Author: Kevin

I am a follower of Jesus, husband, pastor, author, and caffeine addict. Please follow me on Facebook or Twitter. You may also want to consider subscribing to the RSS feed.

Extravagant Love

My wife and I are celebrating seven months of marriage today. The time is flying by and I’ve never been happier.

I ordered seven pink roses for her—one for each month of marriage. This carefully arranged bouquet is both beautiful and fragrant. The rosebuds have begun to open since my wife placed them in our vase. I’m reminded of how blessed I am each time I glance over at the colorful petals, now slowly coming into full bloom.

There’s one word I would not use to describe this “monthsary” gift: practical. Lovely as they are, these flowers will soon wilt away. We’ll have no choice but to throw them out with nothing tangible to show for the spent money

But I didn’t think twice about ordering this gift for my wife. Why? The smile on her face was worth it to me. I’ll only have one opportunity to experience my first year of marriage. I don’t want to look back at this year and have any regrets.

This small token of my love reminds me of a story we read in John’s Gospel a few days ago:

Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
-John 12:1-8

Mary’s gift wasn’t just impractical—it was extravagant. The perfume mentioned was probably imported from India and usually came in very small containers. Such a large jar would have been hard to find and extremely expensive. Judas correctly assessed the value and unwittingly gave us insights as to the depth of her love for Jesus.

Scholars debate the exact meaning of Jesus’ reference to his burial. But one thing seems clear to me: this gift was fitting for a Savior who would soon give his life at Calvary.

Extravagant love. We know Jesus deserves it, but how often to we really demonstrate it? Do we, like Mary, believe that nothing is too valuable pour on Jesus’ feet?

The Manila Grind

Have you ever received a message that lifted your spirits for the whole day? That happened to me a couple of weeks ago. A quick phone conversation put a smile on my face for several hours.

What was this mood-altering news? A local travel/immigration agency informed me they could pick up my I-card at the Bureau of Immigration. All I’d have to do is bring them the proper documents and they’d take care of the rest.

In other words, I was glad because I could avoid a trip to Manila.

I guess this wouldn’t be so strange if I was the typical expat living in Angeles City—most of them seem to have the same aversion to visiting the capital of the Philippines. But this expat (or foreigner, or missionary, or whatever you want to call me) considered Manila home not too long ago.

My first “apartment” (more of a dorm room) was located at Dalupan (formerly called Gastambide). This street, like many in the University Belt, was not designed to handle the hundreds of jeepneys that passed through every day. A line of these now familiar vehicles stretched at least halfway down its length during business hours. Hundreds (if not thousands) of students also walked this street on their way to or from their campus on a daily basis.  It was a challenging place to live, but it was great for student ministry.

I “upgraded” my living arrangements a few years later by moving to a condominium near SM City Manila. I filled it with second-hand furniture and appliances purchased from the mission agency that originally sent me here. This was the best of both worlds: I had a living space that felt like home—right in the middle of the University Belt area.

I hope these two paragraphs give you some sense of the fond memories I have for Manila.

Why do I now avoid the city I once embraced? What has changed?

I think the answer is spiritual in nature. God gives us the grace and strength to live joyfully in whatever circumstance or place He has called us to (see Philippians 4:11-13). I did feel called to live in Manila for that season of my life, and that made all the difference.  My mission has changed now, and I no longer feel drawn to the place where I invested nearly a decade of my life.

But I can’t overlook some of the practical reasons. Many of my return visits have reminded me of things I didn’t like about the city. My wife and I, for example, had the opportunity to do a seminar at Emilio Aguinaldo College back in July. The seminar was great—the students, faculty and venue all combined for a very enjoyable gig. But I can’t say the same for the return trip home. Heavy rains started flooding the streets around the time I started speaking.  It took over two hours just to get back out of the city. I could give other examples, but I think you get the point.

Why am I even writing this post? Last month I read an editorial article about the ugliness of Manila, written by Constantino C. Tejero. It was as personal as such an article can be for a foreigner. Most of the places he mentioned are within walking distance of the before-mentioned condo where I used to live–I saw many of these landmarks on a daily basis. It feels strange to see your old neighborhood called “ugly,” but I couldn’t argue with his assessment.

I’m thankful to live here in Angeles City, and I’m enjoying the Philippines as never before. My beautiful wife deserves most of the credit for this current state of bliss.  But less traffic, pollution, and crowds certainly don’t hurt.

Having said all this, I don’t regret the nine years I spent in Manila. Living there was part of an adventure that has permanently altered the course of my life. I think past and present residents of this city will understand how I feel. We are proud survivors of the Manila grind.