Elijah the Quantum Physicist

Reflection on 1 King 17:

We are all quantum physicists. At the turn of the the 1900 century, the result of black body radiation experiment defiles everything that physicists knew up to that point, and wave-particle duality of matters were mind-boggling, and paradoxical. Only after twenty odd years later do we finally understood the Schrodinger equation - a glimpse of a higher, deeper truth. Just two years ago, we are sending single-photon quantum information over optical fiber, and demonstrating quantum teleportation. A higher truth is now in practice, which will eventually alter what we do in this world.

Elijah was a quantum physicist. He too faced so many paradoxes, and these shaped him into who he became. Without these paradoxes, he would not be able to understand the tension between his perceived reality and the higher, deeper truth. His job is to be faithful in wrestling with these paradoxes.

We are all quantum physicists. We all face paradoxes in our lives. These really are gifts from God. If we see no paradox, we are not growing. If we see no paradox, we are not in the vine, and we are simply too lazy as a human being. Don't stick with classical physics! It took over 100 years for a simple paradox in physics to alter human behavior. It took 3.5 years for Elijah to learn and take over the prophets of Baal. What about our paradoxes?

Into the Cave.. then Level Up

One of my favorite video game on Nintendo has been Final Fantasy. It is a role playing game - a few warriors roam around a map and fighting monsters on the way. In the beginning, the characters had only a few hit points. After each battle, the characters acquire experience point and level up after having enough fighting experience.



The monsters in different geographical areas are also different. In the beginning, giant snails may come out, and later vampires and undead. For craven players like myself, I would keep walking around a fair field fighting only with monster that I could win easily, until I gained enough experience so that I would be powerful enough to fight more dangerous monsters before I entered those caves.

This.. perhaps.. has been my approach with life as well. I learn a few tricks (and level up), and stay in fairly comfortable places to exercise those tricks (fighting the monsters) until I becomes so good at fighting the battle locally. There have been a few times in my life where I enter a cave here and there to fight more powerful monsters. But then I remained again and played the same game again and again.



This is more or less the summary of my life: moving to Canada in 93 got me to become a thinker after staring at the ceiling at the dark for many nights; deciding to following Jesus in 95 was completely life transforming, and really set the foundation of who I am today; my internship in Ottawa in 99 got to me meet my mentor; the understanding of holy spirit in 01 revolutionized my core being; coming to Boston in 02 sparked my intellectual revolution; the exploration of history and learning languages from 03 added concreteness to my understanding of just about everything; starting to deal with people in 05 changes my interactions and helps me to start asking the question about lasting impact.

But now I am stuck. What got me here won't get me there. Worse yet, I don't know where there is. I can stay around and fight the monster that I know so well, or I can venture into the cave and meet new monsters.

I am searching for a spiritual director, a career mentor and a life coach. Today as I was reflecting, I realize that I am extremely fearful of what could be in store. I have to get myself off my comfort zone, and asks questions that I don't dare asking for my life so far. I need to get into the cave first, and then level up. The safe way of leveling up first then get into the cave may work in games, but it does not work in life. It's like the major league, only going in the cave would I find others who have also been fighting those great battles. These forerunners will be my guide and inspiration, but it is up to me whether I seek to find them.

Just like how "Kremmydi on the Run" (the first version of my blog 5 years ago before it eventually went 4G) used to say... Run, Kremmydi, Run... I have exhausted the toolkit that makes me who I am today. It's been fun, but I know one thing - it is not good enough, and it is certainly not great. And simply - I cannot settle for mere good.

Run, Kremmydi, Run...

All-You-Can-Eat can eat you all

Reflection on 2 Samuel 11.

I was at the Mirage in Las Vegas earlier this year, and I went to its all-you-can-eat buffet. The food was great - I was by myself, eating slowly while reading over some conference materials. Every time I finished a plate, I remember one more thing I want to eat... by the time I got out, I was walking so slowly cos I felt that I was going to vomit.

Well... location matters. If we don't want to be tempted, we better avoid being in certain places. Like David, being in a comfortable place alone and a place where he has power, he put himself into danger. Temptation comes unexpectedly, and there is nothing wrong of having those unintended temptation, be it through seeing, hearing or even thinking - Satan and his colleagues have the power to do that. Nonetheless, the moment we inquire, explore and invest to our temptation, we sin. Sin manifests and takes control when we send and get. After that, we are simply slaves.

We are lucky that we are not as powerful as David. Even an all-we-can-eat buffet can eat our soul, what happen if we have all-we-can-do power? Uriah was right - he stayed in a place where he is a servant (with fellow soldiers) and not a master (at his home). He remembers that he is fighting a battle, and one tiny distraction enough to cause us to fall.

Let's hold one another accountable. Really we are just all equally dirty and sinful. Sharing our weakness is a sign that we have overcome it.

SESU: Simple Excitement AND Sophisticated Understanding

This week we looked again at 2 Samuel 6, and focusing on the undignified David dancing and uncovering himself in front of the whole Israel. As we reflected, we realized that there were many things we have done in the past - some great and some silly - that we would never do now. As we grow, we have lost part of our innocent, simple excitement, and we have traded it for sophisticated understanding of things. Nonetheless we should not stop there. We should not be satisfied by the need to choose between the tyranny of the OR between simple excitement and sophisticated understanding; rather, we should embrace the genius of the AND for the two. Yes SESU, SESU, SESU!

This is just how we grow: to learn, unlearn, and relearn. We all start somewhere, run away from it, and embrace it again after acquiring a bigger perspective. It is easy to just run away - only the strong one dares to come back. Have we lost our simple excitement? Have we gain our sophisticated understanding? Now, try both! Go SESU.

New Books in the Pipeline

1. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C. K. Prahalad
2. Grid Lock Economy by Michael Heller
3. Nudge by Richard H. Taler and Cass R. Sunstein
4. Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Eat that Kim Chi

It's mid-week reflection time again! This week, we studied 2 Samuel 6 on David and Uzzah. Specifically, Uzzah died while attempting to save God. Perhaps we all need the lesson that God is not only our friend, but the fear the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Sometimes, fear is a necessary part of our learning. The best professors I have had are all very tough, and arguably fearful. And remember our story about the piano teacher. When we are young and unskillful, the teacher sets a high standard, and discipline us when we do not live up to it. We fear the teacher, and perhaps even hates her. But then, when we grow up and become a very skillful piano player. Not only that the teacher is no longer fearful, we can become partners and play in the same concert! That freedom and partnership can only result after a long period of persistent discipline. Yes, God is our loving father and our friend, but He is also the Holy God.

Here's another imagery for you. When I was young, I absolutely dislike spicy food. But over the last few years, I started to like Korean food a lot. Instead of the spicy taste, I started to appreciate the subtle sweetness in Korean cookings. In fact, our body naturally reacts against anything spicy. But with repeated exposure, we begin to taste something beyond what is on the surface. Over time, we start to appreciate it, and... like Koreans, they cannot live without Kim Chi... they will want to put Kim Chi in everything they cook and eat.

This goes with our journey into the holy wild. Things may seem a little strange, and that Kim Chi is spicy. My hope is that one day we all will crave for Kim Chi, and put it in everything we eat.

Next week, we will continue to study 2 Samuel 6, and focus on the undignified David.

A pictorial summary of our studies is below:

Key messages:
1) Understanding the Lion and the Bear
2) Protect those sheeps
3) Learn to use our stones
4) Discover our kingdom identity
5) The chicken in the making
6) The Borderland
7) The tough piano teacher
8) Eat that Kim Chi