This Corner of the Earth

When I attended an international conference at Yonsei University 9 years ago I had coffee with a Harvard tenured Professor in theology and after he told me he had published four books to secure tenure I replied that I akso wrote just one book published by T & T Clark (2005). His eyes lit up in “disbelief” that in that corner of the earth called Sabah or North Borneo, someone actually published a book of any note and still constantly referred to in monographs commentaries and journal articles. Now I pastor a church of the lowly and B40 group of Malaysia of the native peoples of Sabah in a little corner of Kota Kinabalu. But God loves them ans He is no respecter of persons.

My elder was surprised that only one English church had invited me to preach in 30 years and I told him that the English churches don’t have much respect for local born pastors, especially those who serve with the natives. The other elder chimed in saying they did not want to listen to something more concrete that could challenge their belief system. How wise these lowly people God has called and He knows the proud from far. 

Sometimes I laugh at the quality of preaching in these so called professional or high powered churches. True if I were to speak it would create a storm as they would have never seen or heard anyone speak with such authority. Jesus spoke with authority and the common people heard Him gladly but the religious fraternity gnashed their teeth and bit their tongues.