2022.02.12/13
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Collins Kung

 Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Beijing Winter Olympics finally opened on last Friday, the 4th day of the Chinese New Year. China announced that it is a simple opening ceremony this time, the size and the time is greatly reduced, compared to the opening ceremony of 2008 Summer Olympics. The four great inventions of China were introduced in 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, and the 24 Solar Terms of the Chinese Calendar was introduced this time.

According to Wikipedia, the Chinese calculated the Solar Terms based on the movement of the earth around the sun, resulting in annual seasonal weather changes, and serving as a time-frame for agricultural activities. In 2016, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included the 24 Solar Terms in the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

As a Chinese city dweller, I certainly don’t know the 24 Solar Terms very well. It turns out that the names of the 24 Solar Terms reflect the changes in seasons and its weather. They consist of Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter and Winter Solstice. They are called the Eight Bits, and are the key nodes that distinguish the impact of revolution on the earth. The Solar Terms were further divided into sixteen categories: Rain Water, Awakening of Insects, Pure Brightness, Grain Rain, Grain Buds, Grain in Ear, Minor Heat, Major heat, End of Heat, White Dew, Cold Dew, Frost’s Descent, Minor Snow, Major Snow, which reflect the more subtle climate changes in the four seasons.

It is indeed the grace of God that allows us to observe this natural phenomenon from His creation. This is God’s revelation to enable us to properly manage what He has created.

  • Genesis 1:14-19: God said: Let there be lights to divide day and night, for signs and seasons, for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. And it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Although man sinned and rebelled against God, God saved human through Noah and made a covenant with man. The following are His promises to man in the Noahic covenant:

  • Genesis 8:20-22: Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

When we look at the heaven and earth and all things created by God, we have a sense of eternity and we long for living forever:

  • Ecclesiastes 3:11: God has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Man must know God in order to be in His eternal embrace.  Because of this, God sent his only begotten Son into the world as a man, so that man can be saved by believing in Him.

  • Hebrews 1:3: He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Brothers and sisters, while we learn the 24 Solar Terms, we should acknowledge our God who is the creator and redemptor behind the scene, and understand that He cares for us.

  • Psalm 8:3-4: When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Your servant in Christ
Rev. Collins Kung