Valentine's Day Special with Kim Seon-Ho [SPOILER ALERT!]

I wasn't really planning to do a V-day post, cos cliched much? Plus I've already written an ultra-sweet post some time ago on the topic of love. But while I was cooking lunch and boiling soup stock for dinner, inspiration hit me and so here goes…

First of all, hands up if you're #teamjipyeong or a fan of Kim Seon-Ho - cos I am! Along with millions of others around the globe, we noticed his charming dimpled smile in Start-Up and couldn't help but be drawn in by his superb acting skills (probably due to his stage experience). Many of us have also gone on a trek through k-drama archives to watch his previous works, like Catch the Ghost. 

So while ruminating on what love meant for the KSH characters in these two series, I realised that to both Ji-Pyeong in Start-Up and Ji-Seok in Catch the Ghost, love meant laying down one's life for the one you love. 

 

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

John 15:13

 

In Ji-Pyeong's case, it's at the point when he realises that he hadn't been willing to give up his status and successful track record for Dal-Mi (Bae Suzy) where he concedes defeat to his rival Do-San (Nam Joo-Hyuk) who quit his well-paid Silicon Valley job to help Dal-Mi fulfil her dream.

On the other hand, Ji-Seok, who was initially reluctant to risk his own well-being for his new partner, Ryeong (Moon Geon-Young) reaches an epiphany when he confides to his mother that he would do anything to protect Ryeong as she is precious to him. 

Love bears all things, ... endures all things. 

1 Corinthians 13:7

However, it's not only in the life-threatening cops and robbers chase scenes that Ji-Seok displays his selfless love. We already found out early on in the series that he had foregone brilliant prospects in the police force for a mundane job as a subway police chief, in order to not only pay for his mother's nursing home bills but more importantly to ensure that he would stay unharmed and alive as he was the sole family member left to care for his mother.

He even has to disguise himself as his late father when visiting her because she is suffering from dementia and thinks of herself as her 17yo self who's being courted by her husband-to-be. He does all this without complaint despite the fact that she doesn't remember him at all and addresses him as ahjussi (uncle) whenever he appears before her without his usual get-up.

Which brings me back to making lunch and boiling soup stock... for I put in the effort to prepare my children's favourite dishes regardless of how much I dislike cooking because of my love for them. This same motivation is true for mothers who sacrifice promising careers to be stay-home moms as well as those who work full-time jobs to provide for the family while also playing the role of homemaker after work. It is in the willingness to lay down your life, by putting the needs of your loved ones before your own, that true love is shown. 

Love keeps no record of wrongs.

1 Corinthians 13:5b

Although Ji-Seok is willing to put his life on the line for Ryeong, it is hard for her to accept his affections. The turning point comes when he defends her before her colleagues. They blame her for her sister's abduction by the serial murderer as she had abandoned her autistic twin on the train. Ji-Seok understands that it was a momentary slip as she had reached breaking point after having been the lone caregiver for her sister since they were 10yo. It is this act of grace that finally convinces Ryeong of his love for her.

Their love is not an inward-focused lovey dovey thing though, as they continue to fight the baddies and save the world together after they start dating. In fact, Ji-Seok becomes braver and more dynamic as a leader by drawing on the strength that Ryeong gives him. In addition, even those colleagues who had previously bullied her are so inspired by her sacrificial love for her sister that they also spring into action readily when called upon to help her find her missing twin.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 

Hebrews 10:24

So let us also take our inspiration from Christ who first loved us and gave His life for us, and go love our neighbours as ourselves. And may His love that flows through us not only lead others to know Him but also be willing to lay down their own lives to love others. After all, that is the real meaning of Valentine's Day!

Chinese New Year 2021 Reflections (2/2)

During this season, it's very common to hear greetings like 万事如意 (all things go according to your desires) and 心想事成 (whatever you wish in your heart will be realised). 

So some Christians have tried to justify these two greetings by referring to the second half of Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

However, by looking at the other common Chinese New Year greetings, we soon discover what these desires and wishes might be:

恭喜发财 (hope you will strike it rich)

黄金满堂 (your rooms will be filled with gold)

财源广进 (wealth and success flowing in)

大吉大利 (great fortune and success)

年年有余 (overflowing abundance every year)

Could wealth, success and prosperity be the desires that God wants to fulfil? So all we need to do is just spend some time in prayer and maybe read the Bible, and He would grant us whatever we wish for? Wouldn't that then make God into a genie in a lamp?!

I've written before about how Psalm 37:4 is more than just a transactional relationship with God, but that in fact when we truly enjoy spending time with Him then He will transform us so our desires are aligned with His will. And that is when He would gladly fulfil our desires.

Today, I received another insight into this verse. Could it be that actually the innermost desires of our heart were already programmed into us at creation by God? Perhaps one of the deepest desires that we all have even from the womb is to be known and loved. Another could be to discover and achieve our purpose in life.

Yet we have been deceived into thinking that wealth, fame, success and power are what we really want. Just like how the devil tried to tempt Jesus into believing that these things were better than worshipping God (cf. Matthew 4:1-11).

So the only way we can be fulfilled is when we spend time with God to find out what these desires are and have them met by Him. Maybe that's what Psalm 37:4 really means.

So instead of worshipping the golden calf (cf. Exodus 32) like the world does in the hope of getting our selfish desires granted, in this Year of the Ox, let us worship the One who willingly bore our yoke. Only then can the innermost desires of our hearts be restored, and we'll find true contentment in Him.

Chinese New Year 2021 Reflections (1/2)

To all our beloved Chinese family and friends, a very blessed Chinese New Year to you!!

During our reunion dinner last night, my mom told a very interesting origin story of the yusheng (a raw fish salad that is tossed corporately while speaking out auspicious sayings before being eaten). 

In 1942, Singapore was being attacked by the Japanese in the days leading up to CNY so they couldn't celebrate with the usual visiting/feasting with family and friends. But after the British surrender, things quietened down and a few famous chefs of the time decided to chop up whatever ingredients they had and created the modern day version of yusheng.

The name 鱼生 (raw fish) sounds like 余生 (those who are left alive) so it was a celebration for having survived the attacks. I thought it's very appropriate for us as well since we can also be grateful for having lived through COVID-19 so far.

Even as we thank God for protecting and sustaining us, let us live our lives in such a way that can be counted worthy of His grace! And even though we can't shout auspicious sayings while tossing yusheng this year due to COVID restrictions, let us not stop declaring His wonderful works and giving Him glory for all that He has done and will continue to do!

Disclaimer: as with all oral history, I can't vouch for the historical/factual accuracy of the above story. 😅

Historical information on the Japanese invasion of Singapore

Free Will vs Predestination (Part 1/3) in "Angel's Last Mission: Love" [SPOILER ALERT!]

I was drawn to the storyline of Angel's Last Mission: Love about a ballerina, Lee Yeon Seo (Shin Hye Sun) and an angel, Kim Dan (Kim Myung Soo) - arts and religion, a perfect combination! And indeed it didn't disappoint, for although I don't quite agree with the portrayal of God in the drama, it did give me lots of food for thought on the issue of free will vs predestination as well as other stuff like true love, destiny and purpose.

Yeon Seo, a top ballerina, was blinded in an accident during her last performance. Bitter and frustrated at not being able to dance again, she takes it out on the people around her. Dan inadvertently saves her life when she's caught in a car accident. However, God punishes him for going against His plan, which was for Yeon Seo to die in the accident. Dan is assigned a mission (in human form) to teach Yeon Seo how to love again before he can return to heaven.

Free Will vs Predestination

Predictably, Dan and Yeon Seo fall in love with each other. Sadly, Yeon Seo discovers that Dan will be dissipated into dust as a consequence of falling in love with a human (instead of loving only God). Furthermore, God sends a prophecy to Dan that Yeon Seo will also die soon as that was her destiny all along.

Both Dan and Yeon Seo feel miserable and attempt to reverse each other's impending death without letting the other know - Yeon Seo by offering God her life (through taking a bunch of pills) in exchange for Dan's, and Dan by trying to kill the person who's after Yeon Seo's life. But they both fail and when they each find out what the other was trying to do, they even get into a fight. It is only when they both come to accept God's plans rather than rebel against Him, that they decide to make full use of the time left and could enjoy each other's company again.

Interestingly, their turnaround was due partly to the advice of another fallen angel, Ji Kang Woo (Lee Dong Gun). Kang Woo had a tragic story himself where he had also been in love with a human, but the girl was killed by an archangel under God's orders (ouch! this is where I obviously disagree with the characterisation of God in this drama!) and he becomes a human as punishment for disobeying God. He lived every day filled with resentment against God and even wanted to break Dan and Yeon Seo up.

However, he eventually realises that instead of staying angry with God, the best thing to do would be to live life to the fullest and use his God-given artistic talent to shine. And that is what he counsels Yeon Seo to do - instead of wasting her energy in fighting against God, she should give her best performance in the upcoming ballet production as an offering to Him.

True Love

Yeon Seo (oops! forgot to mention she's regained her sight by now) agrees to dance in her company's production of Giselle. Before it opens, she writes a letter-prayer to God asking Him to pardon Dan should He find her dance offering acceptable.

A parallel is drawn between Giselle, the story of The Little Mermaid (which Dan and Yeon Seo often read together), and Yeon Seo - Yeon Seo takes a stab for Dan then returns to stage for the final dance where Giselle sacrifices herself for her beloved. All the while, Yeon Seo is praying that God will find her dance sacrifice pleasing and allow Dan to live. At the end of the dance, she collapses from the loss of blood and slips into a coma. 

There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another (John 15:13), so Dan has completed his mission in helping Yeon Seo be able to love others again. Furthermore, here we see a reflection of Jesus' sacrificial love in Yeon Seo.

God's Will

Nevertheless, Dan is summoned back to heaven despite Yeon Seo's best intentions. However, God is sufficiently moved to allow Dan to continue watching over Yeon Seo as an angel (ie invisible to her) instead of turning him to dust. And because Dan chooses to accept this fate rather than continue fighting against God's decision, God heals Yeon Seo and awakens her from the coma.

Just like how Kang Woo accepts God's will and is able to go on living a productive life, Yeon Seo also does what she was meant to do all along - run the ballet company and bless the community through dance.

Herein lies a valuable reminder for us too - that the question is not whether our lives are directed by our free will or predetermined by God. Instead, our focus should be on seeking to know God's will and then submit willingly to His will. For His plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, and His plans give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

So after a period of both of them quietly living out God's purpose for their lives (perhaps it was a test from God after all, to see if they would yield to Him), Dan becomes human again and the lovebirds are reunited.

Similarly, we need to submit to God's will and purpose for our lives, and wait patiently upon the Lord. No matter how bad the circumstances may get, remember that He will make all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

[There is another kdrama series and a recent movie that have also got me thinking about the issue of free will vs predestination. I hope I'll be able to finish writing about them soon... so look out for the entries!]

"Memories of the Alhambra" - augmented reality and the spiritual realm [SPOILER ALERT!]

With all the hype over Crash Landing on You and its lead actor Hyun Bin, I thought I'd better get down to writing this long-overdue entry on Hyun Bin's previous drama - Memories of the Alhambra.

It co-stars one of my favourite female actresses Park Shin Hye and the title is taken from the hauntingly beautiful guitar piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tárrega which is featured prominently throughout the drama. These were reasons enough for me to continue watching the series even though the blood & gore level was a notch too high for my comfort. Perhaps the highly realistic fighting scenes and special effects could've been part of the reason for its popularity. Anyway, I'm glad I stuck with it till the end as it led me to formulate the following thoughts.

The Two Worlds

The story revolves around a computer game which utlises augmented reality (AR). A player logs into the game by putting on customised smart contact lenses in order to see the AR non-player characters (NPCs), weapons and special items. They simply remove the lenses to exit the game. To someone outside the game who can't see the AR, players fighting against NPCs look like they are waving around madly in the air. But to the player, the AR as depicted in the drama is so real that they feel like the NPCs and weapons are physically there, so much so that they even experience actual pain when they are injured in the game. However, once they logout, all their in-game injuries would vanish.

In our real life, there are also two worlds or realms that exist - the physical and the spiritual. As in the drama, not everyone is able to see the spiritual realm unless God has opened our spiritual eyes (like putting on the smart lenses to see the game world). That was why Elisha had to pray, "Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see," before his servant could see "the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." (2 Kings 6:17)

Just like the battles between the players and NPCs in the game, there is also an ongoing battle in the spiritual realm which impacts the physical realm and vice versa. We get a glimpse of this spiritual warfare between the heavenly armies and the demonic forces through the description by an angel in Daniel 10. However, unlike the virtual weapons used in the game, our weapons are prayer (and sometimes fasting). With the authority that God has given to us through Christ, we are also able to drive out evil spirits as Jesus has demonstrated (cf. Matthew 17:20-21, John 14:12-14).

The Bug

After the story has been set up, the plot quickens with the discovery that there is a bug in the game. The glitch first started when two players were involved in a violent act while they were within the range of the special NPC Emma. In the game, Emma plays the guitar while keeping peace. Any virtual weapon brought within her range will disappear. But when a player used a real knife to stab another player while they were in the game, it causes an error in the programme as Emma cannot tolerate any violence. The bug upsets the world of the game, leading to the physical death of any player who is killed in the game, and these dead players turning into NPCs that keep coming back to battle live players.

In a similar fashion, sin came into the world when man went against the 'algorithm' set by God (i.e. not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). And since God is perfect and holy, He cannot tolerate any sin. Hence sinful man was separated from God. The presence of sin in the world also led to the fall of creation, where things no longer operate according to God's design just like how the bug caused things to go awry in the game.

The Christ-like Figure

That's where Yoo Jin Woo (Hyun Bin) comes to save the day (or the game, in this case). For some unknown reason, he is the only player who doesn't need the smart lenses anymore. He gets logged into the game whenever he is in the game zones (initially restricted to Granada in Spain but later expanded to include areas in Korea). So at any time, he could be in the real world as well as in the game world simultaneously. This reminds me of how Jesus was fully human and fully God when He was born into this world.

Although Jin Woo didn't create the bug, he finds out that he is carrying the bug and is the only one who can get rid of it. He has to hand a special item, the 'Key to Heaven', over to Emma in order for her to kill him and destroy the bug in him. The game developer had based this on an actual legend about the carvings on the Gate of Justice at Alhambra that when the 'Key of Heaven' is united with the 'Hand of Fatima' (represented in the game by Emma's hands), the world would end. So once the bug is removed, the entire game world would reset and restart bug-free.

In comparison, Jesus also wasn't responsible for sin coming into our world yet He was the only one who could free us from sin and open the door to heaven for us. He differs from Jin Woo though, in that Jesus was completely free from sin whereas Jin Woo was carrying the guilt of having killed his former-friend-turned-nemesis in the game and causing his actual death.

Nevertheless, Jin Woo willingly sacrifices himself in order to save the game just as Jesus redeemed us through His sacrifice on the cross. This analogy is hinted at none-too-subtly as Jin Woo enters a Catholic church building (even though the whole premise was based on an Islamic legend) and faces Jesus on the cross (above the altar) while awaiting the final meeting with Emma that would seal his fate.

Interestingly, Memories of the Alhambra is written by Song Jae Jung. She also wrote W - Two Worlds which featured a Christ figure too (as written about in a much earlier post). And just like how Christ's resurrection was reflected in W - Two Worlds, there are clues in the finale that Jin Woo is also resurrected in the game world and lives on to help new players destroy their enemies. Nevertheless, he is only visible (and only as a shadow) to some players especially those who believe that he's still alive. In the same way, Jesus is alive and He has sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper (John 14:26). He can't be seen with physical eyes but those who believe in Him will be able to experience His very real presence.

So, in conclusion, we know that we are engaged in a very real spiritual battle despite not being able to see it with our physical eyes. Yet we also have full confidence that God is fighting for us and that by virtue of His saving work on the cross and His resurrection power, we have the victory!

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. (Deuteronomy 20:4)

A Prophetic Arts Prayer Trip... What's That???

It was already crazy enough when God said to prayer walk the land of Japan. I mean, how huge and outrageously expensive that would be!! But then He added on that He wanted it to be a prophetic arts trip too! Like, how many Christians even know what 'prophetic arts' means?! Who would come with me on this wild venture?? But within a week, He led me to three people who said they would pray about joining the team - and all of them are prophetic artists! So I had to say 'yes' to Him, and started preparing for the trip with much fear and trepidation... Firstly, Job wouldn't be able to come on the trip so I'd have to lead the team on my own. Secondly, I sensed that there would be some fierce warfare involved and I wasn't sure if I or the rest of the team would be ready for it. However, on both counts, God showed up and did all the hard work for us so we breezed our way through with great joy and celebration!

So how prophetic can the arts be?

God spoke to us so clearly through the arts. For instance, on our second day in Japan we had visited the Peace Memorial Park in Okinawa. There's an art gallery with a series of paintings by a particular artist on the theme of  'War and Peace'. I noticed that nearly every one of his paintings had similar wavy lines that looked like the wind.

I was especially struck by this piece which depicts the strength of the people in the face of hardship, as represented by the flowers that stand strong in the midst of the billowy winds. We had heard that we just missed a typhoon as we had arrived the day after it hit Okinawa. But little did we know that for the rest of the trip, God would protect us from two more typhoons - one changed direction midway and the other struck Tokyo the day before we landed there! So this painting was God's way of reassuring us that He would keep us safe even when typhoons are raging around us.

Then on another day, God prompted us to do team drawing so we all prayed and drew one picture each. Turned out that all the pictures formed a map for the rest of our trip as we kept seeing real-life representations of the things we had drawn thereafter! (I can only show you my picture as I don't have the other members' permission to show theirs...yet...)

We got to visit a pottery in Okinawa and through learning about the process of how clay is turned into ceramics, God also showed us many lessons about our Christian walk. The master potter was from the church we had just visited and as he was sharing about how he realised his true identity was to be found in Christ and not in culture or even the arts, I suddenly saw the link between his testimony and the impromptu dance that Aimee had presented in the church earlier on. The pastor (the potter's wife) had requested to see Aimee dance so she chose the song 'Who Am I' on the spot and improvised to it. Amazingly, God had already started speaking to us about our identity in Him through the dance and continued the same message during the potter's sharing.

 



God also spoke to others through us and the arts. At the church that was hosting us in Kyoto, we had presented the pastor with a postcard print of one of our team members, Chloe's painting, 'The Covenant'. The rainbow background reminded him of an actual rainbow that he had seen in the morning. It held special meaning to him as the church had just celebrated their 37th anniversary the day before. But he lamented that nobody else had seen the rainbow. We proceeded to get the four church members who were present to pick out one prophetic art card each from a bag and to our surprise, every single one of them received a picture with a rainbow! The probability of that happening was really very small as we had multiple copies of nearly 20 different pictures and only 3 of the pictures had rainbows. What's more, the next day when we met another church member and got him to pick a card, he got a rainbow picture too! So it was clear that God wanted to show the rainbow to the church members too, not just the pastor, in order to emphasise that He will keep His promises to the church.

On another occasion, Chloe was showing some missionaries-in-training the painting that God had inspired her to paint for and bring on our trip (you can also read about God's provision for her to come on the trip in her post). Through her explanation of how God wants to restore every nation, including Japan, He actually brought about reconciliation between a Korean believer and a Japanese believer who were listening to her!

The arts also helped to usher in great power to tear down strongholds. We were on our way to a place famous for its shrines and we were expecting a fierce spiritual battle there. However, a couple of days before the trip, God reminded us of how Jehoshaphat had won the battle through praise and worship (2 Chronicles 20:1-30). So throughout the 2.5-hour drive there, we kept singing song after song from our playlist and even added more songs to the list as they came to mind. When we finally arrived, we all sensed that God had already won the battle. He led us to a riverside instead of entering the shrine area, and released us to continue praising Him and making a joyful noise unto Him.

Don't forget God's masterpieces!

Of course, God also spoke to us wonderfully through His artworks painted in the skies and revealed through nature. Once when we had just finished praying, a butterfly landed on Jesse's thigh and rested there. Then on the day we did the team drawing, just as we had finished and were packing up, a butterfly hovered over Aimee's head for a while. To us, both incidents were signs of His presence with us.

On our first morning at Kyoto, I was woken up at 5.20am by a pink glow in the room. I looked out the window and for the next half an hour, witnessed the most amazing live painting with the clouds as His canvas. That was God's way of reminding me that I was indeed in the land of the rising sun, but also a confirmation of the word we had received earlier that the Son of Righteousness will rise over the land.

What about leading the team?

Well, my fears were unfounded, of course! I learnt to rely fully on God's prompting as He was the leader of our team, not me. Each time He prompted me or anyone in the team, there would be confirmation from the rest, and then we would act accordingly. Things would work out perfectly and we would even make pleasant discoveries along the way (one of them being the fantastically clear view of Mt Fuji even though it had been a cloudy day). However, the only time where the team disagreed and did not follow God's prompting led to a minor understanding with a couple of local people. But thankfully, when we admitted our mistake and apologised, things were quickly resolved.

To be honest, I hadn't been confident at all that the overwhelming itinerary (4 cities in 10 days, 6 flights and countless hours of driving) would be achievable, or that the crazy things (singing, dancing, playing instruments, flagging, bubbling, drawing, painting, giving out art cards) He had shown us to do during our trip would have any impact. But thankfully, my team members were willing to obey God's instructions and we got to experience incredibly divine things together!

The final confirmation that we had done everything right came when we saw this at the boarding gate of Sapporo airport as we were about to fly back to Singapore.

It's the same Hachiko dog that I had drawn (see earlier picture). But instead of waiting to hear the voice of his dead master, my picture shows the dog listening intently to his master's voice singing over him (with slight reference to the HMV dog who also happens to be listening to his dead master's recorded voice over the gramophone). When we incline our ears to listen to our Master, who is most definitely alive, we will find that:

The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Find strength in the Lord for the victory is near!

I tried out the Bibliolog interactive Bible study method (which we learnt from Birte Papenhausen recently) during a parents’ prayer meeting today, with the passage taken from 1 Sam 30:1-19. You can read my prepared script here. The parents found it very refreshing as the method helped us to immerse ourselves in the story and experience it first-hand as though we were one (or a few) of the characters. It also opened our hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to speak into our own lives and situations. After the session, many of the parents were asking how they could also use the Bibliolog method in their Sunday school classes, small groups and family devotions!

Even while I was preparing the script, I had received great encouragement from the example of David. He sought the Lord in a time of great distress and found strength in the Lord (v.6). Not only that, when he enquired of the Lord, he was told that he would succeed in rescuing their wives and children who had been taken captive (v.7-8). From these verses, I was reminded to look to God no matter how bad things may be and to trust that in Him, we will have victory over all obstacles and circumstances. This is especially relevant for parents who, like David, may feel that they have lost their children to various bondages like addictions, sexual sin, depression or loss of faith. Regardless of how far away they may seem, we can be assured that God is watching over them, He is in control and He will bring them home one day!

During the Bible study this morning, from the responses the parents gave as well as my own thoughts as we went along, I also realised that sometimes we are like the captive wives and children. We may have yielded to sin and find ourselves separated from our family, church and God. But God will not let us go and He continues to pursue us with His love, just as David and his men did not give up the rescue mission even when some among them were too exhausted to go on (v.10).

At times, we may be like those '200 men' who had to stay back. We may feel helpless and unable to do anything to help our children when they are in trouble or even suffering. Instead, we have to rely on others to reach out to our children to lead them out of pain or darkness. For instance, children who shut us out and refuse to talk or listen may need counsellors or youth group leaders to speak with them, or children who are seriously ill would need doctors to heal them. In such cases, all we can do is wait and pray – not only for the results but also for those ‘400 men’ who are battling to save our children.

Finally, while putting ourselves in the shoes of one of the men who had gone out with David and returned victorious, I saw that there are occasions when we may misunderstand the intentions of others. Imagine if the men thought that David was wasting their time or had given up on the rescue mission when he went away to pray, and they had gone off on their own without him or even stoned him to death! Either way, I doubt they would have been successful in retrieving their wives, children and all the plunder. We also need to be patient and give others the benefit of the doubt rather than jump to conclusions and worse still, act or speak rashly against them. In fact, we should stay humble and be willing to learn from others, especially from men and women of faith how to relate with and trust in God.