Message: God’s love is… 仁
The last chapter of the Bible ends with the splendid image of a river, the river of life. Revelation 22:1 “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” In this imagery, the Lamb is the risen Jesus and the saints in light surround the Christ, gentle and soft.
In our own lives, too, from the beginning to the ending, since the immemorable Eternal, the river of life flows. It is endless, continuous, and nourishes everything its path touches.
I imagine, following the Buddhist images of ‘relationships’ or ‘things’, that even if the surface of the water looks calm, deep down, the flow can be turbulent. Likewise, even when the ocean seems churned with big waves, the depths can be peaceful. And yet, these opposite states of being can still be one and inseparable. It is because the nature, the ground of our being is whole and unified.
In our lives, some events are welcome and delightful, while others are difficult to accept. Some are deeply sad. Such events in our lives raise turbulent feelings and emotions. Confucianism, another major religious practice like Buddhism, notes that four primary emotions can arise in response to life’s events: 喜怒哀樂 (joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure/happiness).
Confucianism began with the wisdom of Confucius, born five centuries before Christ. His conversations with his disciples were recorded in the Book of Analects after his death, (similar to how the Gospels were written) and, 219 years later, his conversations and observations started to be interpreted philosophically by scholars. These new interpreters agreed that joy, anger, sorrow and happiness arise because there is ‘ren’ (仁) in the foundation of human nature. (It might even be the foundation of the entire universe). ‘Ren’ is a big concept just like God’s love. ‘Ren’ is pronounced the same as ‘Ren (人)’ meaning ‘human’ (人). The principal definition of Ren 仁 means ‘benevolence’. It can also mean ‘consideration, compassion, humanity, charity.’ In another context ‘ren’ can 仁 also refer to one ‘kernel’ of grain. Therefore, it signifies that benevolence/or loving kindness is the kernel of human nature, things in the world, and of the universe. All together, ‘ren’ as 仁 means love, especially love as the foundation of human life, of the nature of things, of the universe.
Today’s reading in 1 John teaches “We love because God first loved us.” “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”
Because there is love, because love is the ground of everything and at the foundation of all events, we are joyful, we are affected by anger or sorrow, and our spirit is lifted with pleasure, peace, happiness. The love is 仁, the love of God, love as the foundation of all living and moving things in our lives and in the universe. Love is the kernel, which means 仁 is something we can plant like a seed, something that can grow; 仁 is warm like the earth’s heat; its beauty shines like a star. 仁 is the river of life that connects the beginning and the ending, and moves, sustains, changes everything in creative and loving order.
In this moment, after sharing the reflection on 仁, I would like to use this precious opportunity to speak with you and share my apology truthfully.
I am truly sorry for the hurried departure I am making. I have created unnecessary uncertainty, anxiety, even deep hurt and pain in my beloved people’s hearts. I have caused deep hurt and broken trust among us. In particular, I did not consult about my four-days-early holiday departure with you. I was overwhelmed by my schedule, and I lacked a thoughtful approach. I did not take the right steps to maintain the wholeness and well-being of my, of our beloved community, Immanuel. I am deeply sorry for all you had to endure since my hasty announcement about my leaving. I am sorry for the heavy workload and emotional burden you had to take on, especially throughout the summer when celebrations, enjoyment and relaxation should bloom in our lives.
As the scriptures say, I understand that the emotions we go through - disappointment, sadness, anger, sorrow, even joy and forgiveness - arise because of love, and here at Immanuel, love and trust have been challenged, even broken at this very tender time. I am truly sorry. The river of life that flowed richly among us suffers now from the changes and transitions which I have caused. I humbly acknowledge that this trust, once lost, would be difficult to build again in the short time that remains to us.
At this tender and precious time, I looked at the Christian Bible as well as Confucius’ Analects, especially chapter 28, that records about the teaching of ‘ren’ 仁. Confucius answers to his disciple Tsze-kung, “‘Now the person of perfect benevolence (ren), wishing to be established oneself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to fulfill their purpose oneself, they seek also to assist others to fulfill their purpose. To be able to judge/understand others by what is present in ourselves — this may be called the art of ren.”
1 John encourages us, “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because God first loved us.”
It echoes profoundly: We love because God first loved us.
May the love of God continue to sustain the life of Immanuel, as the river of life flows and nourishes everything it touches. May the richness of faith at Immanuel, its loving kindness, generosity, river of ren, heal the wounds of broken trust and sad farewell in all our hearts in the next three weeks and thereafter. Bless and strengthen in your loving care the leadership at Immanuel as the church charts the way forward amidst uncertainty and disappointments. And may the Holy Spirit who grants us the courage to speak truthfully to each other cast out fear among us and help us hold on to our deep faith: God is love, and we love, because God first loved us. Amen.
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