SEEING THE WORLD WITH ‘EASTER EYES’ Joan Foo Mahony with her Guest, Professor Dato’ Dr. Elizabeth Lee Fuh Yen
Smitten By Faith Issue Number : # 000086 13th April 2024
Two weeks ago on March 31st Easter Sunday, Christians all over the world joyfully celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This exceptional event, the day when God raised his earth-born fully human son, Jesus Christ from the dead and back to his divine status happened more than 2,000 years ago but the Resurrection still continues each Easter as an ongoing timeless reality. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ - the promise of eternity and our own redemption in death - is the bedrock and foundation of the Christian faith, an unshakeable belief which gives an indescribable power and source of hope sustaining all Christians.
Left : The Resurrection of Jesus Christ ; oil on canvas ( 1570) by Paolo Veronese 1528-1588; Gemalde Galerie Alte Meister ( Old Masters Gallery ) in Dresden, Germany. This painting has the Veronese hallmarks of colour, drama and style known as mannerism. We see the resurrected luminous Christ rising from his tomb in his full glory and the Roman solders cowering on the ground shivering in fear and incredulity.
Right : The Resurrection of Jesus Christ; oil on wood ( 1499-1502 ) by Raphael, the great Italian Renaissance master of the high Renaissance 1483-1520; San Paulo Museum of Art. Brazil.
It is during this special season of Easter that many Christians just cannot simply contain their happiness; they want to jump and shout out to the world their joy about the risen Christ. I am certainly one of them. However, on a less exuberant note, I also look on Easter as a time when I feel so blessed to be a Catholic and thank God that I am able to live my life through the perspective of the Resurrection. Easter is also a time when I feel the need to encourage and spread the true meaning of Easter and Christian values.
In other words, how we can see the world with what I call ‘Easter Eyes’.
So, today, I am particularly delighted to have as my special guest, PROF. DATO’ DR. ELIZABETH LEE FUH YEN, the Group CEO ( since 1992 ) of the Sunway Education Group in Malaysia comprising universities, colleges, international schools, research and training centres which educate more than 20,000 Malaysian and international students.
Left : Elizabeth Lee giving a welcome speech at the special art exhibition held at Sunway University, ‘The Beauty of the Universe’ in 2023.
Right : At the Art Exhibition – Elizabeth Lee with from left to right : myself; Prof. Sibrandes, President of Sunway University; Fr. Joseph Tham LC, the artist and former Dean of the School of Bioethics, Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum in Rome; Prof. Elizabeth Lee and Fr. Thomas Montanaro LC, Vice-Rector of the Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum.
Left : Elizabeth Lee with her husband, Cheah Ming Chiew. Together, they have 3 daughters. A rock solid happy Christian family !
Right : Elizabeth enjoying a casual moment
There are so many interesting dimensions to the Cambridge University educated Dr. Elizabeth Lee. She is a respected educator; a selfless humanitarian involved in many NGOs; prestigious recipient of several international awards and a much requested guest speaker world-wide. Elizabeth Lee is also my good friend of more than 25 years and what drew ( and continues to draw) me to her, aside from her tremendous accomplishments, is her strong Christian heart. She is passionate and ardent about her faith. For sure, Elizabeth is a Christian influencer and the perfect person to share her views on Easter – how she is able to see the values of her deep Christian faith with her ‘Easter Eyes’ and how we all too can make a more meaningful sense of our lives today.
I am reproducing here below ( with thanks and deep appreciation to Elizabeth), some excerpts taken from Elizabeth’s wonderful inspiring article which first appeared in the Malaysian ‘Star’ newspaper on April 2nd, 2024. This article was extracted from an earlier Talk given by Elizabeth Lee in the UK to the Cambridge University Malaysia Society -CUMaS : ‘ Return on Value(s): Harmonising Purpose, Needs and Expectation’. Elizabeth Lee explained that this Talk was “ … largely motivated by my personal observations on worrying shifts in society, especially when it comes to prioritising self, money, and a narrow concept of success.”
Above : The Resurrection of Christ and the Women at the Empty tomb by the great early Renaissance artist and Dominican friar, Fra Angelico 1395-1455
MAY YOU ALL BE BLESSED THIS EASTER WITH EASTER HOPE AND EASTER EYES !
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RETURN ON VALUES - FINDING HARMONY FOR A REWARDING LIFE
by Professor Dato’ Dr. Elizabeth Lee, Group CEO, Sunway Education Group
Easter 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
There’s nothing wrong in wanting to make money. Financial security, after all, helps with family harmony, peace of mind, lower stress levels and more. However, it is easy to fall into a deep abyss where the pursuit of riches overtakes everything else which then leads to the exact opposite – broken families, constant worry, high-stress, and much more. Thus, consciously harmonising our values, knowledge, and skills with the purpose we choose to serve can help better calibrate our return of value to others and oneself.
(The Problem) Return on Investment
The universally accepted performance measure known as Return on Investment (ROI) is at its core, a metric to evaluate the benefit an investor will get in return for an investment. It is a popular tool in decision-making processes, guiding individuals, and organisations in allocating resources and capital.
However, the problem arises when ROI becomes synonymous with success, and society links that to the size of one’s bank account. To compound matters, social media has exacerbated the “show-off” culture, which I believe the younger generation call “flexing”.
This focus on ROI has led to multiple problems along ethical, social, and environmental lines. One example is the fostering of a scarcity and competition mindset, which drives self-interest rather than collective prosperity. This winner takes it all or more mindset hinders collaboration, undermines trust, and threatens sustainability. It also leads to unethical practices and exploitation of resources, labour (including child labour), and the environment. We have witnessed many examples where corporations prioritise short-term profits over ethical considerations, resulting in devastating consequences for people and planet.
Oxfam reports that the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few has also reached alarming levels – the top 1% in the world owns 63% of the (new) wealth between 2019-2021.
Return on Value (ROV)
I called upon our young charges to consider the shift towards a "Return on Values” (ROV) mindset. This shift requires us to consider not only the economic but also the social, environmental, and ethical returns of our endeavours.
We need to evaluate success through a broader lens, which encompasses societal well-being, environmental sustainability and ethical governance. Only by doing so, can we build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for future generations. True success should be measured by the positive impact we have on people's lives, the health of our planet, and the sustainability of our communities.
We must be personally invested in ROV, by digging deep and discovering what’s been termed as our true north. The idiom, made famous by author Professor Bill George in his best-selling book of the same name, refers to the inner calling which serves as our guide on the path of being our genuine selves. Our true north must be anchored by core values which serve as a foundation for the way we live our lives, conduct business, and interact with others. Core values can be deeply ingrained, often influencing our priorities and ethical standards.
Professionally, I fall back on a real-life case study I know very well. Namely, that of the organisation I work for the past 32 years and its core values of Integrity, Humility and Excellence.
Integrity: Uphold the highest standards of integrity in all our endeavours, where honesty, transparency, and trustworthiness must be protected and nurtured.
Humility: Remain humble in our achievements and successes. We did not get there on our own and we might have suffered some failures along the way. Humility reminds us that there is always room to grow, and to improve in all that we do.
Excellence: Push the boundaries of what is possible and set new standards of achievement. Staying true to these values has been a blessing to me and for my organisation which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
What This Means for Future Leaders
I feel that my professional work gives me much meaning, as opposed to jobs where you can make the money (the ROI) but can be meaningless as you do not make an impact (the ROV). In encouraging our young Cantabrigians, I told them I A.S.P.I.R.E for them to shift from ROI thinking to an ROV mindset.
A - Acknowledgement: In acknowledging the various global challenges of this era, such as climate change, poverty, and greed, one can be motivated to act, to try and make a difference by innovating and finding solutions.
S - Service to Others: Legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali, once said ‘service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth”. While Martin Luther King said, ‘Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve’, there is no greater satisfaction than to serve, support, and help those around us.
P - Purpose, and I - Intention. These come together. The world is changing, young people today have better opportunities compared to young people of previous generations. While it is easy to be selfish in order to stand out, it is more rewarding – trust me – to be purposeful with your actions and always have good intentions. What goes around comes around.
R - Relationships. In the longest study on human happiness by Harvard which has gone on for 85 years, the no.1 factor in happiness is Relationships. Not money, not fame, not power and also not food! Relationships are the biggest determinants in longevity of life, quality, and meaning. In the good and the bad times, having someone there means more than anything money can buy.
E - Equity. Rather than worry about how much one earns at the start of their careers, look for good opportunities, good mentors (bosses), and good organisations which will help develop you and allow you to go far instead. Equity here is not just financials, it’s the multi-faceted values one can gain from positive surroundings and environments. Wealth can be built as one goes through life by practising good spending and investment habits.
ASPIRE for greater heights of true success, the power to shape the future, to inspire change, and to be catalysts for progress in a world which craves compassion, empathy, and innovative solutions. I wish all of you well in your ROV journey.
AND, today, just for the Christian readers of ‘Smitten By Faith’, I would like to add the following :
I *A.S.P.I.R.E* for the readers of ‘Smitten By Faith’, the following for this Easter :
*A*: *ACKNOWLEDGE* God Almighty.
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
(Proverbs 3:6)
*S*: *SERVE * with a willing heart.
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do.”
(Ephesians 6:7–8)
*P and I*: *PURPOSEFULLY* and *INTENTIONALLY* pursue the life God has called us to live.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
( Ephesians 2:10).
*R*: Build and maintain healthy *RELATIONSHIPS*
“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
( Ephesians 4:2)
*E*: Embrace and practise *EQUITY* as a virtue that leads us to a higher expression of our true nature and how our human soul resists the temptation of revenge.
“The Lord promotes equity and justice; the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth.”
(Psalm 33:5)
[ Editor’s note : To end the beautiful and powerful essay by Elizabeth Lee, I have taken the liberty to include here, a picture of a wonderful art installation named ‘ASPIRE’ by the Australian artist Warren Langley. I find that this artwork so aptly illustrates the strength of Elizabeth Lee’s words matching the words ‘Aspire’. This art installation features glowing golden trees which appear to rise up and hold aloft, the enormous weight of the overhead freeway structure. The artist’s intent was to show community action in the nearby street, which resulted in the preservation of local housing which was to have been demolished for the freeway ].
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Editor’s Note :
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