Home Beyond The Sun

I watched this movie tonite with a (unfortunately small) group of church friends. This movie's basically about a little Chinese girl's journey to becoming a part of an American family, which is "beyond the sun" (i.e. to the east- America is to the east of China). Which reminds me- remember Mahathir's policy of Look East, which basically involves M'sians emulating cultures to the east of Malaysia (like Japan)? Well, USA is to the east of Malaysia, yet I doubt Dr M. wanted M'sians to emulate them.
Anyway, here's a synopsis taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Beyond_the_Sun:

Home Beyond the Sun is the story of persecution, faith, and freedom escaping a world of fear. A bible college student, Jenna goes to teach in an area of China where her faith is forbidden. She discovers an orphanage and befriends a Chinese orphan, Chu Lee. Jenna helps with the adoption to a family in the United States. However, the Chinese Police are strictly preventing this when they find out that they are Christians.

But don't make conclusions based on the synopsis, cause it's inaccurate. A more accurate synopsis would be like below:

Home Beyond the Sun is the story of love (the brotherly kind) triumphing over religious persecution and bureaucratic corruption. A bible college student, Jenna goes to teach in an area of China where her faith is forbidden (Sound like she went there to proselytize her Christian faith right? Wrong). She discovers an orphanage and befriends a Chinese orphan, Chu Lee (More than befriend if you ask me. More like sisterize if there's such a word). Jenna helps with the girl's adoption to a family in the United States. This is where the religious prosecution and bureaucratic corruption comes in: the manager of the orphanage was removed for teaching her wards the Christian faith, and a much-more-strict manageress was put in charge. But Jenna managed to get Chu Lee to US of A through the intervention of a certain officer- and there discovers a truth that will rock her world.

Home Beyond The Sun is basically a story of faith in God's will. And also of the power of prayer. The story's a bit cheesy (your classic chick flick minus romantic love), but what can you expect of a movie where the majority of the characters are female? At least they didn't portray all the men as bad, bad people and all the women as goody-goodies.

Today's Readings

Ah some more readings for Thu 8th of Nov:

Luke 15: 1-10 (The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin)
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable: “Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it? Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

Romans 14: 7-12
For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living. But you who eat vegetables only – why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything – why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Today's Readings

Here's more of the readings for today Wed 7 Nov:

Luke 14: 25-33
Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. They will say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.

Romans 13: 8-10
Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.