Monday, January 12, 2015

Where it all began...

As a World Church Fellow, I began my theological journey to Chicago in the summer of 1972.

I remember that very first Christmas I spent - being away from my home over the Pacific Ocean -  doing some Christmas carols at the Hyde Park by the campus of the University of Chicago - very cold. 

At one time, I was asked to do a solo of the Silent Night in Taiwanese. How interesting of that conductor - who was a professor of the New Testament. My eyes were quickly filled with tears, while my voice was cracked and my heart was graceful.

At the spring break of '73, I joined a few of my classmates to a then new musical called the Godspell in downtown Chicago.  It was a contemporary musical based on the stories of Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew. 

Near the end of the play, after the Crucifixion, the actors who played the disciples of Jesus, carried the body of Jesus, left the stage, dramatically walking into the audience, singing "Lone Live God!

But what I heard first was different. Very different indeed. You could say that due to my poor English, my hearing, or both. But it sounded to me as they marched and sang was "Lonely God!"  

And it struck me ever since - the theme of the lonely God. 

From the very first story of the Old Testament throughout the history of the Christian Church - Has God not been lonely most of the time? 

Who cared what God said or did? The loving covenant of God often repeated again and again as if He is only making noise and who actually listened or cared?

God was, is and always will be.

Without us, God was, is and always will be lonely too...  

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4 comments:

  1. As in a Chinese saying: It is unbearably cold high in the mountains, undestandbly God, the one "in excelsis deo" can be unbearably lonely!

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    1. A great theology to be explored - by Ng Pekho

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    2. Either a theological journey or a spiritual searching process, the final words would be that "We would never be alone."

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  2. I do enjoy reading your article. It is certainly a different way of looking at ourselves and God. Particularly, if God is lonely, we certainly are even more so. God bless you for your work. - Bernard Tsai

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