From the Desk of Pastor Kim

by Peter Kim

Quicker, Deeper Relationships

Every year our church sees people come and go. It can be such a blessing to meet so many people and to be blessed by so many, but it can also be a difficult thing to see friends leave and then have to make new friends again, especially for those of us who have stuck around in Taiwan for a longer period of time.

Becoming friends is hard work because friendship requires time and a building up trust, right? I mean, why would anyone want to share some deeper thoughts or secrets with someone who is a stranger? This is a logical way of thinking for most people around the world. And the difficulty of making friends becomes even more difficult when a person has been hurt in the past. So, what does this mean for our church? Perhaps it means that our church is doomed to be filled mainly with strangers, and all those commands about loving one another and really caring for each other are noble but unrealistic.

But is this correct? Should we expect church to be a place of people who are strangers, whom we call brothers and sisters in Christ, yet with whom we have only superficial relationships? I disagree! In fact, I think that there can and must be a genuine care and concern for others who are believers—and this can happen even when we have only just met someone for the first time. How? Only through the gospel.

When I reflect on the gospel and think about how Jesus took the initiative to reach out to me, even though He knew humankind would reject and betray Him, it fills me with the courage to trust God and take initiative in reaching out to others. It allows me to be open and vulnerable, not fearing how someone may betray my trust. It allows me to take risks and try again when things do not go smoothly. And when we begin doing this with one another, it will automatically turn into wanting to make friends and sharing Jesus' love with those outside the church as well as inside.

Here are two websites that can help us get started with creating new relationships:

https://socialpronow.com/blog/worlds-fastest-way-to-become-friends/ (Non-Christian article that helps us understand that becoming friends does not necessarily require a lot of time.)

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/dont-overcomplicate-evangelism/ (Christian article talking about evangelism and causing us to think about who I can reach out to for sharing God's love.)

5 Questions with...Elisabeth Kathryn

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian?  I first came to Taiwan to take master studies at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. Finding the right church was one of my first concerns, until my senior introduced me to FPC. I thank God for letting me find this warm church, stay, become a member, and join the student ministry and the music team.

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday?  Since I have finished my studies, I am now working as an architect in a facade consultant in Taipei. To balance my working life, I usually do various things at night like learning Chinese, joining a guzheng club (the guzheng is a traditional Chinese musical instrument, like a zither), joining a Bible study, or just hanging out with friends. During the weekend, I prefer to go around the city, enjoying the scenery of nature or architecture.

3. What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?  Well, coming to Taiwan was not actually my first option. I tried to look for other scholarship opportunities in other countries and dreamed of being out of Asia for my first time. But Taiwan was the one who offered me a full scholarship with a monthly stipend. At first, it was not easy to set aside all of those dreams. But I have never regretted my decision to come to Taiwan. It is the best life experience I have had and I thank God for everything, even letting me work here after graduation. I believe that everything that happens in my life is all in God's awesome and unpredictable plan. We just need to trust Him! 

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today?  I think the biggest challenge is to actively declare the truth to our surroundings, make them know that we are Christian and, even further, make them interested in Christianity. Sometimes we are so busy to mingle and trying to be accepted by society that we forget to talk about the gospel. Being different, going against the stream, and speaking out the truth while still being friends and showing love to people are really challenging. One key to overcoming those challenges is to maintain strong relationships with God and other believers.

5. What is one of your favorite books of the Bible?  Not easy for me to answer this, but perhaps Psalms and Proverbs. Those books provide Bible verses that suit almost all kinds of moods (happy, worried, angry, anxious, etc.), so I can refer to these books in any kind of life phase. I also like how the books are beautifully written in such a poetic way.

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