Never Hoot Alone

So you’re going to meet someone for lunch.  An old friend.  A new friend.  A business deal. Whatever.

You arrive at the table and your lunch date is already seated. Perfect. It’s your turn to sit down. But where to sit? Answer: Sit on an adjacent side. Never sit across the table from the other person (unless you’re at a booth or have no other choice).

Why? Sitting directly across from someone can turn conversation into confrontation. Explanation into opposition. But sitting on a diagonal from friend or foe gives both of you a common focal point (and prevents awkward eye contact games) and puts both parties in body-posture ease.

And if you arrive first? Move to an adjacent seat after your friend sits down (if they haven’t read this post, that is).

Stale old views

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

[Taken from the ESV]

Today is my first day as the Pastoral Resident for Neighborhood Outreach for the Downtown Campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. I’m excited.

I do not wish for them not to speak Chinese.
I love my own ability to speak Chinese.
I love the Chinese people, and the American Chinese diaspora.
And I love my children.

I love them so much that I want to talk with them. I want to talk with them in a language that is not a barrier to our communication. And I want to connect with them on a deep level.

I speak Chinese with my parents. And although they can speak English, it is very unnatural for me to speak English with them. Never in my life have I been able to communicate clearly with my parents. Yes, I can tell them simple things like what I’m up to and how their grand kids are doing. But to reach them on a heart level is very difficult.

It was not until college that I learned certain words in Chinese. Words like science, history, basic, such as, government, or even though. Just trying to explain to my mom tonight that we had installed a patio took a long time. All I could say was that we put in a big piece of cement. My heart aches over this and even now I weep for the chasm between us. What else can I not say to my own parents?

So to Ma and Ba, I’m sorry that you will not be able to speak your own  language to your beloved grand kids.  To Christian, Juliana, and any other kids that the Lord may give us – I’m sorry that you will have even less ability than me to talk with Yeh Yeh and Nai Nai. I’m sorry that you will not understand me when I talk on the phone with them. I’m sorry that you will have been so close to this beautiful language, yet have missed out on it entirely. It was because I loved you and wanted to share my heart with you that I have not taught you Chinese.

I’ve always thought that schmooze sounded funny until Pastor Sam mistakenly said smooze. Suddenly, schmooze sounded perfectly normal.

Trent Burns, of the world famous Trenternet (Where the Internet Goes for Answers), solved my riddle.

RIDDLE
Idea: Famous hero of midwest insisting something is wilder.

ANSWER 
The phrase above is an anagram of John Piper’s quote, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

Thanks for playing!

If you already know the answer, please don’t spoil it for everyone else.  Here’s the riddle:

Idea: Famous hero of midwest insisting something is wilder.

(Yes, there’s really an answer. No, it’s not Laura Ingalls Wilder.)