20-22 Covid-19 Daily Reflections

  It does not look like the border between the US and Canada will be open up anytime soon. The rate of Covid-19 infection in many states in the US has become a factor in that decision. Recently, the Premier of Ontario criticized some American politicians for irresponsible re-opening of the business in their respective states. This delay has created more personal headaches for many American and Canadian families because we are two very inter-dependent nations. The border is an artificial and arbitrary thing when it comes to family relationships. If we take time and think about how many other arbitrary boundaries we have put up in our society, that will also call for further reflection. We have created boundaries in how we provide healthcare for our people. Covid-19 has confirmed to us that our healthcare systems are inadequate to deal with the pandemic crisis. That is true in both countries even though Canada might boast that it has universal healthcare. Canada has a very

  It has been wet where I am all weekend long. It was one of those weekends that the best thing to do is make some hot chocolate, sit and read a good book. I decided to reread some of the books about what it means to practice the presence of God in my daily life. I have been thinking a lot about this because of all of the events that have taken place lately. I am trying to discern what is the appropriate Christian response because I am aware of my anger and frustration.   It reminds me of Jesus' ministry as one of incarnation. He chose not to remove himself from human suffering. He suffered on our behalf. I am compelled by the thoughts that I need to follow that very example if I desire to be a helpful minister during such a challenging time in human history. Many faces and many names surfaced as I pondered on that thought. Many of us know people who are suffering from poverty, loneliness, grief, rejection, and more. The question is whether we dare to be and to walk

  A friend of mine was asking me about my thoughts about a topic concerning shapping family in the post-COVID-19 world. We have learned about many challenging aspects of family life and dynamic. Children could not come to see and care for elderly parents. Grandchildren were not able to see their grandparents. Family members could not gather together for any family celebration. Children went to school online. Parents worked from home and took care of their kids. Husband and wife have to be with each other more than what they used to. How are we going to prepare for the post-pandemic time? How is the family going to be shaped by what we learned and experienced? A) Flexibility: There are many uncertainties we have to face as enter the post-pandemic time. I do not doubt that it will create stress in family life. We cannot be too rigid about any decision or choice about family life. Be flexible in terms of our expectations of how and when things should be. B) Intentionality: B

    It was quite windy yesterday morning when I went for a walk. On a hot and humid day, the wind is a needed welcome break. On a cold and chilly day, the wind increases the level of discomfort. Sometimes it was challenging to keep the car on the road. I have also witnessed semi-trucks jackknifed because of the wind. Regardless of how we feel and what the external condition is, the wind always signifies changes. When we consider many things that have been happening in recent months, many changes are needed. It is the new kind of wind we are waiting for.  We need to teach about the consequences of right and wrong. Let us not be too quick to point out fingers at others when we are in the wrong. Why do we think that we have the right to shame others when we are guilty? Accountability is for everyone, not just the law enforcement agencies. We need to teach about respect for private and public poverty. There is no way to reconcile the call for justice by being unjust to others.

    Saying the right thing now becomes the most important thing. We have seen a good number of celebrities pledge their alliance with BLM on various social media platforms. We have witnessed Corporate America vows that it will go about business differently. If there is a need for repentance in dealing with racism, it has to go beyond slogans and symbolic gestures. Changes have to be done without the fear of being destroyed or being politically incorrect. Somehow we think that things can be better for us if we seek the destruction of others. That trend of thought actually will keep racism well and alive because people will counter hatred with another form of aggression.  Repentance requires a lot more soul searching and self-awareness than many of us have anticipated. It is about looking at ourselves and name our issues relationally. Racism is more widespread than just in America. Racism is more than just about White vs. Black. I knew about racism as a boy in Vietnam. Huma

    Yesterday was not a very good day for my wife and me. A daughter of a friend of ours went hiking and fell to her death accidentally on Sunday. We met about 20 years ago when she was a university student at the university where I served as Campus Minister. She bacame an avid hiker in recent years.   The most intriguing moment for me yesterday was the fact that I woke up with her face image in my head. I closed my eyes and wondered what that meant. I got up and had a coffee with my wife, and then I told her: "I wonder how ____is doing these days?" My wife let me know that she saw her at her mother's place a few weeks ago. That was it. Neither of us pursued that thought any further until my wife received a phone call to confirm her death. I believe that God speaks to me through visions and images. It was not the first time. They happened most of the time when people's pictures appeared in my mind. I usually would call the person up and check to see how

  I was on the C-train in Calgary a few years back on the way home from downtown. My mind was preoccupied with a conversation I had with a fellow who was about to buy his father's business out. It was intriguing interaction because he had all kinds of ideas about how to take that business to the next level. Suddenly, a young lady with a Parisian French accident appeared and told me (in her beautiful French): "Oh my God! It is you. Do you remember me? We met in Paris last summer". I had absolutely no clue what she was talking about because I was nowhere near Paris the summer before. So I told her: "I think you made a mistake Madame because I was teaching in Calgary last summer". She excused herself, but I had the feeling that she didn't believe me. Why am I sharing this almost funny event with you? I think we have spent our time mistaking who God is (Please understand that I don't infer that I am God in the account). We asked questions such a

  I wrote this on Father's Day. I am at the age now most of our parents have passed on. I am thankful that my father is still with us after trying six months with health-related issues. The latest was tested positive for Covid-19 and made it through. We don't have easy access to him yet.  My sister has been able to see him twice a week for about one hour each time. We have also been able to speak to him twice a week. These encounters are precious because we should not take anything for granted at this point. Thinking about my father is a good lesson to have. Learning and living are going together. My father went to university after having a big family. He and mom took tremendous sacrifices for him to be away a few years. He is living proof that it is never too late for someone to pursue higher education. Moving forward without regret is part of learning to be better. My father and my mother came here as boat people. They both lost their privileges and identities.

  I don't think I remember my dreams as much as some other people do. Sometimes I am amazed by how my wife can share with me many of her dreams in great detail. However, I dream during the day, and I take notes of them often. Sometimes those dreams reveal to me unspoken truth about God, life, and all God's messages for me personally. Most of what I have heard lately is about thanksgiving. It is rather interesting because we are going through one of the most tumultuous times in our history. We are facing many questions concerning the well-being and the future of our nations, and we do not have any strong leadership with clear answers. And yet, I am being told to be thankful. It might be appropriate to ask why we need to give thanks then. We can regain perspectives when we have a thankful heart. Life can be very dark and hopeless if we are so preoccupied with the problems we are facing. They tend to multiply by themselves, and we are overwhelmed. Sometimes I have to

  Many people have lost their jobs during the last few months due to Covid-19. The economy doesn't appear to recover soon enough. As I talk to people about their worries for the future, there is more than just the loss of income that we are talking about.  Many have journeyed through the conversation of self-worth and identity. Some of us who are doing pastoral care counselling, we have been talking about some of the possible worst scenarios if this pandemic continues. Loss of identity and loss of hope tend to go together. A) We usually answer the question of who we are with we what we do for a living. It is even harder when we lost our employment between the age of 45 and 55 because a big chunk of our identity is gone with it. Somehow we lose our framework for our security when we lose our work. There is no anchor point for us to know how to manage our our well-being. Some are too overwhelmed to think straight. B) Yet, it is not a bad time to talk about the vision fo

  I woke up this morning and was thinking about these verses from Ecclesiastes; "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" I have been thinking a lot about different seasons of life and ask the question of what season I am in at this present moment. After more than 30 years of being involved in various aspects of services for the church and her mission, for different businesses and people in my ministry, it is not a bad idea to consider such a question. It is time for simplicity. I have learned that embracing simplicity has helped me remain stable in dealing with the complexity of time. Simplicity is a needed antidote for a stressful life. My definition of simplicity is not longing for things that don't have any potential to create peace and rest. Simplicity has a lot to do with becoming more and more of what God has intended for us. It is about being free from the distraction of jealousy and envy. It is time for letting go

  Not many people talk about the Cultural Revolution in China these days. It was launched in 1966 to get rid of the Four Olds: Old Customs, Old Culture, Old Habits, and Old Ideas as dictated by the Communist Party. Some people in the West seem to have forgotten the cost of human lives because of the Cultural Revolution, estimated up to 20 million, as China emerges as a new economic power today. The Cultural Revolution happened because the Communist government wanted to create a chokehold to control the people of China. In Canada, we have a national political leader who said naively that he admired the Chinese form of dictatorship. That is the same leader who recently joined BLM protestors. That is the inconsistency and the hypocrisy we have to be content within Canada. Canadians are very proud of being nice people. That does not mean that our country is not going through a seriously blind period. The flag for human rights seems to fly high, but do not allow that to fool y

  There are are many ways of looking at the past. We don't have to consider the past lessons in history only if we agree with what happened. History is the foundation for our conversations about the future, assuming we know what to do with it in the present. Nations, communities, religious bodies, and individuals have to go back to history sometimes to regain perspectives of what is going in the present. Even from a personal level, not everything about our family history is actually right and worthy to be honoured. We are broken people. Therefore, the institutions we created are not perfect. Does that mean that we should go through the family history and discard the pictures of those whom we don't appreciate? If that is the choice we have decided to do, we have done a great disservice to future generations. A) We encourage a very unhealthy behaviour which is denial. When we cut off those memories by destroying the evidence of their existence, we have removed the ne

    I have decided to stay away from politics and political conversations in recent months. I have also declined a couple of invites to run for office since 2020. So what I am about to share with you is not a political position, but the position of a pastor who has been trying to address the issues of the day as I have a deep concern for where we are going as a nation. I understand where BLM folks are trying to achieve. The only issue that I have not heard any of the leaders talks about is the importance of family and how family plays a role in preparing our youth for the challenges of our society. My experience in my work tells me that the breaking down of our family structure is the foundation for many other issues. Talking about racism independently from poverty, lack of education, commitment to self-respect, the value of hard work, healthcare, and many others is futile. Calling for the damnation of our police force and saying that there is systemic racism within the p

  We're can get amazing thunderstorm where we are and yes, we got one yesterday evening. Tons of water came down in a hurry in a midst of thunder. You might think that I am crazy but I just love thunderstorm. It reminds me a lot of where I grew up and what we used to do when it rained like that. Some of the stuff is not kosher to mention here. It is always a welcome relief from the heat. We can get amazing thunderstorms where we are and yes, we got one yesterday evening. Tons of water came down in a hurry in the midst of thunder. You might think that I am crazy but I just love thunderstorms. It reminds me a lot of where I grew up and what we used to do when it rained like that. Some of the stuff is not kosher to mention here. It is always a welcome relief from the heat. It also cleaned out the stuffy air. The problem is flooding. Sometimes, it might create flooding. Well, in Vietnam flooding is viewed as part of life in some areas. It is like a long and cold winter in

    It was good to see people face to face for the first time during this past week as the restrictions are slowly lifted where I am. As much as I appreciate what technology has been able to do for us, it can never really replace real contact with people. Somehow we are able to have a better idea of how people are really doing and what they are really saying to us. So what I am hearing from people after three months of the state of emergency? A) Relationships are more important than many things. Many have realized how they have taken some people in their lives for granted until they could not see them. It is like having a 360-degree lens so that we can have a more comprehensive view of our life. B) Relationships help us to know that we are alive. Something is missing and life is not the same without being able to nurture and enjoy the relationships we cherish. For me seeing people face to face this last week is like have a refreshing cold glass of water after a long run

  Belonging is an aspect of human life that many of us yearn for. I have met people from various walks of life who struggle with a lack of belonging. Somehow it is more common a struggle than we know considering all of the social media interaction we have. I finally caught up with the daughter of a friend after more than a week of trying to connect. I first met her when she came to one of my bible studies on campus more than twenty years ago. She was a shy and very tender-hearted young lady. She is married now and together she and her husband have 4 children. I love their kids because they are full of questions and one of them, in particular, would wait for me to come and then show me her list of questions. She is 12 years old. The mom has decided to go back to school and now is in her 2nd year of nursing school. When we talked, she told me that she felt bad for feeling as if she does not belong anywhere in particular. She doesn't want to sound like her husband is neg

Personal experience sometimes can be a cause of prejudice. Have you ever received a phone call from an unknown person with a well-defined accent that belongs to a country that across the ocean telling you that he is calling from a government body and demands your personal information? And that always comes with a threat of being arrested if we don't comply. Furthermore, they don't just call once. I have good friends who came from that specific region of the world so not knowing is not my issue. However, the deep resentment that was caused by the interruption of family time and the irritation of being threatened created emotional negativity and mental aggression toward that accent. I have to remind myself that it is not the right way to feel and respond. So we went to a restaurant from that specific ethnicity and had a wonderful meal. The server was friendly and kind so that was redeeming. My heart was no longer agitated after that. These phone calls have not stop

  A good friend of mine and I were talking yesterday morning and she talked about research on how some scientists think we can reduce the emissions from cattle by inventing some sort of device to cover their nose and mouth. Apparently, 90% of their emission of methane comes from burping and not at the other end (belching or flatulence). Here what Nasa Global Change says:  "Contrary to common belief, it’s cow belching due to enteric fermentation. (“Enteric fermentation” is the digestive process of converting sugars into simple molecules for absorption into the bloodstream, which produces methane as a by-product.) However, a small percentage of methane is also produced in the cow’s large intestine and then expelled." Surely my mind cannot rest there if I would like to have something meaningful to share with you today. When we think about this seriously, we humans have done more damage to one another with what comes out of our mouth than what comes out at our bac

    Many years ago my wife and I were driving through the Ozarks in the states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois. The scenery was amazingly beautiful. During a coffee break stop somewhere in Arkansas, my wife and I decided to sit down and checked our bearing before heading out again. We soon realized that we were stared at. It was rather uncomfortable. These folks never saw a mixed marriage between a Vietnamese and an American before. A few weeks later we went to dim sum in Montreal Chinatown. It was a hot and humid summer day. We walked through a small park to walk to the restaurant. Two elderly Chinese ladies sitting on a park bench started looking at us and their eyes wouldn't let go. They kept on staring as we walked past them. Once again it was unsettled but humorous at the same time. I have thought about these two events from time to time and wondered whether these reactions from folks at the gas station in Arkansas and the two ladies in Montreal Chinatown are

  The temperature yesterday morning was 3°C (about 37.4°F) when we woke up. It was frosty and rainy so my plan for a bike ride was postponed. Sunday morning is not the same these days because most churches now are having their Sunday morning service on line. Most of my pastoral work now is on Zoom and in smaller groups during the week. Now that does bring the question that I would like to ask our political leaders. Why religious bodies are not allowed to have more than 50 people inside their facilities and protesters are allowed to gather in the thousands? Even our Prime Minister ignored the physical distancing rule when decided to join the protesters. Most of the health chief officers of different provinces and even of Canada appeared to be backpedalling when it comes to public protests. Leslyn Lewis, a candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada, wrote: "Either their recommendations and guidelines were heavy-handed and unnecessary,

  My wife was not very happy with me when I removed some of her precious flowers by accident while weeding out the backyard yesterday. Somehow I cannot tell the difference between weeds and some of the other vegetation. She didn't really stay being mad for a long time because she knew that I intended to be helpful. Weed removing is a constant and persistent business. It is not something to do just once a year. It is almost a daily ritual if we want to protect the lawn from the infestation. How about removing "weeds" from our own life? If we are honest with ourselves, there are issues and aspects of life that have been stopping us from being fully effective and healthy. Dealing with personal vices is a challenge at times because it is easy to make excuses for them. The first step is to acknowledge that there are weeds in the landscape of our life. We need help from others to do that. We also need to have the humility to accept the counsel of those who keep us

      If we are truly in search of a hero or someone whom we can learn from, we don't really see them in the news these days. I have been asking myself the question of why I am so tired lately when I watch the news. It is not just because of the sensational aspect of it. It is not because of the lack of unbiased perspectives of it. It is simply because it provides no hope. I am trying to understand the cry for justice that is being portrayed by the protesters and being presented by the news. I am horrified by the images I saw in the footage of George Floyd's arrest. There are many questions in my mind. However, let us not embrace the lowest denominator of human decency while fighting for a higher moral standard of justice. I have failed to understand why the news folks are so willing to report that the officer had had 18 complaints of misconduct against him prior to this horrific arrest and none has mentioned George Floyd's rap sheet. I am grieving for his dea

  I feel bad for families of police officers across the land. I hope we don't lose sight of the fact that many men and women who are called to be in law enforcement. They are proud of their calling and committed to it. Many of their family members don't have the security to know that their loved ones will return home after their day at work. How would you feel that your husband, your wife, your daughter, your son, your sister, or your brother has to be on their uniform and go outside the house and work today? We should not condone any form of brutality and the police forces in this country need to be more thorough in their background check and psychological testing of candidates who are applying to join them. The abuse of power is more damaging and evil than we can ever imagine. We are all aware of the horrendous impact on many people when priests and ministers abuse the trust of their members. The trauma is real and lingering on for many years to come. However, i

We need to pray for hope, peace, and understanding we are going through a very tender time in our history. We hardly recover from Covid-19 and are still looking for some sense of direction in the post-pandemic time. Now the entire US has to deal with the ongoing protests concerning racism in the US. We need to pray for leaders who are able to lead wisely and compassionately. Pray that when they open their mouth, they will offer hope and comfort. We need to pray that they will be good shepherds who are willing to provide directions, safety, and care for their people. We need to pray that we will eliminate the language of hate and replace that with the language of overcoming. Hopeful nations are filled with overcoming people. Hate is the cancer of the human heart. It kills the makeup of goodness slowly and surely. It will take nations to greater states of decay. We need to pray that we are people of convictions. May our heart be convicted by whatever is pure and beautifu

  Many high school graduates didn't get their normal graduation and prom this year. Many tried their best to mark the occasion with some special online events. Some even dressed up for their online activities. One of my friends, whose daughter is very special to me, texted me and let me know that the little town they live in decided to have pictures of different graduates hung on to different light posts of the town main street. The kids got their chance to be cheered on by families and friends as they paraded with their cars through the same street. That sounds like a lot of fun and they received their diploma at an old local drive-in that had been resurrected for this occasion. I just love that. Celebration is vital in life. When we celebrate, we appreciate the goodness of life more appropriately. This celebration is to affirm these young people's accomplishments as they prepare to move on to different paths of their life. Affirmation is healthy and encouraging i

  The conversation continues as violent protests carry on in different cities both in the US and Canada. Unfortunately, violence has trounced the needed conversation about racism. We will be living in denial when we think that racism is not a real problem in Canada and the US. Sometimes it is an outcome of a vicious intention. Sometimes it happens because people are ignorant. Sometimes it is a continuation of family and community history. Sometimes it is based on unfortunate personal experiences. It is hard to know. Those people, who have been looting, burning stores, burning cars and attacking the police, obviously have different agendas than overcoming racism. They are what I call "the opportunistic parasites of human suffering". They will take advantage of any opportunities to be violent and to disregard the law in the name of any social, racial, or environmental struggles. In this case, they have done serious damages to the process of seeking justice for Geo