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December, 1992 The Lord of the
Household
The Chinese Bible translates "The Lord" as la Ho Hua, three Chinese characters which seemed to have been chosen for their proximity to the vocalization of the English word, Jehovah or Yahweh, a Hebrew name for God (from the verb, "to be": i.e., YHWH, the tetragrammaton, vocalized into Yahweh, meaning simply, "I am who I am," the very name by which God revealed Himself to Moses [Ex. 3:14]). The reason for this choice of the three characters, la Ho Hua, however, goes beyond their closeness to the English sound for the name of God. Truly, the Holy Spirit was with the translators as they struggled to transform the words of God into the complex Chinese language. By the brilliant selection of these three specific Chinese characters, God has once more revealed another great side of His persona, but one which has a very special meaning to the Chinese: as if by this very translation, the Almighty God took on a Chinese name, and accordingly, even a Chinese face a truly God-inspired translation. I will elaborate. The character la basically means parent, or is related to the Chinese group of words for ancestors or forebears. In northern China, la is used to mean father. The Chinese word for paternal grandfather is also derived from this basic character. It is important also to note that the Chinese translation for Jesus is la So, with the first character being the same as this la for Yahweh. This character becomes more significant if one realizes that to the Chinese, there is a strong moral imperative to respect one's elders (specifically, the patriarch of the household). By extension, the centrality of the family is the necessary condition for this filial respect. Professor Frederick Mote in his book, Intellectual Foundations of China, said it well: "..filial responsibility had priority over loyalty to ruler and state..." (p.26). To give God this attribute of a patriarch, to be honoured and revered, thus strikes at the very heart of the Chinese ethical tradition. Confucius, the most influential intellectual of China, for example, specified several requirements for what he termed the "superior man," filial submission being a prime requisite. The character Ho is used commonly in one of two ways: one, to mean harmony, accord or peace; and the other, to mean "and," a connective. To the Chinese, whose history is replete with violent, constant upheaval ranging from changes in dynasties and emperors, natural disasters, turbulent political storms, his yearning for harmony cannot be understated. Philosophical books such as The Analects, The Doctrine of the Mean, and the Tao Te Ching (the concept of Tao was unique and very helpful to the ordinary Chinese in coping with their environment, since it gave them a world view that could sustain them through difficulties. It is unfortunate that revisionists converted this philosophy into a religion, and therefore, to a large extent, diminished its true utility) dealt with harmony and accordingly, peace - as a condition to success in this life. Lastly, the character Hua can have several meanings: it can mean bright (as in light, and in shining); it can mean beautiful (as in the name for a flower named with this character, and for a type of powder the ladies use to make themselves attractive); it can mean talented (as in artistic talents), and lastly - perhaps most importantly - it is the name the entire Chinese race is known by (i.e., all Chinese are really Hua's, the beautiful race?) Ia Ho Hua is thus a Father (Patriarch) of Peace (Harmony) and of the Chinese people (Hua) - what a wonderful, revealing, personal God! Effective evangelists in China have long realized that an approach in relating Jesus's personal love to the Chinese family most often meets with strong approval (i.e., the paradigm used was hierarchical, harmonious-seeking and racial). Now, you might ask: what's that got to do with Christmas? Very much. Just like all Christians around the world, Chinese believers celebrate Christmas in a joyful remembrance of the birth of the Son of God. This celebration is held in a family atmosphere, always accompanied by feasts and gifts again, no different from other believers around the world. What is unique is that the Chinese use the occasion to reaffirm family ties, to this age-old reverence for one's elders, and conversely, to have the elders convey their benevolence to the younger generation. For those who still have grandparents, the gathering place will always be at the paternal grandparents' residences. Although it is not uncommon for grandparents to give gifts (especially toys), most revert to giving out "red packets," money placed in little red envelopes ("red" signifying the elder's benediction towards the younger ones similar to "good luck" or "good wishes.") During the Christmas Eve dinner, the elders sometimes reminisce about the old times and talk about Chinese values, reminding the younger generation of their race. In their prayers and their talk with la Ho Hua, they ask for God's guidance for their household for the next year. (I therefore thought it necessary to explain what God signifies to my people before I talk about Christmas.) One more thing which I have observed during my visits to several of these gatherings is the way the elders inquire of the children. Most western stories would have the grandparents ask about whether the grandchildren have been "good" (i.e., whether they have been "naughty or nice," and maybe other allusions to the Santa Claus song). The Chinese grandparents have one other more important matter to ask of the younger generation.. Although "behaving well" is important, I find that they invariably ask how the children are doing in school, whether they have studied hard, what good grades they have achieved, and whether they have listened to their teachers. (Some friends have even indicated to me that the amount in the red packet is directly proportional to the grades they got at school.) This concern with education reflects one more Chinese characteristics - that the family can only progress when its members are educated. This is another Confucian legacy that has elevated the role of the scholar in social advancement. * Alfred C. Kwong, MBA CA is a deacon (chairman of the Christian Education department of the Fujian Evangelical Church in Richmond, B.C. He is the editor of their newsletter, Footprints. He likes to read up on Chinese culture and tradition as a hobby. |