Scripture Passage

Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
² Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

Sermon Script

The psalm we read today is called ‘A Song of Ascents‘. Songs of Ascents refer to the psalms that the Israelites sang while making their journey towards Jerusalem.

We are still in the season of Lent. During Lent, we make our journey to the cross. Not only to the cross, but towards the resurrection on Easter. We reflect on the journey that Jesus took over the 40 days. It is fitting that we are reflecting on a Song of Ascents today.

Journey itself is never a straight line. When we look at our own journey, we can see that. Every journey has its ups and downs. Highs and lows. Sometimes we feel confident with where we are headed. Other times we feel lost and confused. They come unexpectedly.

One of our young adults shared with me recently. He had been doing well for a while, but now is going through a dry period in his life. On the outside, everything is fine. He has a job, and lives with his family. Things are stable and good. On the inside, he feels like he has no motivation. He is just going through the motions. He doesn’t know exactly what triggered this. He sees that it is also affecting his faith.

That is the reality of our journey. It is not always bright and sunny. Yes, we experience times of closeness to God. But we also experience times of dryness and darkness. We don’t feel God’s presence as deeply as before. God seems hidden—or absent in our life.

The psalmist also experienced God’s absence. He felt totally stuck. He felt overwhelmed. He didn’t know what to do except cry out to God.

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

Psalm 130:1, 2

When we can’t see where we are going, that’s when we want to give up the most. We may cry out to God at first, but soon we stop. Especially if we don’t see any change. We stop caring. We let ourselves spiral into darkness. We drown in our feelings of shame and guilt.

It is important to cry out, but it is more important to remember this about God. The psalmist confessed—

But with you there is forgiveness…

Psalm 130:4

Forgiveness means the present darkness is NOT the end. Forgiveness means there is always a tomorrow. Forgiveness means new start and new beginning. Forgiveness means God’s love will save us from our darkness.

The psalmist trusted in God’s forgiveness. He trusted in God’s love. He believed that God will come and save him. He not only cried out to God, but he waited for God. He put his hope in God’s promise.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Psalm 130:5, 6

Here, waiting doesn’t mean waiting passively. It’s not like waiting for a bus. Here, waiting refers to an active kind of waiting. Like how the watchmen wait during the night. In the army, it is considered as one of the most difficult duties to fulfill. Waiting with every fiber of our being. Yearning, longing, struggling, and fighting.

That is what waiting with hope looks like. On the outside, you may appear completely still. You may be doing nothing. But on the inside, you are persevering. Your eyes are focused solely on God.

When God seems absent, don’t resign to the darkness you see. Last week, I reflected on seeing our life with the eyes of faith. Sometimes we have problem seeing what we need to see. Our vision gets too blurred.

The greatest temptation we face when we go through dark times is the temptation to isolate ourselves from everything. To cut ourselves off from our community, family, and friends. Including God. We turn ourselves away from even the glimmer of light that shines directly at us.

Put your hope in God. Cry out to God with everything that is on your heart. Then wait. That is the best you can do. God will come. God will comfort you and give you strength.

Jesus experienced that in the wilderness. Scripture tells us that after the 40 days, the angels came and attended him. He even experienced God’s absence on the cross. Scripture tells us that after 3 days, God raised him to life.

God’s absence in our life doesn’t mean God is gone for good. It doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us in our journey. It doesn’t mean that we are all alone.

God’s absence points to the promise of God’s presence coming into our life again. Sorrow may last for the night, but joy will come in the morning. People of faith live with this attitude.

Scripture Passage

John 9:1-12
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

⁸ His neighbours and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Sermon Script

Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a Turkish filmmaker, once said—

If we know how to look, life is very colourful; human scenery is the richest scenery in the world.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan

I agree. Life is rich and colourful. Life is full of beauty. It has so many layers and so much depth. We must learn how to look at what we see each and every day. Life is not always black-and-white.

Jesus knew how to look at life. He looked at people and life situations through a unique lens. He didn’t see life like most people.

When the disciples saw the blind man, they saw a tragedy. They probably thought, ‘Poor guy.’ They took pity on him. They assumed that his blindness was a punishment from God.

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

John 9:2

The disciples weren’t wrong. Their understanding was in line with their Jewish faith. People believed that children will inherit and suffer whatever the parents did wrong in their life. They also believed that if the child sinned in the mother’s womb, he or she would be born with some kind of defect. So the disciples’ question to Jesus was genuine.

Jesus, however, saw the blind man’s situation differently. He didn’t see it the way his disciples did. He didn’t see the man’s blindness as a punishment from God. He saw something else.

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

John 9:3

It is easy to misinterpret this verse. We can think that God purposely made this man blind so that he can heal him and show everyone how great he is. That’s not what this verse means.

Jesus didn’t try explaining it to the disciples the actual cause of the man’s blindness. Instead, Jesus told them what he saw. In the blind man’s situation, Jesus saw a potential. Potential for God to make something wonderful out of it. In what seemed like a dark and unfortunate situation, Jesus saw the beauty of life.

Jesus had the spirit of an artist. Artists see potential and possibilities, even in the darkest times. Not only do they see it themselves, they also help others see what is beautiful about life. They transform the reality of suffering and darkness into a concrete expression of hope.

Beauty is not something we only behold with our eyes. Beauty is what we do. Beauty is what we bring to life.

Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.

Toni Morrison

Jesus brought beauty to the blind man’s life. He transformed what he saw into something beautiful. He even worked like an artist.

After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he hold him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

John 9:6, 7

Because of Jesus, the blind man was able to see for the first time. He no longer saw darkness. Light pierced through the darkness in his life. He saw how beautiful, rich, and colourful life was. No one around him believed it to be possible.

Beauty isn’t just what we see on the surface. Beauty is especially what is hidden from our plain sight. We need to train our eyes to see what is beautiful. With the eyes of faith, we can look and see the beauty of life that is all around us.

In times of failure, you will see an opportunity for learning and growth. In times of anger, you will see an opportunity for forgiveness and understanding. In times of sadness, you will see an opportunity for comfort and hope.

At the March retreat, I reflected on how we often get stuck with what IS. Not what COULD BE.

When you look at your life with faith, God will be your light and help you look beyond what ‘is’. God will help you see what ‘could be’. What God can do in that situation. That is the essence of our journey of faith. Learning to look at life in a new way as we walk with God.

Practice seeing the beauty of life during Lent. Slow down and look around you. Take in what you see and experience. Feel God’s presence. Journal. Help others see the beauty in their life. Thank God for opening your eyes.

Session 4

How are your empathy levels this morning? I’m kidding. We are all tired, but I hope you feel renewed by the experience you had at this retreat.

We reflected on what it means to build our empathy. Building empathy begins with our curiosity. Imagination enriches our empathy. Love completes empathy. Last night, we had a chance to practice our listening, sharing, and praying with each other.

Remember what you’ve learned and experienced. Don’t stop building empathy. Don’t stop caring. Ot is so easy to forget after we go back home. It is so easy to drift into our old ways and habits. That’s why I worry about you guys sometimes. I probably won’t see some of you until the summer. I pray that you will continue walking this journey toward becoming a more empathetic person.

So this morning, I want to share with you how we can continue this journey of growing in empathy in our own life. It’s very simple. It boils down to one word. It sums up all that we’ve learned at this retreat.

PRESENCE. Be fully present, wherever you are or whoever you are with. Be present for others.

You don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to say anything. You don’t have to give anything. Just BE THERE. That will be enough. Your presence alone will bless those around you.

Once, there was a gate called Beautiful. It was in front of a temple where people worshipped. At the gate sat a man with a disability. He had to be physically carried there every day. His life depended on how much those worshipping at the temple gave him. People often passed him by, as if he was invisible. No one seemed to care. Ironically, the place was anything but ‘beautiful’.

One day, the man saw Peter and John walking into the temple. He asked them for money. Neither Peter nor John gave him what he asked for.

Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.

Acts 3:3-7

Peter gave the crippled man something he had never received. Peter gave him his attention. Peter looked at him like no one looked at him before. Peter cared for the crippled man as Jesus would’ve done. Peter’s presence was enough to help the man up to his feet. It empowered him to walk again. It gave him back his confidence and self-esteem. It restored the meaning of the gate itself.

When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Acts 3:9, 10

You are called to be the presence of Christ. You may feel like you don’t have much to give. You may feel like you are not enough. You are enough. That is what God wants.

Through your presence, God will bring healing to others. Through your presence, God will empower others and raise them up. Through your presence, God will bring beauty and warmth in people’s lives. We are all called to the ministry of PRESENCE. Ministry that brings empathy into a world of apathy.

I thank our counsellors for being here. They have been wonderful at this retreat. When we had a meeting before the retreat, I told them: “Don’t feel like you have to ‘do’ something. Just be there for the students. That will be enough.”

You can do the same for each other. Even after we go back, be an empathetic presence for those around you. When you see each other, acknowledge each other. Look each other in the eye. One look of love can empower someone else. You can’t buy that. Let the other person know that you see them. Let them know that you care about them. Make them feel important. It’s the small things that make a great difference. Let us be an empathetic community.

Session 3

We’ve been reflecting on how to build empathy. How to become more caring. At our first session, we looked at CURIOSITY. How our curiosity helps us be interested in others. At our second sessions, we looked at IMAGINATION. How our imagination helps us see that we are more similar than we think. We are already at our third (and final) session. This might be the most important session of all.

Relationships are difficult. I’m not talking about romantic relationships necessarily. Friendships, family relationships, acquaintances, and so on. Our curiosity and imagination help us form these meaningful relationships in life. But just because we connect with other people, doesn’t mean that everything will go well.

We have misunderstandings. We get into arguments and fights. Best friends suddenly turn into worst enemies. People grow apart and stop communicating. We experience how fragile human connections can be. We experience the limits of human relationships.

I often wonder about this. I realize that the greatest difficulty in human relationships is that we can never “know” another person fully. We can imagine, but we can never be that other person.

We may see that the other person is in pain, but we can never know that pain as much as that person. Even though we are all human, at the end of the day, we see that the difference between me and the other person remains. We see a gap that we can’t be bridged. This gap creates tension, misunderstanding, and conflict. It makes us feel lonely and alone. We try to care about the other person, but we get tired and frustrated. We feel helpless.

Our empathy cannot be based on our feelings alone. Otherwise, if we don’t feel like it, we won’t care. Empathy involves our feelings, but it is not just a feeling. Our care for another person must come from a deeper place. Empathy must come from a place of LOVE.

Love is what completes empathy. Without love, our empathy becomes false and superficial. We become emotionally manipulative. We can pretend like we care, but what we say and do will ring hollow and empty to others.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Love itself isn’t a feeling. Love is about the heart. It is our attitude toward the other person. Love is our willingness to be totally for the other person, no matter what. Love sets everything else in the right direction. Without it, our curiosity and imagination can take us to a very dark place. Love is what ultimately bridges the gap in our relationships.

Isn’t that the good news of our Christian faith? God bridged the gap between himself and us through the cross. God loved us even when we didn’t care for him. God showed us that he is always for us, not against us.

Love doesn’t erase differences. Love embraces differences. Even awkwardness.

When there is love, our empathy expresses itself these simple but concrete and meaningful actions. They flow out of love. They are: ASKING, LISTENING/SHARING, and PRAYING.

First, asking forms a connection between me and the other person. Even if we are curious, if we don’t ask, there’s no relationship. Asking is an act of genuine care. It is a way of loving our neighbour.

The love of our neighbour in all its fullness simply means being able to say, “What are you going through?“

Simone Weil

On the surface, listening seems like nothing. You’re just looking at the other person while they’re talking. But in reality, listening is the most difficult thing to do. Because it demands all of your attention.

We are very good at pretending to listen. We are not good at listening at all. We tune out. We get easily distracted. We lose interest when we can’t understand the other person. Physically, we might be here. But mentally, we are somewhere else or preparing what we are going to say next.

Listening is not about listening to the words. Real listening is about listening to the heart behind the words. You are listening to the person speaking those words. When you do that, it is easier to give them your full attention. You are so focused that you don’t even know you’re doing it. Listening gives empathy its true meaning.

You may not fully understand the heart behind the words. But that’s okay. What matters is that you are listening. Even when it is difficult and frustrating. The other person will feel truly heard by you. They will feel seen by you.

Sharing usually follows from listening. Sharing is another way of expressing our empathy. Sharing is our way of recognizing and reciprocating what we’ve received from the other person. Since they were willing to be vulnerable with us, we also show our willingness to be vulnerable with them. You throw the ball back.

When you share, you are not offering solutions to what the other person shared. Too often we try to fix people’s problems. We think that’s what they need. What they really need is for you to listen and be there. Even when they want you to give them solutions.

When you share, you are sharing about yourself. In your sharing, you are letting them know that they are not alone in their struggles. You are showing them that you are broken and imperfect, just as they are. In doing so, you become more honest with yourself too.

This is why our listening and sharing ends with praying. We do this on Sundays after worship. But I feel like we often get into a habit of it, without thinking about why we do it. To me, praying is the ultimate expression of our care for the other person. It is a way of saying neither of us has all the answers. It is a way of asking God to do what we can’t do ourselves. It is a way of putting our trust in God.

Praying, like listening, seems like nothing. It seems impractical and counter-intuitive. But it is the most powerful thing we can experience. It is also the most effective. James said that about prayer.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:13-16

Prayer is the most precious gift that God has given to us. It doesn’t cost us any money. Some of you are here for the first time. You don’t need to know how to pray. Prayer is not a technique. Prayer is simply lifting up what’s on our heart, or what’s on the other person’s heart. What God hears is not so much our words, but our heart that is behind our words. We just need to be simple and sincere.

Community of empathy is built on love. Love that God has shown us through Jesus Christ. Empathetic community is a community that asks, listens and shares, and prays together. Let us spend our last night together asking, listening & sharing and praying with one another.

Find someone from your group. Get into pairs. Find a spot and sit together. I invite you to share with your partner:

• What are you going through?
• What has been most difficult for you personally this past year?

While your partner is sharing, listen. Give your complete attention to them. Ignore whatever is happening around you. Let your partner be the most important thing to you. When your partner finishes sharing, you can begin sharing. Affirm and thank them for what they have shared. Reciprocate how open they’ve been with you. It is okay to be vulnerable. You are in a safe space. Based on what you have shared, pray for each other. Lift each other up to God. Lift up your prayer in faith. When you’re done, find someone else from your group. If you see them waiting, approach them first.