As a Reformed evangelical philosopher and theologian, I seek to proclaim the supremacy of Christ in Asian paradigms, for the shalom (wholeness) of all peoples seeking inner enlightenment through meditation—a shalom that is subversively fulfilled in and only in Christ, who is the first and the last of all spirituality and freedom.
Yet, for me, there is no inherent contradiction between my conviction in Christ and my realizations in the Dhamma, contrary to what many in the institutional church might think. My own journey of faith in Christ is intimately and inextricably tied to my practice of the Dhamma. Through my lifetime’s dedicated practice of the Dhamma, I came to the end of that path in the illuminating conviction of the incarnate and crucified Christ whose unique finished work transcends all that ever was, is, and is to come. You can read my first testimony detailing my encounter with Christ on my blog here: https://truthofgrace.weebly.com/blog/new-life-in-christ
For me, Dhamma can never be divorced from Christ, and Christ is never absent from Dhamma. How this is precisely so is my ongoing koan and inquiry into this fundamental question from my Lord:”Who do you say I am?” It is a koan that fills me with joy and perplexity, peace and conviction, ecstasy and wonderment all at the same time. It inspires my writings and meditations and the three new books to come, one of which is my magnum opus.
Christ is my Saviour, the one and only God made flesh. I am a particularist, not a universalist. In Christ alone is salvation to be found, no one else. But this does not prevent me from participating in an open heartfelt process of interspiritual engagement and missional contextualized evangelism outside old boxes and wineskins. Even if this process annoys rigid minds and hyper-fundamentalist hearts within the church, so be it. Rejection has been my portion but I feel compelled to speak truthfully, not politically correctly.
I will continue my mission as the Lord has placed on my heart and as He leads. The Lord is doing something new here. There is much to be done and I’ve barely even begun.
