In Honor of Teck Low

I started this blog in 2015, and then after a few posts I just stopped. Why?

Well, it wasn't for lack of ideas. To the left you can see my Drafts folder. Every month or two I'd get an idea, and then I'd start writing. But then I'd just...stop. 

Why? Well, there were a number of reasons, which I may write about in subsequent posts (or Drafts). But in most cases I just felt that my writing wasn't very good. I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to writing, especially on matters that I think are important. So there will be cases where I spend hours in front of my computer writing deep in thought, only to abandon it because I felt it came off as too trite or too shallow. I figure, no one's going to get anything out of this. And so there it stays in the Drafts folder.

And then I think of men like Teck Low, who recently left us, and who left nothing on the playing field. And I grow ashamed of myself, my laziness, my timidity, and my excuses.

I first got to know Teck when I was a kid. He was about 6-8 years older than me. He came over to the United States from Malaysia. He was in college, I was probably about 13 years old. 

Observing Teck throughout my teenage years, there is one word I would use to describe him. Inexhaustible. I have never known a person who worked more tirelessly for God. 

Preacher Yang on his Facebook page wrote a beautiful eulogy that described on how one night during a huge torrential storm, Teck and his wife Su-Hua drove through the storm to the Elizabeth Church. There, they went up and down the stairs to the basement with buckets of water as the basement flooded until the storm passed.

I grew up in the Elizabeth church and it's only now, 35 years later, that I'm hearing that story. And I'm sure there are hundreds more like it where Teck just gave his all to the Lord because of his devotion and love to the Lord,. But because of his humility and his taking the words of Matthew 6:3 to heart, most of us will likely never hear of them this side of eternity.

My own recollections of Teck's indefatigable spirit dates back 35 years ago. Teck was a fixture on the pulpit during sermons. Why? Because the Elizabeth church was desperate for English speakers to translate sermons. No adult could speak English well--or at least would admit it. And the people who would grow up to become interpreters were still too young. And so new immigrants like Brother Teck would be called to service. Most of them said no, but Teck never said no.

I also remember, in the days before Canva or Google Docs or Microsoft Word or Aldus PageMaker--Teck single-handedly initiated, wrote, typeset, and published a newsletter for the New York District Church (which of course would eventually become the Elizabeth, Queens, Hillsborough, Flushing, and Brooklyn churches). 

He called it Malachi: My Messenger. This was years before anyone even thought about "literary evangelism". And here was Teck creating this entire publication on his own and literally mimeographing dozens of copies of it so that English-speakers in the church would have something--anything--to read. 

Now here's the funny thing, and I don't think he'd mind me saying any of this. Teck's English was...not great.

Now let me walk that back a step. In subsequent years, I came to learn that in Malaysia they use various different dialects of English, ranging from Malaysian English (MyE) to Malaysian Colloquial English ("Manglish"). So in his native Malaysia, Teck's English was likely pretty good. But for a 13 year old kid in New York, Teck's English could be a challenge to understand. Between his trademark staccato delivery and sentences that were often scrambled when compared to American English, I sometimes understood the Chinese speaker better than Teck's English interpretation. 

The same can probably be said for Malachi. Those early newsletters had a number of articles, some spiritual exhortations, some local news. All 100% written by Teck. But the articles weren't going to win any literary awards--again, in fairness to Teck they probably weren't so bad in Malaysian English. But to a 13 year old American kid, a lot of the writing just seemed confusing to me. 

And here's another thing. Teck was tone-deaf. I mean literally, he couldn't carry a tune. But often when you'd hear the congregation sang, they'd all sing in lifeless voices, and you'd hear Teck's off-key voice loud and clear as he enthusiastically sang hymns of praise with vigor.

Here's the funny thing. 

I think Teck knew full well that he wasn't necessarily as gifted as others in these areas. But here's the amazing thing about Teck. He didn't care. All he cared was that he loved the Lord Jesus Christ and that whatever talents the Lord gave him, he would use them. Maybe he wasn't blessed with the Queen's English, or with superb writing skills, or with a beautiful singing voice. But as long as he had a mouth to speak with, a hand to write with, and a voice to sing with, that's all he needed to serve God. Because he also had a heart filled with love. 

I can only imagine the courage it took for him to stand up and put all of himself out there week after week, year after year, in a country where he was a new immigrant and in a church that was predominantly Taiwanese. There are so many workers for God whom God has given these talents who end up burying their talents, due to timidity, self-consciousness, and fear. Not so with Teck. 

And as with the widow's mite, I think of how God looked upon the offering from this kid from Malaysia. I imagine that when God heard Teck's voice on the pulpit, Teck's speaking was more impressive than the most eloquent sermons in the world. I imagine that when God read Teck's writing it was more magnificent than the best literature in the world. And I'm sure that Teck's singing voice was beautiful to God's ears. 

Speaking for myself, growing up there was not a single soul who set me a stronger example of how to serve God and how to be one's authentic self.

As I grew into young adulthood, it always struck me that Teck was always the same old Teck. While others in church, especially those in leadership positions, got into the habit of putting on their "Sabbath face" at church, with Teck you always knew that he was exactly the same person inside and outside. He always had a big grin on his face, and he had a wonderful sense of humor which I always loved. You'd be sitting there and he'd come up to you and ask bizarre things like "what can you do for me?" in his trademark staccato voice and dry delivery. I loved that he could just be silly and quirky like that. He always made me smile.

As I grew older, I could see more examples of Teck's courage. When he married Sister Su-Hua I was still only a kid, but I heard enough "gossip" to know that there were some idiots in the church who didn't approve. I don't know the details (and I don't care to), but I know enough to know that Sister Su-Hua went through some really, really terrible things in her life. But as his love was for the Lord, so was his love for Su-Hua. He was a rock for her, as well as for her son Ken. I still remember the day of their wedding--it wasn't a fancy wedding, but it was so beautiful. And to this day theirs is one of the most enduring marriages I have ever known.

And I think of their beautiful kids, Grace and Grady. If either of you ever read this, all I can say is as someone who lost my mom way too early, I grieve with you. But I promise you that your dad is alive. Alive not only very literally in Paradise, but also alive in your hearts. Our loved ones who were so faithful to the Lord will always be a part of us, and all we can do is run with perseverance the race ahead of us, blessed that we were able to have been touched personally by someone in that great cloud of witnesses.

And when I think of courage, my thoughts, invariably, turn to the situation with Preacher Yang. I know that Teck was a supporter of Preacher Yang, and in fact, he and Su-Hua often hosted Preacher Yang when they came to the United States. As someone who attended and was greatly edified by a few of these, I'll always be grateful for them standing up, knowing that it would put them on the front lines of attack. Which it did.

While most in the church have been instructed to view Preacher Yang as a "false prophet", Teck was one of the few who took the time to take the time to hear and to judge for himself. Rather than blindly accept what the "church leaders" were telling him to think, he instead took the time to hear Preacher Yang's side and come to his own conclusions.

That conclusion, of course, is that the whole uproar between Preacher Yang and the International Assembly of the True Jesus Church was never really about "heresy" or "false teachings". It was always just about a silly, stupid, childish squabble between two preachers which grew completely out of control. Out of control to the point where one of the preachers was publicly accused of and thrown out of the church for supposedly preaching "heresy", a claim that anyone who takes even a few minutes to investigate fairly can see is patently untrue.

I have one thing to say to the church leaders--and I'm not speaking to the church leaders who have been so blinded by jealousy and rage that they have convinced themselves that this is true. They have made their choice, they will not be convinced otherwise, and whatever judgement that will come is awaiting them. 

But the church leaders I am speaking to are the one who clearly saw--and see--the twisting of truth and the injustice and who choose remain quiet so as to not "offend" their fellow humans. To these church leaders I ask: how many faithful servants like Teck Low has your silence cost our church over the last 10 years? How many men and women like him have been silenced--at a time when the church needs their wisdom, their example, and their participation more than ever? When will we get back to a point where we can reason together, discuss differences, and be guided into unity by the Spirit--and not by the real false teachings that are among us?

Maybe I'll write more thoughts about this in a blog post. But I'm here to talk about Teck, and I'll conclude with the parable of the talents.

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Maybe Teck Low didn't get as much gold to start off as others did. But from the gold he was given, he is returning to his Master with bags and bags and bags of gold that are bursting at the seams, through his examples, through his sacrifices, through his wonderful heart, through his beautiful family, and through his faithful service and undying love.

I can see him now in front of the Master. "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness".

May all of us who remain on the earth follow Teck's example of love for the Lord, of service, of courage, and of tirelessness, from this day until whatever day our turn is to be called back home. And may we all learn from Teck, who can today face his Lord with a clear conscious, knowing that he gave his all with what he was given, that he left nothing on the playing field, and that the world was made a better place because of him.