Pregnant with an Idea

The Bible is full of imagery of woman's anatomy including conception and pregnancy. Towards the end of the Bible, we have Revelation 12 that depicts a woman fully pregnant ready to give birth to a male child. As men, we can only understand it indirectly since men can't get pregnant literally (except in one or two odd cases in history). But men and women can be pregnant with ideas that are birthed much later. It's like writing a book. Even before one word is written, the idea of a book could have been in mind and heart of the person. When I wrote my Galatians' commentary, it was like being pregnant for a full-term of nine months because that was how long it took me to write a book of 170 pages.

It's by no means a big or thick book, but the six short chapters of Paul's letter to the Galatians contain many interpretive cruxes. There are some passages and verses that require much effort to unpack and comment upon. I don't know when I will write another book. I do not go about wishing that I will write another one. It is one of the most taxing ministry that one can be engaged in. Nevertheless, I am glad that I managed to get two Malay books out and two English books as well. Wherever I go, there is a huge demand. I sold almost 30 books during my last outing in Kinabalu. Even when I got back to KK, I received two more orders for the concise commentary on the Song of Songs. I may seek an international publisher for that in order that a wider international audience can get access to it. Then, there is the book of Revelation. Time is getting nearer. It may be time to write a book on Revelation in both English and Malay to get the Church ready for the Lord's coming.