Personal Reflections

#2019-1006

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 to 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.

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(The photos below were taken by Ms. Catherine Lee.)