(adapted from sermon by Charles Spurgeon)
(This sermon was taken from The New Park Street Pulpit and was preached on Sunday evening, July 15, 1877)
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility ( Proverb 18:12)
What is Pride ?
Pride is a groundless thing. It stands on the sand. Worse than that, it puts its foot on the billows which yield beneath its tread. Worse still, it stands on bubbles, which soon must burst beneath its feet. Of all things pride has the worst foothold. It has no solid rock on earth whereon to place itself. We have reasons for almost everything, but we have no reason for pride.
Pride is a thing that should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of. What is there in man of which he should glory? Our very creation is enough to humble us. What are we but creatures of today? Our frailty should be sufficient to lay us low, for we should be gone tomorrow. Our ignorance should tend to keep pride from our lips. What are we, but like the wild donkey’s colt which knows nothing? And our sins ought effectually to stop our mouths and lay us in the dust. Of all things in the world, pride toward God is that which has the very least excuse. It has neither stick nor stone whereon to build. Yet like the spider, it carries its own web in its bowels and can, of itself, spin that wherewith to catch its prey. It seems to stand upon itself for it has nothing beside whereon it can rest.
Pride is a brainless thing. It brings no profit with it. There is no wisdom in self-exaltation. Other vices have some excuse, for men seem to gain by them. Avarice, pleasure, lust, have some plea, but the man who is proud sells his soul cheaply. He opens wide the floodgates of his heart to let men see how deep is the flood within his soul. Then suddenly it flows out and all it gone—and all is nothing for one puff of empty wind, one word of sweet applause. The soul is gone and not a drop is left. In almost every other sin, we gather up the ashes when the fire is gone but here, what is left? The covetous man has his shining gold, but what has the proud man? He has less than he would have had without his pride and is no gainer whatever. Oh! Man, if you were as mighty as Gabriel and had all his holiness, still you should be an arrant fool to be proud, for pride would sink you from your angel station to the rank of devils, and bring you from the place where Lucifer, son of the morning, once dwelt, to take up your abode with hideous fiends in perdition.
Pride exalts its head and seeks to honor itself, but it is of all things most despised. It sought to plan crowns upon its brow, and so it has done. But its head was hot, and it put an ice crown there, and it melted all away. Poor pride has decked itself out finely sometimes. It has put on its most gaudy apparel and said to others, “How brilliant I appear!” But, ah! pride, like a harlequin, dressed in your bright colours, you are all the more fool for that. You are but a gazing stock for fools less foolish than yourself. You have no crown as you think you have, nothing solid and real, all is empty and vain. If you, O man, desire shame, be proud.
Pride is the maddest thing that can exist. It feeds upon its own vitals. It will take away its own life, that with its blood it may make a purple for its shoulders. It saps and undermines its own house that it may build its pinnacles a little higher, and then the whole structure tumbles down. Nothing proves men so mad as pride. For this they have given up rest, ease, and repose to find rank and power among men. For this they have dared to risk their hope of salvation—to leave the gentle yoke of Jesus, and go toiling wearily along the way of life—into the more of fell despair. Oh! Man, hate pride, flee from it, abhor it, let it not dwell with you. If you want to have a madman in your heart, embrace pride, for you shall never find one madder than he.
Pride is a protean thing. It changes it shape. It is all form in the world. You may find it in any fashion you may choose. You may see it in the beggar’s rags as well as in the rich man’s garment. It dwells with the rich and with the poor. The man without a shoe to his foot may be as proud as if he were riding in a chariot. Pride can be found in every rank of society—among all classes of men. Sometimes it is an Arminian and talks about the power of creature. Then it turns Calvinist and boasts of its fancied security—forgetful of the Maker who alone can keep our faith alive. Pride can profess any form of religion. It may be a Quaker and wear no collar to its coat. It may be a Churchman and worship God in splendid cathedrals. It may be a Dissenter and go to the common meeting house. It is one of the most Catholic things in the world. It attends all kinds of chapels and churches. Go where you will, you will see pride. It comes up with us to the house of God. It goes with us to our houses. It is found on the mart and the exchange, in the streets and everywhere.
Pride has ten thousand shapes. It is not always that stiff and starched gentleman that you picture. It is a vile, creeping, insinuating thing that will twist itself like a serpent into our heart. It will talk humility, and prate about being dust and ashes. I have known men talk about their corruption most marvelously, pretending to be all humility, while at the same time they were the proudest wretches that could be found this side the gulf of separation. Oh, my friends, you cannot tell how many shapes pride will assume. Look sharp about you and your will be deceived by it, and when you think you are entertaining angels, you will find you have been receiving devils unawares.
The seat of pride is the heart. The true throne of pride everywhere is the heart of man. If we desire by God’s grace to put down pride, the only way is to begin with the heart. We should not proceed to arrange our dress by adopting some special costume, or to quality our language by using an outlandish tongue. But let us seek of God that He would purify our hearts from pride, and then assuredly if pride is purged from the heart, our life also shall be humble. Make the tree good, and then the fruits shall be good. Make the fountain pure, the stream shall be sweet. Oh! That God might grant us all, by His grace, that our hearts my be kept with diligence, so that pride may never enter there lest we be haughty in our hearts and find that afterwards comes wrath.
The consequence of pride is destruction, a fact which we can prove by hundreds of instances in Scriptures and in history. We men have become proud, destruction has come upon them. Perhaps the most magnificent which has ever yet been built was the city of Babylonian, in which there walks one who, lifting up his mortal head on high as if he were more than mortal men, exclaims, “See ye this great Babylon that I have built?” Oh, pride marks the mighty builder of Babylon creeping on the earth. Like oxen he is devouring grass. His nails have grown like birds’ claws, his hair like eagles’ feathers, and his heart has gone from him. Pride did all that, that it might be fulfilled which God has written, “Before destruction the heart of men is haughty.”
Pride is most likely to meet with destruction because it is too tall to walk upright. It is most likely to tumble down, because it is always looking upward in its ambition, and never looks to its feet. There only needs to be a pitfall in the way, or even a stone, and down it goes. It is sure to tumble because it is never contented with being where it is. It is always seeking to be climbing, and boys that will climb must expect to fall. Pride is foolhardy, and will venture upon scaling any rock. Pride, when most successful, stands in slippery place. Who would choose to dwell on a pinnacle of the temple? That is where pride has built its house, and verily it seems but natural that pride should down if pride will up.
Reading report from The Straits Time March 23, 2009 “Grad expectations not so great now”, I recall some conversation with some final year students last semester. I wish this article will give them some insight in time like this.
Monday, March 23, 2009
What is pride?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
What the sociological consequence of NTU attack?
Many were shocked to hear that a final year student attacked his supervisor and jumped down from 7 floor to end his only 21 years life. Campus violence is not something new these days, but, we are still shaken that such tragedy happened so close to us....The bloody stains will be lingering in our memory for some time. That makes us ask: Why did all these happen? why? and how?
What is the sociological consequence of such an attack?
One thing for sure, Singapore is no longer to be viewed as safe haven. A lecture, fellow classmate and even a stranger may become a victim of some outburst of bloody attack triggered by trivial cause....
What is value of all these education if our students have no moral value and self control?
......
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Following the rule---Deviance Theory
I consider myself as a “gentle driver”. I seldom rush, I always give a way, and I always signal before changing line, and most of all, I have been constantly mindful to keep all traffic rules.
I dare say that I have been benefited from it for myself as much as towards others. It is really to your own advantage to follow rules. Be kind to others is in fact be kind to yourself. There are many areas in our life which share the same principle, which fits in the old Chinese saying “To loss is to gain.”
We are living in society, and being with others means that we need rules, regulations, and institutional systems to run our society smoothly and efficiently.
Before one can follow rule, there must be a system
I have been to certain part of China, where the sight of traffic was terrifying. There is just simply no rules, or no one respects rules. The fundamental sound rules are essential for efficiently and orderly operation in any area of social life, e.g. family, school, company, government and country.
The rules ought to be respected and followed not only for the benefit of collectivity but also for individuals
It is quite obviously, if you don’t follow the rule on the road, you might run into accident, not only endanger your own life but other users of road. The traffic rules are really for the benefits of all road users.
However, the rules are often broken by people, which sociologists call “Deviance behavior”, why do some people just don’t follow the rules even it is seemingly to their own benefits?
Robert Merton's famous Deviance Theory may give us some helpful clues.
Though held the basic functionalist thinking, but unlike Parson,Merton recognized the possibility of dysfunction of any given systems, and or institutions. He did not assume the legitimation of existing systems as status quo, but suggested that there may be the alternative functions which would do the same or better jobs.
To Merton, deviance behavior happens when there is discrepancy between one's cultural goal and institutionalized norms. He uses anomie a major independent variable, his definition of anomie is somewhat different from Durkheim's. Anomie, for Merton, is a discontinuity between cultural goals and the legitimate means available for reaching them. In depicting his model graphically Merton chose to use a + sign to indicate acceptance of the goal or means to achieve the goal and a - to indicate the rejection or unavailability of the goal or means to it. He thus arrives at five modes of adaption, or types of deviance.
| Anomie | Deviance | |||
| Cultural Goals | Institutional Means | Modes of Adaptation | ||
| + | + | Conformity | ||
| + | - | Innovation | ||
| - | + | Ritualism | ||
| - | - | Retreatism | ||
| +/- | +/- | Rebellion |
The mode of conformity is for a person who attains goals and has the means to achieve the goal; Both innovation and ritualism indicate the discontinuity of goals and means. Retreatism is the one who totally rejects the goals and without means.
Rebellion is a combination of a rejection of goals and means and substitution with other goals and means.
Deviance behavior creates disturbance to a system, sometimes, even break down. At the same time, such behaviors (especially rebellion) might be a challenge to an unsound rules or unsound system.
“Whenever there is oppression, there is rebellion” was the famous of word of Mao Zhe Dong. It is so true that when rules of any given system are not sound, it will be soon or later be challenged. Deviance behavior in that sense brings forth some positive changes to societal development.
So to obey a rule is good, sometimes, to disobey a rule is even better. Any rule broker is subject to negative sanction from collective of society. One must have strong determination and clear vision to be able to stand by for the pressure from his/her world. That is what we often say “Fine produce fine steel.”
What I would say to you, my dear friends,
1) To learn the rules of game
2) Respect and follow them
3) However, don’t just follow them blindly.
Finally, you need to identify the true rules you ought to obey. There is one, I would suggest, to know and be known by God, who sets all rules in the world.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Beautiful China
I brought two of my children to China this holiday. Children were so impressed by the beauty of China, of course, so did I.
May God Bless China.
Kang Xi Grass Land, my son riding with local guy, really galloping.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Chinese Olympic Torch Rally--from sociological perpective....
I was very busy already....four papers for exams, lot of works to be done, and hubby was overseas, and four active children driving me crazy... yet I found myself be unexpected grasped by the eventful Beijing Olympic torch rally.
First, the protestors for Tibet independence interpreted the Torch rally in London. In Paris, the same protestors attacked the torch bearer, a girl in wheel chair and pushed by a blind athlete. Three times the torch fire was put off. That greatly provoked thousands Chinese and hurt their nationalism feeling.
Then there were large scale protests in USA and Europe against biased reports from western media, notably CNN and BBC. At the same time, calls for boycott French goods, especially the supermarket chain Carrefour was widely responded and supported.
The remark from Jack Cafferty calling Chinese people as “a bunch of goon” had further enraged Chinese people. Now the legal action against CNN for causing emotional humiliation and stress to many Chinese was filed in New York yesterday….
To understand any social event, a sociologist will try to explain and understand at least in three levels: what happened, what people say, and what sociologists’ explanation.
What happened on March 14, 2008? “Rioters destroyed 908 shops, seven schools, 120 residential homes, five hospitals and 10 banking network points. At least 20 building were burned down and 84 vehicles were smashed. Eighteen innocent were burned or stabbed to death and 380 civilians were injured”, which responsible government would not react to such damaging acts?
Weber’s definition of State becomes useful to understand this issue. State: “is a human community that successfully claims and monopoly of the legitimate use the physical force within a given territory, the sole source of the right to use violence.”
Every country will not hesitate to use violence, which is sole source of the right, to defend its sovereignty and oneness of its territory.
What did Dalai clique say? They claimed 130 death of protestors for more “autonomy”. Subsequently, there were a few disruptions and attacks during Olympic Torch Rally. Those “Tibetans extremists” were seeking the international support by interrupting Olympic Torch rally. Weber said the means does not always justify ends. For whatever reason, these “means” as double edged sword turned out hurting Tibetans extremists themselves. Those have provoked thousands overseas Chinese patriotic feeling, for the first time since a long time, Chinese feels united to defend for their country.
The unintended consequence of these “anti China protests” did not gain much sympathy for Tibetans extremists but rather to unite Chinese, both within and outside China. It is also for the first time since 1949, China has shown its real power to the world that Chinese will not only be successful in Olympic but also towards the advancement in modernization. “Chinese are not easily bullied”
April 25 2008 Reuters
"More than 10,000 Chinese Australians staged the biggest pro-Beijing rally the the protest-marred Olympic torch relay yesterday.
Waving a sea of red Chinese flags and chanting "One China", they packed the start and finish of the relay in the Australian capital, drowning out pro-Tibet demonstrators.
Chinese six-deep lined the 16km relay rout, and hundreds of cars drove around Canberra carrying Chinese flags.
....
"It was highly organised," free-Tibet supporter and Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown told Reuters of the Chinese presence at the Australian rally.
"Australians will feel a little bit uncomfortable by the fact that Communist China came to town and just showed it can buy anything."
China denied the charge.
"Has he asked those people who disrupt and sabotage the torch if there are any organisers and instigatiors behind them?..."Chinese Foreign Minister spokesman Jiang Yu said in Beijing...."
Sunday, March 16, 2008
What can a 8 year old do?
After I wrote "what can Sociology do?", a friend of mine sends me this. See for yourself what can a eight year old do.
Friday, March 14, 2008
What can Sociology do?
I met one my MBA classmates at campus. He was one of closest friends in my MBA days, we were in the same team to do BSM(Business Study Mission), one of feature programs in Nanyang MBA, and dissertation. Though being close, we have not seen each other for years. After hugging and laughing, we burst out the questions almost at the same time:
“What are you doing here?”
“I am teaching in Business school.”
“I am studying Sociology.”
“What can Sociology do?”
You’ve gotta to forgive my friend, he is account by training and was former CFO for a big firm, a bit calculative and, of course, with pure economic mindset.
I now appreciate better Prof Zhou’s course “Economic Sociology”, after using economic sociology approach to explain to him, I wasn't sure whether my friends satisfied my explanation, for he looked a bit unconvincing.
But his question left me thinking,
What can sociology do?
We see the world and our societies have been through so many changes, we see social inequality and pathological process right under our eyes; we see the worried trends in humanity, crisis arises across nations, we feel globalization impacts upon our family, our identity, our root of culture....yet what can sociology do?
After some time of studying in this area, Sociology remains as dismal science to me. (I know that my sociology profs will frown at me). The subjectivity of both researchers and respondents makes sociology very ambiguous.
If my friend asks his students a concept of “rate of return”, he probably will happy if they give him an equation. However, if you asks a sociology student a common concept, such as family, culture, social class. You won’t be satisfied if he didn't give an answer with a page or two. Why? There aren’t so much common shared concepts in sociological terms subject to complex contexts in any given social condition.
Perhaps it is better to let sociologists to answer the above question. I may add some empirical observations of what graduates can do after they finish their study?
I came to know some of socio-graduates, some of them are now primary school teacher; some of them work in MYCS; some of them are social workers…. A handful of them are continuing further studies.
It is poignant to think about such questions. I guess however fewer of my fellow classmates will bother to. I admire their innocent youth.
Monday, March 3, 2008
To those students who talk loudly while lecturing
Last year, I took some courses with year two sociology students. We really had a wonderful time. This year I am taking some courses with year 1 students. Something different caught my attention.
I have found that year 1 students are more talkative than year 2 students.
Not all, (thank God), but a handful of students (you may call it deviant case) always like to chitchat on the class. While the lecturer is teaching below, they are talking LOUDLY above. By the sheer position advantage, their noises are often higher than lecturer’s, which makes almost impossible for students nearby to hear what lecturer says.
I found it very annoying to be honest. We can understand that year 1 students are younger than year 2, however they are not too young to exercise some self-control and mutual respects: the respects to the lecturers, the respects to fellow classmates, the respects to themselves.
It is interesting that none of lecturers in these courses I am taking this year seem to bother about it. I remember Prof London had little tolerance to such deviant behaviour. Though there were once or twice protests from fellow students, there seems little moral authority to constrain the noisy ones.
I appeal to those who are talking at class loudly. Please hold you peace while lectures are teaching, unless, you are invited to speak.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Please view on Channel New Asia on Dec 21 2007 7:30 pm
"Think Family. Talk Family" Forum is forum discussion on family, a very lively forum on the changing family in modern days, the challenge and others issues. Thanks to
Family Development Group,(FDG), Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and National Family Council to make this Forum a success.
For those who are interested in taking 214 "Changing Family". This forum could be interesting, what is more that you will find your classmate as one of panel members. See yah!
It is scheduled to be aired on Channel News Asia over the following 3 weeks i.e. from 21 Dec 07 till 9 Jan 2008.
The two-hour plus forum will be divided into three 30-min episodes.
Each episode comprises two different topics culled from the panel
discussion. The 1st episode is scheduled to be aired at 7.30 pm
(prime-time) on Friday, 21 Dec with 3 repeat telecasts on Sat (12.30 pm),
Sun (12.30 am) and Wed (5.30 pm). The 2nd episode will be shown on 28s
Dec and the 3rd episode on 4 Jan 2008 with repeats. Kindly refer to the
following table for the broadcasting schedule.
| Episode | Initial Broadcast | Repeat Broadcast | Repeat Broadcast | Repeat Broadcast |
| Time | Fri, 7.30 pm | Sat, 12:30 pm | Sun, 12.30am | Wed, 5.30 pm |
| 1 | 21 Dec | 22 Dec | 23 Dec | 26 Dec |
| 2 | 28 Dec | 29 Dec | 30 Dec | 2 Jan 2008 |
| 3 | 4 Jan 2008 | 5 Jan 2008 | 6 Jan 2008 | 9 Jan 2008 |
Please view the above Forum and wish all of you a very blessed Christmas and New Year.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Holiday, holiday, holiday
I cannot believe this term has past so quickly. and I must say I thoroughly enjoy the study. Thanks Prof Tan, Prof Kwok, Prof Lim and Prof Sun. You all have done wonderful jobs.
Though from a science background, social issues,some of them are closely related our daily life and some of them promote deep passion of life, have always remained as one of my deep interests. The systematic study on sociology helps me to get rid off "the common sense" of way of thinking, to adapt "scientific approach" to study social issues. Like Durkheim, I think any meaningful study and research on sociology, especially, should lead to social reform and social actions, which is to lead a better society or restore the social solidarity.
At the same time, I share the pessimistic sentiment of modernization with Max Weber. The issues we are facing today were created by human beings yet are out of men's control. That leads us to further seek the ultimate solution, is there ultimate law to guide and control the development of our society, our fate as a nation or a human being?
To a question on American society "What is the worst social problem existing in American society today?" (on Yahoo Answer), one of answers was "Fear to be a human"
I feel this answer echoes many people's collective sentiments toward modern society. Despite of the abundance of material world and technological advancement, the social problems, such as inequality, terrorism, indifference, numbness, are increasing. Probably, the biggest risk of human society is to lose their creative edge, the ability to think for themselves.
I know many of you have chosen "sociology" as major without realizing the potential signification of such discipline. It is one of the most important "sciences", in my opinion, may alter the route of history, save the world from the "iron cage" and God's willing to allow human beings to be restored the harmonious relationship with nature and with one another.
It is our hope, yet the burden is on you and me. Students on sociology.
For now, let us enjoy our holidays, there is time to sow and time to reap; time to work and time to rest.
Wish all of you a wonderful holiday, Merry Christmas and Blessed new year. Will see you in 2008.
