The Good Things I Saw Samuel Lee Do
A monster? If someone had never met Samuel Lee and all they knew about him they read on the Internet, then he is an egotistical megalomaniac and a cruel, heartless, manipulative, abusive monster who has no redeeming factor or Christian virtues whatsoever.
A machtmensh? Whenever I state anything complimentary about Lee, it is questioned and interpreted in the worst possible light. He is manipulative. He is a power monger (a “machtmensch”). His motive and intent was to enslave you to him and to UBF. Etc. There are elements of truth to this. Continue reading →
A Tribute to Nelson Mandela
Yesterday we lost a true visionary, leader and friend of humanity. Nelson Mandela was a man who spent much time in jail, and yet changed the world, especially the world around him. His life is a tremendous inspiration to me. So I would like to share some of his inspiring words.
Samuel Lee Was Not Overbearing
Samuel Lee was Meek (and Authoritarian). Those who read this blog know I have a very positive sentiment toward Samuel Lee, our UBF founder. I freely acknowledge that Lee was authoritarian. (This still offends some who insist that UBF people should never critique their leaders, which is perhaps an Asian ideal.) But Lee was not overbearing in his personal interaction with me, even though he was authoritarian. He spoke to me about intimate details of his own life. When he rebuked me, it was often gentle and laced with appropriate humor that had me smiling while knowing I was being reprimanded. Whenever he sensed I wanted something (which I often did not vocalize), he would do his best to comply with my wishes even when he disagreed with me. I always felt that Lee knew my heart, both the good and the bad. Because of many such memorable expressions of meekness extended toward me over the 2 decades that I knew him, I freely acknowledge that Lee was clearly an anointed man of God who loved me as my spiritual father, and who inspired many among Koreans and natives in many nations to live for Christ and for his kingdom, including myself to this very day.
Continue reading →
The Gospel and Linsanity
Is there any gospel in Linsanity? Yes!
Linsanity happened because a most unlikely person literally came out of nowhere to become the “savior” for a Knicks team that was rapidly going down the gutter. Linsanity gave such an uplifting hope to Knick’s fans and to countless Asian and non-Asian sports fans through out the world (except Floyd Mayweather).
Is this not what the gospel is and does?
UnbeLin-vable!
I never thought I could be a fan of a New York sports team. Sorry, New Yorkers! Nothing personal. But Linsanity changed me. As we might say, I was “cooked,” and I now have a man crush! May God give Jeremy grace to point to the beauty of Christ.
This is what Yao Ming says of Jeremy Lin: “What I see from Jeremy and what I hear in his interviews is he appreciates everything. He pursues his dream. His attitude is so peaceful, but there is strength to him. It is not a violent strength like fire or something aggressive. It is like the ocean, very peaceful, very quiet when you look at it. But you can never underestimate the power that is in there.” I never realized Yao Ming is so poetic. I am beginning to love my fellow countrymen more!
Love Gone Bad: Demi Moore's Sad Downward Spiral
I’m really not lovable. A top recent celebrity news is that Demi Moore was hospitalized for inhaling laughing gas on Jan 23. Reports of her being depressed, not eating, losing weight, began surfacing since she announced her intention to divorce her husband Asthon Kutcher because of his infidelity after 6 years of marriage. She is 49. He is 34. After their separation she said, “What scares me is that I’m going to ultimately find out at the end of my life that I’m really not lovable, that I’m not worthy of being loved. That there’s something fundamentally wrong with me.” What sad words! She echoes correctly that man is sinful (Rom 3:10-12,23). But she does not know of a love that is greater than all our sins. Continue reading →
Joe Paterno’s One Mistake: Should it Define His Life and Legacy?
Should one mistake define your life and legacy?
Greatness and Shame. Joe Paterno (1926-2012) died yesterday. No one can take away his greatness as a head football coach of Penn State for 46 years. No one is likely to ever surpass what he achieved at one university. Yet, 2 months before he died, he was “dishonorably” fired, because of an ongoing sex scandal involving one of his assistant coaches who is presently being investigated for sexually abusing at least 8 boys over 15 years. As a result, Paterno’s name will be forever associated not just with “great coach,” but also with “being fired” and “sex scandal.” As a result, though Paterno died of lung cancer, some say that he died of a broken heart. In Paterno’s own words, he acknowledged that with hindsight he did not do enough.
Tim Tebow and Paul's Sport's Imagery
Let me first explain to those who are not living in the U.S. and who are not fans of the NFL (National Football League), because you may not know who Tim Tebow is. Tebow is one of the biggest stories in the NFL at present, especially after a spectacular overtime win against the highly favored Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday. This game has been called one of the most remarkable performances by an athlete and one of the most remarkable finishes to any game in sports history.
To those who have not heard of him, Tebow is the quaterback of the Denver Broncos, and he is perhaps the most well known Christian in the U.S. today because he always professes his faith publicly whenever he scores a touchdown and whenever he speaks. (At the time of this writing he has over 800,000 followers on Twitter and over 1.3 million subscribers on Facebook.) After a score, he would bow on one knee in prayer, which has been nick-named “Tebowing.” After every game, whenever he is interviewed he always says, “First I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” Continue reading →
Why Samuel Lee Was Deified and Demonized
Many readers of this blog may not have personally known Samuel Lee. Lee was a loving husband, a good father, and the cofounder of UBF. He went to be with the Lord in 2002. He left a great legacy. God did momentous things through his life, amounting to what I think would qualify as a decades-long spiritual revival.
Interestingly — and perhaps not surprisingly — Lee was virtually deified by those who loved him and demonized by those who did not. In this short essay, I will try to explain why Lee was so loved and hated by sharing the story of how he personally influenced my life.
Last 30 Comments