d b y Masao Takena ka and Ron O’Gra d y. At the conferenc e, I spoke a b out how fulfilling the Gre at Com m ission eng a g e s us in cross-cultural evang e lism : it forces us to seek the he art of the g ospe l and to seek to express it in the he art lang ua g e of a people group (se e “The True M e a ning of the Gate of He avenly Pea c e,” archive d this journal at www.g lob a lm issiolog y.net, Aug . 2004.) Rather than arg uing that all relig ions are paths up the sa m e m ountain, I inverte d this im a g e a nd sug g e ste d that tree of the world relig ions d erive d from a com m on root: an ind ig e nous notion of the one True God . The Athenia ns ha d a n alta r to the Unknown God . The Chinese c alle d this one true God , the Lord of He aven, Shang Ti, which som e sc holars speculate m ay even b e relate d ling uistically to the He brew term Sha d d ai, as in El Shad d ai. In Kore a, the one true God , the Gre at O ne, is known as Hananim--The Gre at O ne. Belie f in Shang Ti/Hananim pred ates Confucianism , Taoism , and Bud d hism .1 Perhaps God in reconciling the world to Him self has pla c e d eternity in the he arts of every nation so that people “would se ek him a nd perhaps rea ch out for him and find him , thoug h he is not far from ea ch one of us (Acts 17: 26-27).” The exclusivistic claim of Christ in John 14:6, I arg ue d , forces us to transcend a n e g a litarian approach to pluralism . There is only one true sovereig n God “who m a d e the world a nd everything in it” and in whom “we live and m ove and have our b eing ”. This one true and sovereig n God cre ate d not only the unity of the hum a n ra c e, b ut also the d iversity of cultures and nations (“people groups”), which, in spite of their d ifferences, are all c alle d to repentanc e by the c ross of Christ. I sug g e ste d a m od ern d a y Paul m ig ht use Tiana nm en in Beijing the sa m e way used the Altar to the Unknown God in Athens. Jonathan Spenc e c aptures the central sig nificanc e to China of Tia na nm en in a n essay by that na m e.:2 “Tiana nm en Square, where so m any of the im passione d events of the spring of 1989 unfold e d , is the m ost em otionally and historic ally charg e d urb a n spac e in China. Tia na nm en, itself —‘the Gate of He avenly Pea c e’— is of g re at antiquity and g re at b e auty. It is at once the entryw ay into the inner vastness of the Forbid d en City, the exit from that im perial and b ure aucratic world into the zones of pub lic spac e and revolutionary m em ory. In the ninety-acre square in front of it stand the m assive m onum ent to China’s revolution m artyrs and the m ausoleum honoring the em b a lm e d rem ains of M a o Ze d ong . O n either sid e of the square are the hug e b uild ing s that house the N ational People’s Cong ress and the m useum s of revolutionary history. To the e ast and west run som e of Beijing ’s busiest b oulevard s, with their g overnm ent offices and b ig hotels, and off these arteries lie a m aze of narrower streets and a lleys fille d with the hub b ub of stores and sm all restaurants. To cre ate a roug h parallel in m od ern Am eric an life, one m ig ht im a g ine Tim es Squa re in N ew York expand e d to a spac e of ten city b locks long a nd four wid e, with the White House at the northern end a nd the Lincoln M e m orial at the southern end .” How m ig ht Paul d e clare the true m e aning of Tiana nm en, the “Gate of He avenly Peace ”? In the Old Testa m e nt, Jacob has a vision of a g ateway or 1 Don Richardson, Eternity in Their Hearts (Regal Books: Ventura, California), 1981, p. 62. 2 Jonathan Spence, Chinese Roundabout: Essays in History and Culture (W. W. Norton: New York), 1992, p. 293. 7 la d d e r to he aven (Gen. 28:12), and Jesus him self d raws a com parison b etwe en Ja cob ’s la d d e r and him self (John 1:51, John 10:9). In the Old Testa m e nt, Gid eon b uilt an altar to Jehovah Shalom or The LORD is Pe a c e, and in the N ew Testa m e nt, Jesus says that he is our pea c e (John 14:27). Just as Paul ha d reve ale d the true m e a ning of the alter to the Unknown God to the Athenians, in Beijing that the true m e a ning of Tiana nm en (Ti/Hananim ) is reve ale d in Christ. U sing slid es from the Tiana nm en Square cra ck d own, I end e d with a c all to repentanc e. “Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like g old or silver or stone-an im age m ade by m an’s desig n and skill. In the past God overlooked such ig norance, but now he com m ands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:29-30). W hile in China, I volunte ere d to e xchang e room s with another scholar who wante d a private room , and I ha d the privile g e of sharing a room with Dr. Enoch W a n, who, it turns out ha d starte d the first Bib le stud y for b oth Cantonese and M a nd a rin speaking Chinese at Stony Brook University. I ha d to g o all the way to China to le arn the spiritual history of m y own com m unity! Enoch was a b le to g ive us a spiritual perspective on why our current e fforts to work throug h a Chinese church in Stony Brook ha d b e e n m et with such spiritual opposition. Professor W a n was a b le to warn us a b out the spiritual warfare he ha d e ncountere d . I later le arne d that the Chinese c hurch where we ha d b e e n serving was birthe d out of an unresolve d church split. I realize d that God wante d to d o a work in Stony Brook, b ut the unforg iveness in th at loc al Chinese church ha d , it seem e d , te mporarily d isqualifie d them from sharing in this nob le task. At the end of the conferenc e, som e of the conferenc e participants attend e d the g overnm ent sponsore d Thre e Self Church. I rem em b e r we g ot there a half an hour b e fore the servic e and not b eing a b le to find a ny seats. Som e fold ing chairs were p ut up in the b a ck of the sanctuary and a s I looke d into the court yard I saw it was fille d with Chinese people. It broug ht tears to m y eyes as I rec alle d that when Jesus ang rily chase d the m oney-cha ng ers from the courtyard of the tem ple, it not only b e c ause of the com m ercialism b ut b e c ause “m y Father’s house shall b e a house of prayer for the nations.” Later that week, m em b e rs of the und erg round church who perhaps ha d b e e n attend ing the conferenc e conta cte d Professor W a n. Professor Thom as O d en of Drew University and I ha d the privile g e of a c com panying Enoch in secretly m eeting and speaking with m em b e rs of the und erg round church, who if caug ht could b e arreste d . I rem em b e r opene d one of their song b ooks to the “Spirit Song ” by John W im b e r. I showe d them a picture of m y d a ug hter Jessic a and share d with them the story of how John W im b e r ha d praye d for the birth of our child . W hen I aske d these Chinese Christians what they d esire d m ost, they replie d, “Pray for us.” Hum b le d by their faith, I aske d them to pray for the God ’s work in Stony Brook. I b e lieve that m any of the subsequent events that happene d at Stony Brook University are the result of the powerful prayers of the saints in China— b e lievers who “d id not love their lives so m uch as to shrink from d e ath.” A few d a ys a fter returning from China, I rec eive d the “Outstand ing Professor Award ” from the Alum ni Association at Stony Brook University. Da d ha d flown out to Stony Brook to b e there on that occasion. I m et the new Pre sid ent of Stony Brook University, Shirley Strum Kenny, and a fter thanking the Alum ni Association and friend s and fa m ily, I b e g a n talking a b out the ne e d for an Asian Am eric an Center at Stony Brook University to m e et the e d uc ational ne e d s of 25% of its stud e nts who were Asian Am eric ans. 8 After prayer walking around the c am pus with som e intercessors, we ha d c om e to b e lieve that a unused hallway b etwe en the Physics and Philosophy could b e reclaim e d a s a spac e f or an Asian Am eric a n Center. At the tim e, it ha d b e e n walle d off and le d nowhere. Then a friend and form er stud ent showe d m e an article a b out how Charles B. W a ng , the CEO of the larg est business software com pany in the world , ha d a lso travele d to China in 1995 for the first tim e . I b e g a n to wond er if Mr. W a ng — if his he art ha d b e e n chang e d a s m ine ha d b y his visit to China — would b e the d onor for esta b lishing a n Asian Am erican Center at Stony Brook. W e le arne d that Charles B. W a ng ha d b e e n invited to spe ak at Stony Brook on April 20, 1996. I aske d Da d to d raw plans for a conversion of the hallway. The d a y b e fore Mr. W a ng arrive d, I showe d Presid ent Kenny the note b ook of plans and the proposal I ha d put tog ether concerning the e d uc ational ne e d s of Asian Am eric an stud ents. W hen Charles W a ng arrive d to spe ak that d a y, I recog nize d him from his picture in the newspaper. I walke d up to him with Da d ’s plans and m y proposal for an Asian Am erican Center at Stony Brook University. W hen Charles W a ng ’s wife N a ncy sug g e ste d tha t Charles to “just d o it,” the lecture b e g a n with the announcem e nt that Mr. W a ng would m ake a personal d onation of $25,000 for the project. After his presentation, Mr. W a ng aske d, “Instea d of a hallway, why d on’t we build a b uild ing ?” I sug g e ste d that he talk with Presid ent Shirley Kenny, whom he ha d known for m any ye ars. Charles sig ne d a copy of his b ook com m em orating the occ asion. After that m eeting, I knelt d own a nd praye d in the hallway to d e d ic ate it in service to the Lord and to purpose that part of the m ission of the Asian Am erican Center would b e to fig ht stereotypes that le d to the exploitation of Asian wom en. I opene d m y Bib le up to a passa g e from the Proverbs. “By wisdom a house is built, And through understand ing it is established; Through knowled g e its room s are filled W ith rare and beautiful treasures.” — Proverbs 24:3-4 That very weekend I prea che d at a Chinese church in N ew York City throug h Pastor Ken Tom ’s VisionQuest m inistry. I share d a b out the extraord inary events that happene d that week. A m em b e r of cong re g ation told m e that I would b e m e eting P. H. Tua n, an architect on m any of Charles W a ng ’s projects and a Christian who ha d g e nerously helpe d their churches in the past. Eventually, in spite of the University’s political m aneuvering, P. H. Tua n would b e chosen to b e the architect for the Charles B. W a ng Asian Am eric an Center. P. H. Tua n has put his he art and soul into the d esig n and com pletion of the W a ng Center. The build ing is center on a central tower which sym b olizes lig ht (for Christians, the lig ht of Christ) com ing to Stony Brook’s cam pus. 9 O n Dec em b e r 9th, 1996, Mr. W a ng ha d d onate d $25 m illion for the Charles B. W a ng Asian Am eric an Center, the larg est d onation in the history of the pub lic ed uc ation system in N ew York State. In his d onation spee ch, Charles W a ng a c knowle d g e d the c atalytic role of the request for the “Brid g e ” in these g rand plans: “I am pleased and hum bled to speak to you this evening in support of the Asian Am erican Cultural Center at the State U niversity of N ew York at Stony Brook. Let m e say a few words about how the Asian Am erican Cultural Center cam e about, and why I believe this initiative is so im portant. “This past sum m er I was invited to speak at Stony Brook by the Asian Forum . There I m eet Dr. Gary Mar, who asked m e to help fund the conversion of a corrid or into an Asian Am erican Center. “I was delighted to help. And tod ay, that corridor is the tem porary hom e of the Asian Am erican Cultural Center. But that was not the end. Gary persisted. And in our d iscussions planted the id ea of a m ore am bitious cultural center… ” This was the b e ginning of a whirlwind of e d uc ational a nd cultural initiatives. Throug h the Presid ent’s Diversity initiatives, I propose d a nd initiate d a new course d e aling with issues fa c e d b y Asian Am eric an stud e nts. W hile this initially re g ard e d as outsid e of the field of Philosophy, throug h a d voc a cy and scholarship there is a new Am erican Philosophic al Association Com m ittee on the Status of Asian and Asian-Am eric an Philosophers and Philosophies. N ow, a d e c a d e a fter returning form China, the lives of over a 1,000 stud ents have b e en im pa cte d a nd transform e d b y this course. My stud ents successfully a d voc ate d for April to b e a d d e d to the University’s Diversity Calend a r as Asian Am eric an herita g e m onth, which ena b le us to strate gic ally plan co- curricular events, school outrea ches, film festivals, workshops, m ulti-m e d ia projects, and conferences. “Call to m e and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know… . N evertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal m y people and will let them enjoy abund ant peace and security. I will bring Jud ah and Israel out from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have com m itted a g ainst m e and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against m e. Then this city will bring m e renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will trem ble at the abund ant prosperity and peace I provide for it (Jer. 33:3, 6-9).” 10 In the intervening ye ars as the Charles B. W a ng Asian Am eric an Center was com ing into existence, we b e g a n to form com m unities of share d values and m em ories. In 2002, for exa mple, the Chinese Consulate in N ew York City aske d the Asian Am eric an Center Brid g e to host the Tianjin Child ren’s Art Troupe. The child ren were bussed to Stony Brook a nd perform e d on Septem b er 22, the a ctual d a y of the Moon Festival. My young er d a ug hter Krista a gre e d to cele brate her birthd a y that d a y, and our loc al church, Church on the Sound , a gre e d to house to child ren overnig ht. I slept over nig ht at the front d oor of the c hurch as a watchm an to ensure everything would run sm oothly. A Christian who was the owner of a loc al Ma cDonald ’s d onate d a special m e al for the Chinese child ren (M a cDonald ’s is special in China ) , and a m im e, who ha d he ard a b out the event at a Christian b ookstore, volunte ere d to perform “People N e e d the Lord ” for the child ren in a way that would cross cultural and lang ua g e b arriers. In the m id st of this entire m inistry, I rem em b e r one of the Chinese wom e n in the troupe walking outsid e into the nig ht and sm iling at m e (I d id n’t spe ak Chinese ) as she pointe d to the Full M oon in the nig ht sky. It was the sa m e m oon over China and Am erica on this nig ht of the Moon Festival--a rem ind er of the m ajesty of God . As the child ren le ft on the bus the next m orning to continue their tour of Am erica , they rec eive d “g ood ie b a g s” with special soaps, cand ies, and Bib le verses translate d into Chinese. In the foyer of the church, is a m ural with 2 Chronicles 7:14, b ut it was the following verse that I b e lieve was fulfille d that d a y for Church on the Sound : “N ow m y eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this tem ple so that m y Nam e m ay be there forever. My eyes and m y heart will always be there.” In O ctob er 2002 I ha d c om m itte d to attend ing m y third conferenc e with the Society of Christian Philosophers in China even thoug h there was talk a b out the Grand O pening of the W a ng Center happening that ye ar. T hen, a fter ne arly a d e c a d e of anticipation, I le arne d that it wa s sche d ule d at a tim e I would b e in China . I kept m y com m itm ent. Then I le arne d that the Grand O pening ha d b e e n m ove d to O ctob er 22nd, a few d a ys a fter m y return . The front rows of the aud itorium were reserve d for m any d ig nitaries, and m y fa m ily, alm ost b arre d from entering, was a b le to sit in one of the b a c k rows. W e wond ere d if the Charles B. W a ng Asian Am eric an Center, now sim ply called the ‘W a ng Center’, would fulfill its visionary m ission. In this d onation spee ch Charles W a ng a g a in a cknowle d g e d the hum b le b e g inning s of the Center in our d esire for a converte d hallway as a pla c e where the task of re build ing a nd restoring the Asian Am eric an com m unity could b e g in. After his spee ch Charles notice d us in the Chapel and ha d his photog rapher take a picture with the fa m ily. Later that ye ar on Dec em b e r 15, 2002, award - winning d ocum entary film m aker Loni Ding rec eive d an honorary d octorate from Stony Brook University. My old er d a ug hter Jessica , now Presid ent of the Asian Culture Club a nd the Bib le Club at the sa m e hig h school that two Asian Am eric an g irls were attend ing when they com m itted suicid e , rec eive d, on b ehalf of her school, an e d uc ational resource --the first two episod es of the Loni Ding ’s award -winning d ocum entary series Ancestors in the Am ericas. Althoug h we ha d b e e n involve d in m e eting s with the hig h school a d m inistrators and the com m unity a b out the tra g e d y, this was the first tim e 11 som ething ha d a ctually b e e n d one to brid g e the e d uc ational g aps that could have , in som e way, have protecte d our Asian Am eric an youth at risk. In his d onation spee ches, Charles W a ng talke d a b out one of his cherishe d hopes for his Asian Am erican Center: “I want m y child ren to have a full m e asure of the im m ig rant experienc e… So while that d irect experienc e is d e nie d them , m y child ren— and your child ren—will b e a b le to participate in the experienc e of their parents on b oth sid es of the Pa cific, thoug h institutions like the Asian Am eric an Cultural Center at Stony Brook.” In the spring sem ester of 2000, in a chanc e conversation with Dini Zim m erm an, a talente d TV d irector and prod ucer, we conc eive d the id e a of d oing a d ocum entary a b out Ang e l Island . Althoug h som etim es calle d the “W est Coast version of Ellis Island ,” Ang e l Island in San Francisco Bay was a prison, a le g a cy of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. O n the walls of Ang e l Island , Chinese d etaine es c arve d poe ms on the walls of the ir b arra cks in protest of their d iscrim inatory treatm ent. This project was inspired b y the work of Loni Ding, who was invited to spe ak at Stony Brook as the first spe aker in the Provost Lecture Series for Asian Am erican Herita g e Month. In the m id st of an interview, we surprised Loni with a scre ening of our project “I Saw Myself”, d e d ic ate d to her. In our d ocum entary, the stud ents reclaim e d the history of the Ang e l Island a nd re a d the poe ms that ha d b e e n c arve d in silenc e. In a d d ition to g iving voice to a silenc e d g e neration of im m ig rants, the vid eo recounts the a ctivism of the Asian Am eric an com m unity in their strug g le to preserve the Ang e l Island Im m ig ration Station as a historic site. In their turn, Stony Brook stud e nts took up that strug g le. Recre ating their anc estors’ experienc es, the stud ents found their own voices. As one stud e nt put it, I could have b e e n one these d etaine es in “this plac e of ling ering m em ories and tarnishe d d re a ms.” This project b e g a n in M arch 2000 when the Ang e l Island Im m ig ration Station was on the list of the eleven m ost end a ng ere d historic al sites in Am erica . My stud e nts were exhilarate d when California voters vote d to appropriate fund s for the restoration of the im m ig ration station. My entire class worke d a “Ten Mile Day” (a re ferenc e to a record set by the Chinese workers on the Transcontinental Railroa d ) to com plete the project and entere d into an und erg ra d uate rese arch com petition . However, the jud g e s never viewed the ten m inute d ocum entary . I prom ise d m y class I would work to see the project d uly a cknowle d g e d . Three ye ars later, on M arch 8th, 2003, “I Saw Myself” was d istrib ute d a s a CD at the historic opening of the Tin See Do: The Angel Island Experience exhibition at the Ellis Island Im m ig ration m useum , and stud ents returne d for this joyous occ asion. I n M arch 2005, the com plete d project will b e d onate d as an intera ctive kiosk to the Ang e l Island Im m ig ration Station Found a tion. O n M ay 13th, 2003, our Third Annual “W ith Liberty and Justice for All… ” Sym posium d e aling with the contrib utions of Asian Am eric ans to strug g les for social justice was held for the first tim e in the W a ng Center. Our spe akers were Gary Okihiro, Director of Colum b ia’s Cente r for the Stud y of Ra c e and Ethnicity, author a nd a ctivist Helen Zia, who ha d rec ently co-authore d a b ook with Dr. W en Ho Lee, the Chinese Am erican scientist fa lsely ac cuse d of spying for China , a nd world fa m ous ling uist and politic al a ctivist N oa m Chom sky. I ha d the privile g e and d a unting task that sem ester of tea ching a gra d uate sem inar with Chom sky. The event was broa d c ast on the ra d io a cross the country. 12 O n the m orning of that event, I ha d returne d from a conference while Lana flew to W ashing ton D. C. to testify b e fore the House Appropriations Com m ittee on b ehalf of the First Cand le /SIDS Found a tion. La na ha d b e e n chosen for her powerful testim ony to a d vocate fo r rese arch to prevent stillb orns and Sud d e n Infa nt Death Synd rom e. All this is the “b a c k story” which b ub b le d up to consciousness upon writing the song on Dec em b e r 9 th, which I d iscovere d upon writing this article was the anniversary of Charles W a ng ’s orig inal d onation spee ch in 1996. Finishing the song the next m orning, I was sche d ule d that a fternoon to m e et with the a d m inistration a b out securing a pla c e for the “Brid g e ” in the W a ng Center. Althoug h it ha d c ost $25,000 for converting the hallway which ha d b e e n a pla c e d e d ic ate d to m e eting the ne e d s of 25% of the stud ent population who are Asian Am eric an, the Physics Departm ent would not share the spa c e and reclaim e d it as their own. That m orning I d rove to the Little Portion Friary in M ount Sinai, where I purchase d five loaves of freshly b a ke d b re a d . In the sum m er of 2002, I ha d walke d the la byrinth at Little Portion and rec eive d an im a g e of Jesus le a d ing m e d own to the b ottom level of the W a ng Center. At the tim e, I interprete d this to m e an that the Lord was le a d ing m e to end ure thre e ye ars of unreward ing preparatory la b or at the W a ng Center b e fore there would b e fruit. I d istribute d the five le ave. In the m id d le of the room , I plac e d a rare and b e a utiful treasure — a g ift of a Go Board with Go stones of se ashells and slate d onate d by Louse Haywood in m em ory of her husb a nd Stewart. Louise Haywood was a d a ug hter of a m e d ic al m issionary to China who ha d tre ate d Eric Lid d ell, who a fter winning a g old m e d a l in the 1926 Olym pic Gam es b e c a m e a m issionary to China. (His life was portraye d in the film “Chariots of Fire”). I ha d invited a g roup of stud e nts and com m unity le a d ers to voice their support. Am ong them was Karina Kim, who was now on staff with the University Counseling Center and a Ph.D. cand id ate in the School of Social W elfare. W hen the Presid ent’s Deputy a gre e d that the Asian Am eric an Center Brid g e should have a ha d hom e in the W a ng Center “long a g o”, this was an occ asion for cele bration. Rather than offering the room where we m et, the Presid ent’s Deputy le d us to the bottom floor of the W a ng Center—just as in the la byrinth vision —to show us two room s that share d a c om m on g ard en. A picture of a Chinese wood c arving “Fives Loaves and Two Fish” that I ha d used in m y presentation in China in 1995 c am e to m ind . I b e lieve that with the Five Loaves and these two room s—the Two Fish—we c an fe e d the over 5,000 Asian Am eric an stud e nts at Stony Brook and transform the W a ng Center from an em pty pala c e into a hom e im b ue d with the Asian Am erican spirit. 13 Currently m y fa m ily attend s the Long Island Allianc e Church in Dix Hills. O n M arch 18th, 2005, the Long Island Allianc e Church will b e working with the Asian Am eric an Center Brid g e to host an outrea ch with international tennis cha m pion Micha el Chang at the W a ng Center. The them e of the event will b e “brid g ing the g ap”—the g eneration g ap b etwe en parents and child ren, the cultural g ap b etwe en Asia and Am eric a fa m ily values, and the spiritual g ap b etwe en God a nd hum a nity brid g e d b y Christ. The them e of the event from the book of N ehem iah is the rem oval of sha m e throug h restoring the walls with the stones that have b e en broken and b urnt. N ehem iah 2:17 Then I said to them . “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Com e, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem , and we will no longer be in disgrace.” When we become believers, we invite Jesus into our hearts, but our lives can be in shambles. Satan still has influence in our lives because our gates are broken. Our lives are rubble, but now the Holy Spirit directs our restoration. It is significant that all the rebuilding of the walls is done with the stones already there— the fallen stones that were broken and burnt. God builds his kingdom with people who are broken and burnt, renewing them and jointly fitting them into the walls of a restored New Jerusalem. In Isaiah 58:12, we read: “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins And will raise up the age-old foundations; You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” Da d a nd M om will b e flying out from Sacra m e nto to attend this event and to see the W a ng Center fo r the first tim e . I hope to arrang e a n architect’s tour of the W a ng Center for M om and Da d with architec t P. H. Tua n. In honoring our parents and opening wid e our he arts to our child ren, our pray er is that there will b e interg e nerational he aling a nd restoration. “And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers… ” — M alachi 4:5-6 “W e have spoken freely to you… and opened wid e our hearts to you. W e are not withhold ing our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As fair exchange— I speak as to m y children— open wid e your hearts also.” — 2 Corinthians 6:12 Jesus’ m iracle of the m ultiplication of loaves and fish (M atthew 14) d em onstrates the im portance of b uild ing a com m unity of share d values in a d vancing the King d om of God . Huang Po Hu has written a b out how sharing com m unities reflect the revelation that God is love: “Sharing m ust b e restore d to the centre of hum an com m unity; it m ust onc e a g ain b e com e the b ond of hum a n relationships and it m ust b e the very he art of faith and piety. The re ason is sim ple but profound . God , for Jesus, is the God who shares God ’s own self with hum a n b eing s. God is love b e c ause God shares. The d isclosure of God as a sharing God is g ood news to the poor: the assurance that God is with them and for them m ust b e the b e ginning of a chang e in their own self-este em , and a chang e from passive fatalism to active participation in the m ovem ents toward s a m ore share and a m ore just society.” “Five Loaves a nd Two Fish,” a wood c arving b y Zhang W a nlong of the N a njing Theolog ic al Se m inary As we enter the N ew Ye ar 2005, the a d m inistration has g one b a c k on their com m itm ent to provid e a perm anent hom e to the Asian Am eric an Center Brid g e in the W a ng Center, so this story has not yet com e to and e nd . Perhaps connecting with the “Back to Jerusalem ” m ovem ent in China will b e required . In our b attles, the strug g le to rem em b e r the faithfulness of God will b e crucial. 14 The chorus of “Se ek the Shalom of the City” b e g ins with our prayers. The final a d m onition of Psalm 122 to “pray for the pe a c e of Jerusalem ” contains the word pray—where the word in He brew is not the term used for form al prayer, b ut the everyd a y He brew word for ‘ask.’ As Eug e ne Peterson notes, not only d oes the na m e Jerusalem (jerushalom ) contain the word ‘shalom ’ b ut the first everyd a y word pray is there fore a “transition into the everyd a y world .”3 The successive verses rehe arse the faithfulness of God a record e d in Jerem iah. The song is perform e d b y Chiwei Julie Li (Keyb oard s, Voc als), Shand ra Velez (Voc als) and record e d b y Pete Chu (Sound Eng ine er). Song writing c an, there fore, b e a n instrum ent for spiritual warfare . This is not to say that we enter into worship in ord er to d o spiritual warfare . W orship itself—the voluntary, loving contem plation of God — is itself eng a g ing in a spiritual b attle. In Scripture, song s bring to rem em b ranc e the faithfulness of God . The flood of m em ories evoke d b y song writing c a n often b e “piec es of a puzzle” that g ive us a larg er picture of God ’s work in our salvation. The d iscovery of these interconnections is not ne a rly as accid ental as they m ig ht seem . These hid d en connections are ac c essib le to people who value m em ory and who pla c e stones as m em orials to the work of God in their lives. The introd uction of m em orials into our life story helps us to interpret our lives throug h the stories of Scripture. Perhaps this is part of what is m e ans to b e converte d —to b e continually working out our salvation with fe ar and trem b ling . This interwe aving of m em ories m akes our lives m ore coherent and streng thens our testim ony and our resolve . In pub lic worship, a song testifying to the faithfulness of God cre ates a com m unity of b e lievers with a larg er m em ory, allowing them to rem em b e r, enter into, and to continue to persevere as pea c e-m akers who usher into the ir plac es where they d well the shalom of God . Professor Gary M ar, Departm ent of Philosophy Director, Asian Am eric an Ce nter Brid g e Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3750 g m a r@notes.cc.sunysb .e d u, www.a a c.sunysb .e d u 3 Eug e ne Peterson, A Long Ob e dience it he Sam e Direction (InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, Illinois), 1980, pp. 51 -52. 15 SEEK THE SHALOM OF THE CITY Chorus: C am F - G W e praye d to the LORD from a pla c e of exile. C am F - G W e praye d to the LORD for the b irth of our child . C am F - G Pray to the LORD for the pea c e of the city am F G am - C/Csus In its shalom, we shall find — our own. C am F - G I’ll watch over you, ’till you com e hom e. C am F - G N o long er a c aptive , no long er you’ll roam . C am F - G I am your God , we’ll never part, am F G am - C/Csus Return to m e — with all of your he art. (Chorus:) C am F - G I’ll b uild you up, not tear you d own. C am F - G I’ll g ive you roots, so a bund a nc e ab ound s. C am F - G Sins of rebellion, I will forgive am F G am - C/Csus In renown and joy and honor— you’ll live. (Chorus:) C am F - G Call unto me, my answer I’ll bring C am F - G Of great and mighty, unsearchable things C am F - G Health and healing now will appear a m F G am - C/Csus O f m y g ood ness, nations of e arth—shall he ar (Chorus:) “Se ek the Shalom of the City” by Gary M ar. Chiwei Julie Li, Prod ucer, Keyb oard s, Vocals. Shand ra Velez, Voc als. Pete Chu, Sound Eng ine er. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all those who were in exile... Build houses and dwell in them ; plant gardens and eat their fruits. Take wives and becom e fathers; find wives for your sons and give your d aughters in m arriage, so that they to m ay have sons and d aughters. Increase in num ber, d o not decrease. And seek the shalom of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its shalom you will have shalom (Jer. 29: 4-7).” “This is what the LORD, the God of Isra el, says: ‘Like these g ood figs, I re g ard as g ood the exiles from Jud a h, whom I sent away from this plac e to the land of the Ba bylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them b a ck to this land. I will build them up and not tear them d own; I will plant them a nd not uproot them. I will g ive them a he art to know m e, that I a m the LORD. They will be m y people, and I will be their God, for they will return to m e with all of their heart (Jer. 24:4-7).” “For I know the plans I have for you,” d eclares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will c all upon m e and com e and pray to m e, and I will listen to you. You will seek and find m e when you seek m e with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity (Jer. 29:11-14).” “Call to m e and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearcha ble things you do not know… . N evertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal m y people and will let them enjoy a bund ant peace and security. I will bring Jud a h a nd Isra el out from c aptivity and will re build them as they were b e fore. I will cle anse them from all the sin they have com m itted a g a inst m e and will forgive all their sins of rebellion ag ainst m e. Then this city will bring m e renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will b e in awe and will trem b le at the a bund ant prosperity and peace I provide for it (Jer. 33:3, 6-9).” 16