Samuel, the Chief Executive Officer of Academia Formosana, is invited by the Seniors Fellowship of Wenshan Presbyterian Church to give a lecture, themed as “The First Board for Building Noah’s Ark: An Introduction to the Security Evaluation Report of Wenshan Church.”
At the beginning of the lecture, Samuel quotes Ephesians 5: 15-17 to encourage the members of the church:
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Samuel urges the congregation members to carefully observe the signs of great changes to come in the world and not to be fooled by all kinds of false and confusing news, propaganda, and even disinformation. As he says, do think and act like a person of wisdom, and learn to pray in a way like Rev. Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”
“Do use wisdom to distinguish between the things we cannot change and those we can,” says Samuel, and “just like we can’t decide whether or not war or typhoon will come upon us, but we can prepare in advance so as to become more resilient when facing the difficulties and challenges that we may face once war or typhoon happens.”
Having this idea in mind, Samuel introduces to the audience the mission of Academia Formosana: “Out of our deepest love for it, we won’t let anyone destroy it at will.” Based on this determination, Academia Formosana is committed to promoting “Community-Based Civil Defense (CBCD),” aiming to strengthen the resilience and security of small communities throughout Taiwan, so as to enable them to help themselves and help others in times of difficulty.
Among others, Christians are supposed to understand the connotation of “community” best, as 1 Corinthians 12: 12, 26-27 said: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
The “Ark Plan” is the very first flagship project conceived and implemented by Academia Formosana. The objective of the project is to organize and equip more than 1,200 Presbyterian congregations throughout Taiwan so as to make them like Noah’s Ark, with which they could help themselves and help others when the flood of war comes.
Through combining the “hardware and software” advantages of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, so to speak, the widely-distributed church chapels and facilities as well as the cohesive interpersonal network of Christian communities, “Ark Plan” is to achieve two goals:
First, to make preparations before the war comes and, by doing so, to maximize the protection and security of church members and properties in times of turbulence do your best to protect the church.
Second, serving as the hub of a network, Academia Formosana is to help local congregations, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal, establish cooperation with relevant international organizations, government agencies, and social groups so as to jointly maintain order and stability in the localities.
In the coming worldwide turmoil, the networked congregations are enabled to help themselves and others, serve as the beacon of hope for the locals, and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ’s salvation through actual actions.
Wenshan Presbyterian Church is the first plank for building this “Noah’s Ark.” Academia Formosana has drafted a “Security Evaluation Report” for Wenshan Church, which will serve as a framework for discussion and planning in its decision-making council as well as a guide for the congregation members to prepare for follow-up works.
Rev. Vuruvur Ruljadjeng, Samuel’s Paiwanian brother who currently serves as the minister of the Shuguang Church of the Western Amis Presbytery, has cited two Bible verses as a blessing for the “Ark Plan.” At the end of the lecture, Samuel cites them to encourage the members of Wenshan Church as follows.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
(Psalm 28: 7)
“O Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”
(Jeremiah 32: 17)
