Moving On

First time in eight years I am going for a holidays, though I am still preaching on Sunday. The divine necessity that I preach whether it is holiday or not is upon me as it a holy calling. More than two years ago, some of my school mates and I talked about organising a reunion. In fact, it was supposed to be last year in June 2023, but postponed to today a year later. I am in the airport with my wife and we shall be flying shortly to Sandakan. Then it will be three days' reunion meetings, mostly lunches and dinners.

But we will also go for the Sandakan heritage walk and visit our former School. I brought a copy of Departure Points to donate to the School library and also one copy to our former principal who is now probably in his early 80s but he is still healthy. Besides that, I hope to sell a couple of books in the church on Sunday. 

But in my mind in the past few days is that I should move on. I may clear out of the apartment in a week's time though I have until the end of the month. The more I linger the more I feel I am living in the past. Imagine that I could write almost 100 pages in three weeks after the lectures cease. If I am still employed I have to think about preparing for my lectures early July but now that I am freed from it all, I can truly focus on my writing. 

I feel a divine leading to write, not that my books are best sellers, only John's Gospel commentary had sold 900 copies. When I did a stock check two days ago, I realised that I sold half of the "Tuhan Tritunggal" (with only 250 copies left). Galatians' commentary is also selling, though a bit slower compared to the collection of essays. I realised many church members like the format of essays because they do not have to read the whole book, just one essay after another. A long time church member last Sunday told me how he was blessed with my books. As the music was loud I could not hear him clearly which books he was referring to.

Sometimes I realise that I am serving ordinary people as Scripture says, "the common people heard Him (Jesus) gladly but the religious leaders gnash their teeth". I am "pastor akar umbi" which means pastor of the grass roots. They may have their religious titles but my title is worth more than all those man-made inventions as it is earned and now the whole world reads it except those in Sabah, fulfilling the Scripture that "no prophet is without honour except in his own country"