What We Say and Where It Comes From

Perhaps you wonder how we determine the subjects about which we should write scripts.  Our decisions are driven by any number of variables, such as events, holidays, scripture study, questions asked and personal experiences.

Holidays such as Thanksgiving and Easter make it easy to talk about giving thanks and about the resurrection of our Lord.  Disasters such as earthquakes cause us to talk about the nature of God, human suffering, Christian compassion, etc.  Our personal devotionals sometimes prompt us to write about scriptures that interest us or cause us to review our own personal lives—and to challenge our listeners to review theirs.

Ed Ho wrote a long series of scripts about what the Bible has to say about sin.  The concept of sin in Asia is a bit different from our Western understanding.  For example, many years ago those who translated the Bible into Chinese chose “zui” as the correct translation for sin.  Unfortunately, zui means more like our understanding of “criminal” than falling short of God’s perfect standard and glory.  When a Chinese hears it said that he is a “sinner,” his first reaction may be “No, I am not.”  He does not mean that he has never done anything wrong, but he means that he is not a criminal; he has never done anything for which society would put him in jail.  We must take time to illustrate the meaning of “sin” as God understands it, and help a listener understand that he too is “guilty,” and that he needs Jesus.

A lot of Ed Ho’s script topics come from his own study of scripture.  Many a morning I pass his office door and see him deep in thought and prayer as his eyes are fixed on his open Bible.  Frequently his personal study turns into articles to share with our radio and Internet audience.  For example, over the years, Ed Ho has written series of articles on the life of Jesus, The Sermon on the Mount, The Books of the Bible, The Attributes of God, Prophecy and Fulfillment, Marriage, Mary—Mother of Jesus, the Parables of Jesus, How to be a Good Father, etc.  The series on the Sermon on the Mount, for example included articles on each of the Beatitudes, Saltless Salt, Dots and Tittles, Adultery of the Heart, Your Eyes, Swear Not, Turn the Other Cheek, Love Your Enemies, etc. 

Current events sometimes prompt us to write articles that we believe are helpful to our audience and/or that provide answers for questions about the metaphysical.  For example, natural disasters and other tragedies encourage people to think about life and death.  Large earthquakes in China, Haiti, Chile and Japan resulted in a number of scripts, as did the Indonesian tsunami about eight years ago.  We not only try to address the question of why such things happen, but we also talk about the Christian response of compassion that such events engender.

Newspaper and magazine articles provide us with news relevant to the needs of Chinese listeners.  For example, after I read an article that listed several reasons that people in China file for divorce, I began a series of radio scripts in which I am taking each reason and discussing it from the Christian perspective. 

The recent death of a local Chinese girl, eleven years old, prompted a number of scripts.  Over four years ago, Crystal Sun became sick and went into a coma.  For over four years she received the best care that a mother and grandparents could give, as they took care of Crystal around the clock.  I frequently told people that if they thought love was invisible, they only needed to visit Crystal’s home and watch her mother and grandparents care for her and they would see love made visible!  Local friends, including all in the Chinese Service of World Christian Broadcasting also extended love and concern whenever possible.  Two different Decembers, our “special projects” whizz, Dick Brackett, even dressed up in his professional Santa Clause outfit and paid Crystal a visit!

Crystal passed away on January 10.  Her bi-lingual funeral included memorials by three teachers as well as by Crystal’s pediatrician and others.  Ed Ho and I both spoke words of comfort from the Bible as we helped this dear family walk through the valley of the shadow.

Ed Ho wrote some broadcast scripts about this family while Crystal still lived and other scripts after she left us.  Shu Mei Lee wrote an article about Crystal’s mother—and her exemplary love—for our Mother’s Day program.  After the funeral, I took my funeral lesson and based four articles for broadcast on it.

Thus we live neither in a vacuum nor in an ivory tower, and our scripts sometimes are an expression not only of who we are but also of what we do.  We believe that radio broadcasts should reflect life as it is and should attempt to help people deal with the problems that they face—including how to deal with death, and (even more importantly) how to prepare for it.

Thank you for reading.