Taiwan Dreams

Since coming to Portland in Spring of this year and moving my family here I have to be candid and admit I have experienced "Dark Nights" of the soul on repeated occasions. It has been difficult dealing with re-entry culture shock for me and there are times when I miss Taiwan terribly. The sights, the smells, the way I lived my life for ten years is gone now. Was it all for nothing?

My memories of Taiwan are vivid and rich in my mind. How nice it was to live in a country where old people are still respected along with teachers and spiritual leaders. Here in the States I pastor a church but the respect from non-Christians and even Christians (sometimes!) is less than how the "pagan" Taiwanese treated me. Not that I crave this attention or anything like that. I am simply pointing out an observation between two wonderful cultures. Both the American and Taiwanese cultures have positives and negatives and I don't want to be read with the misunderstanding that I am playing one culture over against another.

Aaahhhh but I do miss it. Taipei with its 101 Building. The best Kung Pao Chicken to be had is in Taiwan although I have to admit Kuala Lumpor in Malaysia and Singapore run tight races on the Kung Pao.

Pastoring in Taiwan was very different as well. It seemed much easier in some ways. The very Biblical and foundational idea of mission and the church as "being on mission" was inherent within us. There was no questions as to why the church existed. We were an army called out by God to penetrate the darkness and proclaim Gods kingdom reign.

Here in the USA many church lack a valid identity now days and are going through a reassessment as to why they exist, who they are and so on. With the massive restructuring of culture in Western society the Church has lost its privileged position and now must ask, "Who am I". I encourage a deep and long, penetrating look into scripture, particularly the book of Acts to discover the answer to this
question.

But back to Taiwan and Asia. I regularly visited and stayed in places that we read about in books or watch on the silver screen. How I love Singapore! Malaysia is paradise!

I hope one day to get back to this part of the world. Perhaps I can "retire" there although John Piper will have none of it. Retirement is not in the Bible and I certainly wont be picking up seashells on the seashore! Rather I would be training and equipping, teaching in Bible colleges and churches.

Someday. One day.

Or..perhaps...heaven will be a lot like Asia and the Kung Pao Chicken will be the best I have ever had!

Thank you God for ten years in wonderland.