I have been told that the first episode of the popular K-drama “Crash Landing on You” took place in the demilitarised zone between North Korea and South Korea. The place is full of landmines to discourage people from escaping from the North to the South. In the same way, the journey from the pandemic “survival” state of mind to the post-pandemic state of “hope” takes us across two types of minefields that can derail us.

The late Dr Timothy Keller who founded one of the most thriving churches in New York City (NYC) once shared one of his biggest fears – to move to NYC and plant a church there. He jokingly quoted Numbers 13: “The city is very great, and the people are very great. We seem like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we look the same to them. “

He continued to say: “I was scared. Most people think I’m a pretty competent minister. What if I come here and fail? That’ll be the end of that image.” 

The first key landmine that we face on our journey from “survival to revival” is the fear of failure. I can identify with that because it was one of my major struggles before coming to serve in Singapore. I was good as a CEO, what if I fail as a pastor? I was seen as a competent Senior Pastor, what if I fail in BTS?

The second key landmine has led to the biggest failure in the nation of Israel. This landmine can be seen in Numbers 13, the very passage quoted by Dr Keller. 

The Israelites were already at the edge of the promised land. They were all ready to leave the wilderness behind (just surviving) and enter a land of milk and honey (reviving). Moses handpicked outstanding leaders from each of the 12 tribes and sent them to spy out the land. The second landmine came in the form of the bad report of the 10 spies. And as a result, for the next 40 years, they languished in the wilderness (merely surviving). 

What is in the report? Allow me to summarise. The land is great. The people are strong. The cities are fortified. We will fail. 

How could the 10 give a report that the Israelites would fail? Even all in Canaan saw what God has done in Egypt and to the Amalekites. The Canaanite kings were quaking in fear and were forming military alliances against a stronger foe. Even Rahab, a mere prostitute in Canaan, knew that God will give the land to the Israelites. 

These 12 spies were no simple spies. They were the cream of the crop. They included the best of the best like Joshua and Caleb. It was impossible that they could not accept what even the Canaanites knew would happen.

One rabbi said the real nature of the second landmine was what motivated the report. It was the “fear of success”.

Think about it. Ever since the encounter with Pharaoh, God has been fighting all their battles. The plagues, the opening of the red sea, the manna, the supernatural drink, the pillars of cloud and fire, and Moses raised hands and staff against the Amalekites. Now if they succeed in entering the land, all that will stop. They will have to plant themselves, irrigate the canals, and fight the giants. If they succeed, life will have to change drastically for the Jews. And in that fear, they wrote a report that stirred up the “fear of failure” in the people when they deep down were afraid of “success”. 

Again, I can identify with that. True to BTS’s vision to bless Asia, we are in the process of re-engineering our approach to teaching in order to produce a missional mindset in our students. We have asked a team of consultants to help us navigate this landscape. If we succeed in this overhaul, we are fearful of how much change will happen to our lives as staff and as teachers. To simply “fail” by not proceeding means life is comfortable and we do not have to change.

And as a nation, I believe as we come out of the pandemic “survival” state of mind to a post-pandemic state of “hope”, we face the same two major landmines of fear – fear of failure, and fear of success. 

So what is the solution? One philosopher told a story of a fly trapped in a bottle looking for a way out. It frustratingly banged its head against the walls until it died out of exhaustion. Surprisingly, the bottle was open all this time. The one thing that the fly did not do was “look up”. And that is also our problem in this post-pandemic world. The Psalmist reminds us “I will raise my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come?” 

Joshua looked up and conquered the land. Keller looked up and founded Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC. I looked up and came to Singapore. Looking up is the only way that we can navigate our journey from “survival to revival”. Looking up is essential to revival in our spiritual formation journey.

Friends, on October 14, we are blessed to have renowned author John Ortberg speaking at our BTS Lectures on this very topic “From Survival to Revival”. For 40 years, John’s heart has always been to help people “look up” not only during their wilderness journeys but also during their normal day-to-day lives. Please check out the poster for the highlights and register. First come, first serve.

Rev Peter Lin
President