The Colour of Forgiveness and Hope: CNY Message 2022
1. Why is “Red” so important at Chinese New Year?
After two years of pandemic, what a joy it is to be reunited with our loved ones again this Chinese New Year! For many of us, Chinese New Year is a time to relive rich memories of the past, celebrate the present, and hope for the future. In preparation for the festivities, we’re busy decorating our houses with red: red paper, red lanterns, red clothing, red firecrackers, and of course getting ready to hand our hong bao (red packets) full of money to our loved ones.
Why is the colour red so important to Chinese New Year? I’m told that according to Ancient Chinese legend, a mystical beast called “Nian” would visit and terrorise the villages on Chinese New Year’s Eve, devouring people and their children on Chinese New Year. The villagers tried to ward it off by offering food to the beast as a substitute, but that didn’t really work. Eventually, it was discovered that “Nian” was afraid of the colour red. So, every year the people would wear red clothes, hang red lanterns about their homes, and use loud firecrackers to frighten away the “Nian”, who never came to the villages again. [1]
The story of “Nian” is a mythical story. But the traditions of Chinese New Year are still rigorously observed by many in the hope of guaranteeing blessing, health, prosperity, and good luck. We wear new clothes and clean our houses in the hope of keeping away bad luck to ensure a better year ahead. But the truth is, these superstitions can’t in fact guarantee us happiness, wealth, or a long life. The pandemic has reminded us how fragile our life, happiness and wealth are. We’re all vulnerable to disaster, and we will all get sick and eventually die one day. Perhaps, part of the reason we follow these traditions so closely is because deep down, we’re afraid of death. Perhaps, religiously keeping these predictable traditions year after year makes us feel a little bit more “in control” of our lives. Until Chinese New Year is over, and we’re thrust back into the hardship of everyday life.
2. Where can lasting security and blessing be found?
Where then can lasting security and blessing be found? Deep down, perhaps we feel that if we live life our way, or at least in a way our ancestors would approve of, then we’ll be able enjoy the happiness and prosperity that we long for. But the Bible tells us that this is not the case. In seeking to control our own lives, we are in fact rejecting God’s rightful rule over us. We seek God’s blessings, but reject the Giver. Because of our sin, God is rightfully angry. We get sick and die because our relationship with God has been broken. Unless our relationship with God is restored, there is worse to come, when we face Jesus on the judgement day.
The Bible tells us that the key to finding lasting security and blessing is not in the “red” of our traditions, but in the “red” blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, he died in our place, taking upon himself the punishment we rightfully deserve for our sins. As a result, the Bible says, “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7). Jesus’ sacrifice means that God can now justly forgive our sins and restore our relationship with him. This is pictured beautifully in the final book of the Bible, where it says Christians have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). Every stain of our sin has been washed away. God considers us white and pure, as if we had never sinned.
The death of Jesus not only brings forgiveness of our sin, it also guarantees God’s eternal blessing in heaven. Revelation 7 goes on to describe the future for God’s forgiven people.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)
This is a marvellous picture of hope for us as we live in this world of suffering and pain. Those who trust in Christ can look forward to drinking from the “waters of life” (Revelation 22:1), so enjoying eternal life in a new creation, where sin, and sickness and death are no more (Revelation. 21:4). In heaven, we will enjoy God’s abundant blessing, and we’ll enjoy it forever. We won’t have to go through various rituals to ward off bad luck and secure blessings, because all of God’s rich blessings are secured through the blood Christ in full forever.
3. Remembering Christ at Chinese New Year
As you enjoy the festivities this Chinese New Year and see the “red” all around you, may it remind you not of the terrible mythical “Nian”, but of the good news that Christ shed his blood for your sake. As you celebrate this joyful season of reunion with your loved ones, remember also to celebrate the forgiveness and reconciliation you have with God through Christ’s death. As you seek blessings and prosperity in this world of sickness and death, remember to look forward with certainty to the day that God’s people will enjoy his abundant blessing forever in a whole new creation. And if for whatever reason, this Chinese New Year is a time of tears instead of happiness, remember with hope that one day, in that New Creation, God himself will wipe every tear from your eyes, for lasting security and blessing is available to all who will turn to Christ as the Lord and Saviour of their lives.
May God bless you richly this Chinese New Year, but even more so, may you know the lasting security and blessing that may be yours, secured by the precious blood of Christ.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year#Mythology
[2] Some ideas for this article came from http://www.bridgeschinesenetwork.com/celebrating-chinese-new-year-gospel-connections/
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Originally from Australia, Tim Nicholls came to know Christ as a child, before maturing in his faith during his university years. Tim now lives in Malaysia and serves as a Pastor at St George’s Anglican Church in Georgetown, Penang. Tim is married to Siew Mun and they have four children. Tim loves Malaysian food, the hot tropical weather, and is learning to speak BM and Mandarin! But most of all he loves Jesus, and is passionate about seeing people from all nations and all stages of life come to know Christ as their Lord and Saviour and joyfully live for his glory.
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