Chinatowns in Adelaide and Canberra

Chinatown, Adelaide

Chinatown, Canberra

Having just returned from Adelaide and Canberra, both in Australia, I was awe-struck by the far reaching tenacity of the Chinese people for survival. In all my travels, it is interesting to note that there do exist many Chinatowns in most major cities, but a vastly lack of Indiantowns, or Malaytowns, or other “ethnic-towns”. Maybe, it is the intrepid spirit of migrants coming from several thousand years of the Chinese Diaspora that has caused the establishment of the Chinatowns.

On this trip, I took it upon myself to interact with some of the Chinese residents in Adelaide and Canberra, and found them to possess the same laudable hard-working qualities, as compared with the other original settlers. For example, it is unheard of that the Aussies would keep their shops opened after 6pm, but the Chinese shopkeepers seem to come alive after dark! The territorial borders of these Chinatowns seems to create such a citadel of the Chinese habits and cultures, regardless of whether they are good or bad.

On one hand, it was heart-warming to hear familiar languages such as Cantonese and Mandarin clattering away, and the clanging of chopsticks and soup bowls in a foreign land. On the other, it was unwelcoming to sight the all too familiar kitchen gods, and other little gods (known to be protector and consecrator of their premises), standing staunchly or rather sitting immovable near the doorway.

I would hope to see in the near future of the purposeful migration of Chinese, not so much from the economic lean, but from the necessity-of-preaching-the-gospel perspective, permeating from the love of God abroad our hearts. It had been found that the hearts of Chinese people would be more open to a logical salvation message spiced by the anointing of the Holy Spirit when they are in strange surroundings. Surely, it is about time for Chinese in Chinatowns to leave the old practice of ancestor worship behind: back to their ancestors, and to embrace a new life, an abundant life, a purposeful life and a fulfilled life albeit in a new land.

Technorati Tags: Chinatown,Adelaide,Canberra,ancestor worship

Filial Piety vs Honour

Ps Ivan gave an excellent teaching concerning the difference between “Filial piety” towards our ancestors and parents and “Honouring” them.

Why didn’t God tell His people to have Filial Piety towards their ancestors?

Why did God insist that His people must Honour their parents, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament?

Do you know that the 5th Commandment in the “Ten Commandments” given to Moses is the only commandment listed in its entirety for those under the Old Covenant (or Testament) as well as under the New Covenant (or Testament).

This 5th Commandment is to “Honour your father and mother”.

Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Deu 5:16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Mat 15:4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

Ivan went into the Chinese character of the root word for “filial piety” as “to obey the parent in everything!” even though the desire of the parent may be bad or wrong! You wouldn’t want to do that if your parent is morally wrong and his actions would be detrimental to you.

On the other hand, the Chinese character of the root word for “honour” is to “show utmost respect and to esteem them highly”

This is what we want to show to our parents and ancestors – to esteem them with great respect when they are alive and to remember and speak of their good deeds when they have died. This is true honour.

Let’s forsake ancestor worship and truly honour them as instructed by the Word.

Technorati Tags: ancestor worship,filial piety,honour

Western museums with Chinese artifacts

Western museums have always been keen to acquire Chinese historical art.

In the quest for displaying Chinese art such as bronze ware, the practices of ancient Chinese ancestor worship are retold. Many of these bronzes were used as decorative or ceremonial purposes and they are from China's early history.

In one of the museums in Paris, the Cernuschi museum, they acquired an extensive bronze collection from China. Among them is an enormous basin which is the largest of its kind outside China. This together with other vases from the Shang dynasty were used for ancestor worship in the early years.

Do ancestors hold us back?

These questions will make you think a little bit more about ancestor worship:

Do ancestors hold us back?

Should we continue to worship the memory of our forefathers or is it an expensive waste of time?

Devotion to ancestors is widespread across the country where many people consult spiritual mediums as a way of seeking advice from those that have died.

Even religious leaders in China are alarmed by the rise in ancestor worship and claim it has no place in today's economically advanced and modernistic society.

How much do ancestors influence your life?

Does their memory inspire or scare you?

Do you have ancestral duties yourself?

Are your antecedents holding you back? Or giving you spiritual guidance?

Why do you worship your ancestors?

Honor or Worship

Nobody can deny that to honor our ancestors is the right thing to do.
We would not be alive in this world today if not for our parents, grand parents, great grandparents, great great grandparents, and great...great...etc.

It was in the purpose of God that we came from this lineage just as Jesus' lineage was specified in the Bible for all generations to observe - and all Bible scholars to study.

Lest I be accused of dishonoring my ancestors, there is a stark difference between honoring them while they are alive and worshiping them when they are dead.

I believe, that the current practice of ancestor worship in many countries is worship and that is wrong. Worship is only to be accorded to God and no one else. All other forms of worship is idolatry and especially worship to a created being - man.

Let's decide to honor them, respect them - and not worship them.