Eric's Beijing Diary

Anne Marie sent me an email and wanted some clarification on that last entry. Guess I was in a bit of a hurry. I have been a bit too feichang meng lately.

Here's the scoop:

1. I went to Chaoyangmen to meet an American lady who is visiting in Beijing. She had read one of my book reviews, and contacted me by email. Occasionally I write book reviews on Amazon.com. This one happened to be on a book called, "The Purpose Driven Life." Although this book has enjoyed widespread approval in the Christian community, it has become a center of controversy elsewhere. So I was a bit hesitant to "enter the fray" so to speak, because I have no interest in helping to turn an academic exercise into a ill-mannered discussion board. But I decided to give "credit where credit was due," and put in my two-cents-worth.
   

   
   

2. After meeting with the lady from America, I went to a nice restaurant nearby. Father's day is an important day for fathers. It really isn't the same without my children. But even though my children could not be with me, I like to spend time thinking about how precious they are to me. Over the years, there have been many times when I have been separated from my precious daughters. But the Book says, "many waters cannot quench love." For some reason, God has called me to learn the truth of this scripture through personal experience. I have spent a lot of time away from my children. This has certainly not been my choice, but, for reasons I will probably not fully understand in this lifetime, it is the path God has chosen for me. But even though my children could not be with me, I still wanted to celebrate fatherhood. I was alone, because I hosted the meal myself and neglected to invite anyone else. No one could take the place of my precious daughters.