I was listening to several people talking about their diets to lose weight. One of them was on low carb diet and was talking about reducing rice consumption. On hearing that one lady immediately say she cannot because she must have rice. After that she just went on saying that how she must have rice and not able to eat anything without it. The conversation ended there and the group dispersed to join others.

I pondered on the “I cannot not” response. There are many people who are not willing to even try anything with that one verse “I cannot not.” That sums up the entire conclusion on whatever proposal for that person. This is not the way that he wants to go. Perfectly fine, to each his choice.

Most people are entrenched in their way of life without questioning the validity of it. A person growing up in a privileged position will always think that they cannot do menial work. People who argue that our ancestors grew up with rice forgot that they grew up with unpolished rice. Those rice are full of nutrients and much less carbohydrates. The rice that we eat in Singapore, especially today, are polished rice that has nothing except carbohydrates. That would greatly raise the amount of sugar in our bodies. The reluctance to even take a relook at what the true nature of the issue is the main problem. Then we can never change for the better. The famous “we have always done it this way” is the way we stay stagnant and regress. One cannot progress with such thinking.

The church is dealing with many challenges that our forefathers do not need to deal with it urgently. They were not common to the point of being a threat. Furthermore, the society then may even be averse to the issue in question, for example LGBT. Those were not accepted in society and the church need only continue with business as usual, such as poverty or slavery. Today, those background issues directly threaten the orthodoxy of the gospel and the church. We must think and change by engaging in the scripture diligently. It must never be the whims and fancy of the majority of the church. Orthodoxy is difficult. We cannot change it to suit our convenience.

God bless,
In Christ’s service,

Barry Leong

我听着几个人在谈论关于他们的减肥饮食计划。其中一个采用减少低碳水化合物的食疗正在讲解减少白米饭的摄取。一个女士听到了后立刻说她“不可以”因为她一定要吃白米饭。她接续说到了她如何无白米饭不欢以及没有饭她无法吃任何东西。他们谈话就到此为止，然后他们就分散参加其他的组别。

我思考这一个“我不可以”的回应。有很多人甚至不愿意尝试任何与这一句“我不可以”有关的话。这就总结了对这一个人会对任何尝试提议的结论。这不是他要的方法。没问题，这是他的选择。

很多人在生活中从不对它的合理性产生任何的质疑。一个从小在优越的环境中成长的人认为自己无法做卑微的工作。人们辩护自己的祖宗是吃白米饭长大的却忘记了他们是吃糙米长大的。糙米是充满养分并低糖量。今天在新加坡所吃的净是除了含糖的白米。它们会大大提升我们身体里的糖分量。我们的主要问题是不愿意好好的看清楚什么是问题的真实性质。这样我们就无法变得更好。有一句名言如此说“我们一直以来这样做事。这是使我们停滞和倒退的方式。这样的思想使你无法前进。

教会正面对我们先贤先圣不用马上面对的许多迫切的挑战。当时它们并不常见也不致构成威胁的程度。再者，以前的社会甚至会对所讨论的如彩虹群体的问题产生厌恶。早期教会只需要继续一如既往的忙于自己的事务，例如贫困和奴隶制度。今天，这些社会问题直接危及了福音和教会的正统性。我们要殷勤的浸淫在神的话语里做出思考和改变。它绝对不可让教会大多数者的怪异想法和幻想所主宰。正统是艰辛的。我们不能为了自己的方便而随意做出改变。

上帝赐福
在基督服事的，

Barry Leong
（林忠彬翻译）