Lucas Garden

Heavenly Father God, who knows all my griefs and bitter tears, grant that my life is dedicated to you through true worships, for you are my true hope and everlasting life, who saved me from the inferno devastated with sins and grudges. Shepherd me to the way of love for enemies, so that I can turn my other cheek so far as forsaken by them, for it is nothing but your Crucifixion for me. Grant me to present all my flesh as a living sacrifice to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Further studies Matthew 5.39 Romans 12.1

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. ( Matthew 13.44-46 ) I was waiting for a bus at a restaurant. A man next to me was absorbed in the crossword game, and suddenly asked me what the answer is for "shrinking Asian sea". "Sorry. I don't know," I replied. "That's ok. Thank you for your help." He grinned broadly at me. His smile and soft tone were so mysterious that I felt comforted and less melancholy for a while. I searched for the answer on my phone, and informed him that the answer is "ARAL". He looked so pleasant but asked me again, "Can you give me a pen for my crosswords?" I readily gave him a pen. He continued to do his game with my p...

What does it mean to meet Jesus? The meeting is not just such a commonplace we usually have in school and workplace. It is the paramount event by which a person is completely turned from a sinful life and saved by his absolvent authority. In other words, a person cannot veritably meet Jesus without true repentance by which he or she is turned from sins. The Zacchaeus' story gives a good lesson on what a true meeting with Jesus looks like. Sins Zacchaeus was a Jewish man, yet he was ostracized and despised by the Jewish community. It was because he was a chief tax-collector at Jericho who was working for the Roman Empire. ( Luke 19.2 ) He was affluent, but might feel guilty and shame since his wealth was made based on exploiting his people. He might also feel resentful and distressed since he never intended to be cruel to his people but it might be the only inevitable way for him to earn his and his family's living. Moreover, he might suffer from an inferiority complex due...

Sri Lanka is a beautiful island country located in the Indian Ocean next to India, which is famous for Ceylon tea. However, many Sri Lankan people are struggling with poverty and deprived welfare due to recurrent warfare, famine, and unstable economy. Lots of poor children are in despair since they cannot take any primary education at all. My friend Dase Chaminda Pradeep is a leader of the local community in Sri Lanka. He has been enthusiastic to improve Sri Lankan education and particularly provide poor children an opportunity and benefits of primary education. More than one thousand students with low-income background were selected to enter the School of A/Ranajayapura M.V. and have been financially supported. However, the poor children students are still seriously struggling with a lack of basic school supplies such as books, pens, bags, and so on. This fundraiser was designed, in the heart of Jesus Christ who loves poor children, to raise donation for education that the...

Imagine that, when you open your eyes in the morning, you greet with a ray of bright sunshine, and begin a day with hope and love. You may also make a resolution, "I would love my family and colleagues as Jesus commanded." You are going to the kitchen with humming. But, your spouse gets irritated, "Why didn't you finish dish-washing and taking out the garbage at the last night? You are so irresponsible and lazy. What are you contributing to our family? You do nothing!" You immediately get mad and shout loudly, "What's biting you? Why do you curse me?" Your plan and dream become finally muddled. This is an image of our ordinary lives. We want to be happy, but it goes athwart our purpose owing to either unexpected obstacles or our weaknesses. Christians are no exception. Even after baptized, they often trip over a rock of lust, desire, anger, jealousy, and depression. Why aren't we happy although we are living with the pious faith to God? I...

The Piano Concerto in A minor , composed by Robert Schumann  (1810-1856), is one of the most favorite classical music I love. When listening to this concerto, I used to imagine walking around a beautiful garden full of smiling flowers along with a lovely friend. Especially my favorite part is the beginning of the second movement " Andantino and Rondo ", suggestive of childlike joy. I personally like Martha Argerich 's performance taped for Canadian television in 1977. Have you ever dreamed of romantic love? In my twenties, I carried the torch for a girl student. I wrote numerous letters, and bound them into a book. I lost the handmade book, but it is a sentimental memory of my secret love. When we love someone, we experience mysterious joy, enthusiasm, passion, and devotion not for myself but for the other. That is why love is beautiful. The concerto lets us recall our forgotten memories of romantic love. My love for Jesus is romantic as well. He is not just my Lo...

I attended a faith talk on mental illness in St. James' Episcopal Church . Two guest speakers from the NAMI Montgomery County (National Alliance on Mental Illness) had a talk on their own experiences of mental illness. They did not suggest any Christianity-based solution to mental illness; instead, they just shared how painful their mental illness was and emphasized how important it should not be overlooked. It was surprising that not a few attendees showed their interests in mental illness, and some of them shared their experiences. A woman asked them, "how can our church help and support people with mental illness?" One of the speakers answered, Just listen to them without judgment. She continued to talk, I never chose depression by myself. I couldn't choose the best I can do. But there was God's grace. I was impressed that the church was showing a special interest in mental illness. I believe that a true church is not a social meeting of healthy an...