Abundant Grace

Wilson with Vice-president (Research) Wong Fook-kong and classmate Samuel Yip

　　In these past two years of full-time theological education, I have received an abundance of grace, and I would like to share some of the insights I have gained.

Grace: Knowing God and Salvation History

　　How can I experience God if I do not know Him? How can I speak of a God I have not experienced? If I do not know God, how can I live a life in Christ, even if I belong to Him and have become a minister? Therefore, during this period of study, every time I delved deeper and gained a more comprehensive understanding of the mystery of the triune God, the joy and satisfaction I received could not be fully expressed in words. It was a feeling that penetrated deep into my heart and was manifested in my life.

　　This Master of Divinity program has been God’s grace to me. I was particularly thankful for being taught by Prof. Andres Tang on Colin E. Gunton’s The Christian Faith, which allowed me to grasp a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the salvation history confessed by Christians regarding the triune God. As I discovered God’s intention in creating the world and understood how sin hinders the fulfillment of God’s intentions, I gained a deeper understanding of why God calls us to become a holy community distinct from the world. Learning theology should not remain at the level of intellectual excitement; it should lead to the transformation of life and a deeper whole-person connection with God.

Grace: No Longer Alone, Entering the Community

　　Over the years, during the early stages of my studies, I tended to live, attend classes, and learn on my own. I found dealing with people to be quite bothersome, as there were too many self-centered opinions and it was challenging to serve others. Due to various negative experiences with communities, I chose to learn and serve on my own. However, I knew in my heart that this was not a healthy state for a servant of God who is called to be part of a community. Despite this, I was still reluctant to change.

　　Upon returning to the seminary, I naturally encountered a group of classmates who were called by God, each with their own reasons (“because God …”) for entering theological education. These innocent classmates made me reflect on my past and consider the experiences that had made me less pure-hearted. I hoped to move beyond my isolated state and return to the Christian community so that I might overcome the failures and weaknesses of my past.

　　I am grateful for God’s grace, which allowed me to encounter this community and motivated me to join it. In fact, this community was not a different one; it was the same community as before. However, through the transformation of the Holy Spirit, I no longer participated with a disposition of contempt. Every life I encountered at the seminary has contributed to this transformation, and I cannot help but give all the glory to the triune God.

Grace: Seeing and Being Seen

　　The seminary is not a place without problems. As the saying goes, “Where there are people, there will be issues,” and when people gather, there will naturally be interpersonal issues. But amidst a sea of relational issues, what do we see? Thanks to God’s grace, the various people and experiences I encountered over these two years have allowed me to gain a deep understanding of what we call “issues.” It is not always easy to determine who is right and who is wrong, but we can choose our focus: whether to focus on people or focus on issues. As for me, I have learned from Jesus to focus on people. “Every person should be seen, and no one should be ignored for the sake of resolving issues. This is the orientation that the Christian community should choose.” This is a summary of my learning in the past two years at the seminary.

　　Now, sharing the grace of God as a chaplain in a hospital, I see people’s needs and various needs in interpersonal issues all the time. God has allowed me to go through these two years of learning in which I have gained a more comprehensive understanding of salvation history. I have also discovered the meaning of community. May all these experiences help me see what God sees here and now—people whom He redeemed at a great price.