Personal Reflections
(Saturday, August 31, 2019)
by Jerry Liang
A couple of years ago when my son told me
that he would like to quit his job at a firm of optical instruments in order to
concentrate on his “spiritual pursuit,” I was quite surprised. And so was my
wife. She and I thought it would be good for our only son to be “better used”
by our Lord Jesus Christ; however, did he clearly hear the Lord’s calling? Did
he really want to respond the Lord’s calling by thoroughly changing his way of
life? …
At that time my son’s boss at the company
had just raised his salary to such an extent that we felt it was good and
sensible. And he told us that his boss had always been kind and helpful to him.
His work was “very acceptable” to the company, yet he had a strong feeling that
he needed a change. “This is a BIG issue,” I said to him. “You and Anita (our
son Antony’s wife) and … well, I suppose all of us must discuss it together before
making a decision.”
It was really a big issue, a hard decision
to make. We put it in our prayers for months. As time passed, Antony seemed to
be getting more eager for his spiritual journey, although his boss at the firm was
reluctant to let him go. One evening, all the four adults in my family sat
together in the living room and had a long discussion about the possible change
of our lifestyle. By then, Antony and Anita already had their fist son, Little
Bee, who is my first grandson. These younger generations had in fact lived in their
place for several years – though not too far from where we lived.
I can still remember what I told Antony and
Anita as my conclusion for that evening. What I meant was like this: If Anita agrees
on Antony’s spiritual journey, then as their parents Jean and I will try our
best to give them financial support. When Antony is out studying at a
theological college, Anita and Little Bee may come and live together with us,
so it can be much easier for us to help take care of the kid. “But if you
remain working at a secular organization,” I added with emphasis, “I don’t really
think this kind of support and help is necessary.”
Then, as you might have known, Antony spent
one year (starting in July, 2013) serving at some churches in our diocese, and then
he was sent to Hong Kong for three years’ theological studies (September 2014 –
July 2017); by the way, his second son, Little Shine, was born in September
2014 when he was out in Hong Kong. After graduation, he came back and worked in
southern Taiwan for about ten months, and then he was ordained as a deacon at
St. John’s Cathedral, Taipei, on May 1, 2018. This year (2019) he continued serving
at the cathedral, and was ordained as a priest by Bishop David J. H. Lai, also on
the Feast of St. Philip and St. James (May 1, 2019).
I must say that God has loved us very much.
With his blessings, our church – the Episcopal Diocese of Taiwan (台灣聖公會) – and Sheng Kung Hui Ming Hua Theological College (香港聖公會明華神學院) have given my son and all related to him lots and
lots of help. The help he has received includes spiritual guidance and
theological education and financial support. And I, as Antony’s father on
earth, would like to express my own profound gratitude to all of you who have
prayed for us, encouraged us, and even provided us with practical, specific assistance.
But are the words I’d like to say sufficient
for expressing my appreciation? I’m afraid not. When Ms. Catherine Lee invited
me to reflect on my son’s spiritual growth and write something for the Friendship
magazine, she suggested I might look from a father’s point of view. Now there
are so many vivid pictures, or fragments of a special “moving picture,”
flashing on and off in my mind. Above all, I’ve finally recalled these words
from The Sermon on the Mount:
“Would any of you who are fathers give your
son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks
for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your
children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to
those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)
Our Lord Jesus Christ has said such
stirring words as quoted above. And of course he has taught us a lot more; for
example, the true happiness (Mat. 5:3-12), salt and light (Mat. 5:13-16),
riches in heaven (Mat. 6:19-21), the golden rule (Mat. 7:12), the two house
builders (Mat. 7:24-27) and so on.
At the end of this article of Personal
Reflections, I would like to remind all my dear Christian readers as well as my
beloved son (now Rev. Antony Liang) of the most valuable truth that our Lord
has taught – that is, we have our Father in heaven; all of us have a Father in
common, whom we call Almighty and Merciful God, or simply God the Father; and
through God the Son, we know that God is love; and also through God the Son, we
can really be guided by God the Holy Spirit. May this “one God in three Divine
Persons” bless us all, now and forever! Amen.
** This article is published in Friendship Magazine (友愛), the English news magazine of the Diocese of Taiwan, in October 2019.
** This article is published in Friendship Magazine (友愛), the English news magazine of the Diocese of Taiwan, in October 2019.
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(The photos below were taken by Ms. Catherine Lee.)
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