February | 2014 | existence and faith

From February 2nd through February 14th I was invited to teach the third year students at Hill Light Seminary. This was my first visit to Hill Light, a Karen Seminary, about 25 kilometers South of Mae Sot Thailand along the Burmese border. The school was recently established five years ago in the wake of the Karen diaspora. The school serves around 80 Karen Baptist Students from ages 18 to 24 all Myanmar refugees. By request I was asked to teach an ethics course based on my new book. What follows is a photo essay documenting my experiences at Hill Light.

1. These first two photos are from the Burmese Market a large open market dominated by Burmese immigrants, legal as well as undocumented, who have crossed the border into Thailand. Every morning almost before the roasters crow it is a teeming chaotic throng. My Bus to Hill Light Seminary left from this location.

2. The photo below is another shot at the Burmese market – the blue pick up with the cap is a bus, my bus which took me to a place called Ban Mae Kon Ken and from there I took a motor cycle taxi to the camp. Total Cost – 30 Baht per ride ($1.80)

3. This next shot I took from my bus in route to the seminary as we were leaving the Burmese Market. It was about 6:30 AM and these young monks in training were out for to give the local Mae Sot citizens an opportunity to acquire some fresh merits by supplying them food stuffs – mainly rice. The big fellow, not yet fully groomed and cultured in the soulful monk decorum sported a wide gleeful smile for me.

On an earlier occasion walking on an empty stretch of road I passed two young monk candidates about 9 and 11 years of age. As I passed my phone rang but I had set the ring to a frog tone which in the early morning air sounded true to life. The eleven year old remained expressionless and didn’t blink but the nine-year was over come with amusement and burst out laughing.

4. The next picture was taken at the general assembly which meets every Wednesday morning at 8 AM. In the early morning it is still cool this time of year in Northern, Thailand so many students come bundled up. I am speaking on a New Testament passage which the director requested. These are all 18 to 24-year-old Karen students from Burma who have come across into Northern Thailand seeking sanctuary from in the Myanmar military who invaded their villages killing, abusing and plundering. Myanmar is changing and hopes are high that a return from exile will soon come.

5. I was asked to preach at the Wednesday morning General Assembly on Colossians 1:15-23. Colossians is about fullness – “pleroma.” Holding a cup with water I opted to introduce the point by asking the proverbial question “is the cup half empty or half full?” After sorting out how many pessimist and optimists I was preaching to I proceeded to make my point. The Colossians were being suckered into a religion in which they were told that they could realize pleroma i.e. “fullness” here and now. But in this letter Paul’s testimony can be heard. Christ was indeed filled with all the fullness of God (2:10) but here and now we, on the other hand, suffer much emptiness and only enjoy a small measure of this fulness of the Spirit and life (just a taste of this promised fullness of Hebrews 6:5, Ephesians 1:12 & 13). By faith and hope in and through the Christ we are regarded as full (1:27 & 28)but when the fullness of time comes we will indeed enjoy this fullness in reality full and over flowing.

Now we suffer faith and hope – faith connects to unseen things as they exist by promise and by the word of the Gospel that declares the existence of unseen and even things not felt and experienced directly to be so. And hope lives with a measure of emptiness and suffering with courage waiting for this pleroma. We like the Colossians are tempted to break the tensions inherent in faith and hope and sucker after pseudo fulfillment, spiritual and secular.

6. Here is a shot of my class of third year students. The actual campus is really very beautiful, sitting on a hill-top overlooking a fertile valley. The campus is situated inside an old Karen Thai village called Kway Nam Ku. The building housing this class room, one of seven rooms, was donated by Korean Christians who retain the title and a degree of control over its use.Note the young lady in the front. Before her lies a copy of my book – a gift to each one who came to class and did the assignments. Fifteen students received books (I am in search of donors to back the cost at the discounted student price of $15, please email me if interested).

Third Year Karen Students at Hill Light Seminary

7. Below is a photo of my class and I on the last day of the seminar along with some of the feedback I received from the students on the lectures .

“I like this book very much because it provides many examples to understand. Jesus also used examples in His teaching.We don’t fully understand God and His ways, sometimes not even a little. But this book opened my eyes to walk by faith and not by sight (blindness is not a big deal).” Thit Sae

“I learned so many things from these lectures. Two weeks are too short of a time but we received an advantage from this time….This was strong spiritual food. It encouraged us to deal in God. It also encouraged us to steady our faith… Today we face many challenges and we know we can overcome these when we walk by faith not by sight…” Hsa Klay

“In this class I learned about faith and sight, faith and sight you explained very well and I understand more. I like this class so much because you tell us the teaching using short stories and then I read the chapter in your book which follows the lecture. I want to say thank you that you came and taught our class may the grace of the Lord be with you… the blessing of the Lord over flow you.” Naw Moo Christ

existence and faith

Monthly Archives: February 2014

Photo Essay: Dr. Dan’s Teaching Visit to Hill Light Seminary