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| Tickets can also be bought at New Life Fellowship (the Khmer-speaking church near Olympic Market) |
Click here to watch LIVE FOREVER
The
film is poignant through and through, but there's one particular moment
toward the end where Nick's RECONCILIATION with a school bully in the
audience SYMBOLIZES the larger RECONCILIATION of the brokenness of this
war-ravaged region of the world -- the pain and devastation not
dissimilar for, not un-familar to, us Cambodians.
As a Christian watching this, I cannot help but think that as Satan wreaked havoc using the stain-filled human actors to carry out his destruction in this region of the former Yugoslavia full of what seem to be intractable problems, God was quietly raising a child who is to become the man of His reconciliation, with a power and authority to captivate ALL SIDES, ALL PEOPLES unmatched by any politician, any glamorous Hollywood celebrity, any tycoon philanthropist in their failed attempt to heal the enmity -- a child the world would have thrown away.
But it is characteristic of God to use what the world considers weak, poor, and least to bring about His kingdom in this broken world, e.g. Jesus born in animal's smelly, foul-stench, dirty stable. Not only ancient but modern history is full of such individuals, e.g. ethnic Albanian, Mother Teresa.
Related, I am reminded of Joseph's response to his brothers who had sold him, now upon learning of his identity as the ruler of Egypt, only second to the Pharaoh himself, what I called the 50-20 Principle: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20). And of what Paul wrote in his letter to Christians in Rome: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Another thought I had was that God often doesn't take away the problem, but instead gives us the necessary help to get us through, and to get us through gloriously. He journeys with us in life's difficulty and challenges. Here, Nick was not just born into any family, but a family with a mom who is a nurse and a dad who is a Christian pastor -- the sufficiency of God's grace as Nick is being molded and shaped and chiseled and refined in the most excruciating manner into the beauty that he is now.
And yet another thought I often have: the glimmer and tinkling in the eyes of those who love Jesus and/or those who are living well (even if in poverty because they live out goodness, kindness, compassion, justice etc.) -- compared to the harsh, steely, mean piercing looks and hardened expression of the rich and powerful in Cambodia -- not at all helped by the heavy make-up or glittering expensive jewelry adorning them (for the "chum-teavs") or the expensive diamond rings, watches, designer suits and other expensive toys (for the "ek-a-doms").
I look forward to listening to Nick speak when he is scheduled to be in Phnom Penh at Koh Pich later this year.
As a Christian watching this, I cannot help but think that as Satan wreaked havoc using the stain-filled human actors to carry out his destruction in this region of the former Yugoslavia full of what seem to be intractable problems, God was quietly raising a child who is to become the man of His reconciliation, with a power and authority to captivate ALL SIDES, ALL PEOPLES unmatched by any politician, any glamorous Hollywood celebrity, any tycoon philanthropist in their failed attempt to heal the enmity -- a child the world would have thrown away.
But it is characteristic of God to use what the world considers weak, poor, and least to bring about His kingdom in this broken world, e.g. Jesus born in animal's smelly, foul-stench, dirty stable. Not only ancient but modern history is full of such individuals, e.g. ethnic Albanian, Mother Teresa.
Related, I am reminded of Joseph's response to his brothers who had sold him, now upon learning of his identity as the ruler of Egypt, only second to the Pharaoh himself, what I called the 50-20 Principle: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20). And of what Paul wrote in his letter to Christians in Rome: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Another thought I had was that God often doesn't take away the problem, but instead gives us the necessary help to get us through, and to get us through gloriously. He journeys with us in life's difficulty and challenges. Here, Nick was not just born into any family, but a family with a mom who is a nurse and a dad who is a Christian pastor -- the sufficiency of God's grace as Nick is being molded and shaped and chiseled and refined in the most excruciating manner into the beauty that he is now.
And yet another thought I often have: the glimmer and tinkling in the eyes of those who love Jesus and/or those who are living well (even if in poverty because they live out goodness, kindness, compassion, justice etc.) -- compared to the harsh, steely, mean piercing looks and hardened expression of the rich and powerful in Cambodia -- not at all helped by the heavy make-up or glittering expensive jewelry adorning them (for the "chum-teavs") or the expensive diamond rings, watches, designer suits and other expensive toys (for the "ek-a-doms").
I look forward to listening to Nick speak when he is scheduled to be in Phnom Penh at Koh Pich later this year.
- Theary (Phnom Penh, 2 May 2013)
1 comment:
***តាមពិតទៅ!
ខ្មែរមិនដែលស្គាល់ប្រវត្តិរូបច្បាស់លាស់ទេ,
អាអ្នកតាំងខ្លួនជាអ្នកនយោបាយ-នយោបោក,
មិនដឹងជាកូនអាចោរ-មីចោរសំផឹងណាទេ?
ដូចជា:
អាកឹម សុខា,
អាសំរាំង ស៊ី,
មីមួ សុខហួ,
មីសេង ធារី,
មីសម្តាចម៍-អគតិទណ្ឌិតក្តិតធំ-សំផឹងយៀកកុង,
អាយួនHai Phúc AKA ហ៊ុន សែន,
អាហេង សំរិន,
អាជា ស៊ីម,
អាវ៉ា គិម ហុង!.......។ល។
ស្រាប់តែ មកឃើញធ្វើនយោបាយ ក្បត់ជាតិខ្មែរ?.....
រហូតដល់ ខ្មែរអស់ស្រុក?
..................កណ្ដួយម៉ែវា!
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