A Nation in a Word

A word may be so little, and yet be so packed with power. Recently, I found myself seeking the comfort of connection and simple gifts, amidst lonely days and wearisome frustrations. hygge - I found myself typing into the Overdrive search field. It was no wonder - hygge encapsulated the spirit of what my soul was searching for.

I found myself reading the first few chapters of Marie Tourell Søderberg's book on the topic, and soon realised that hygge is about more than I'd imagined. I came to learn that hygge is not just about all I find charming about the Scandinavian lifestyle - simplicity, beauty and design in everyday things, teatime rituals and the art of crafting shared living spaces. hygge has come to be recognised as a key value of the Danish people, the essence of which has been shaped by the nation's history and culture. A climate characterised by more cold and damp than sunshine and a history of being gradually made smaller over the years by external political forces have not exhausted the spirit of the Danes. Rather, they have responded by a stubborn insistence to hold on to each other through the times of testing, for both warmth, and a sense of communal identity. They have more than survived.

I found myself wondering - what about Singapore? If there were one word, that captures the essence of us, what would it be?

Sheepishly, for a while, I couldn't quite think beyond this one, equally strange word - kiasu*. It's not hard to understand why being kiasu is so deeply entrenched in our psyche. We are a tiny nation, and are thus highly dependent on other nations for natural resources. Our very survival rests upon healthy diplomatic relations. There was much threatening our sovereignty, and therefore much to be afraid of. To be accurate, perhaps it was kiasi that plagued our consciousness those earlier days, rather than kiasu. The early years of our nationhood were not easy ones - but somehow, we more than survived. The world must have been surprised by the little island nation which not only sprang up in the blink of an eye (it would be, if we consider the timeline of world history), but even boasts a world-class airline, public housing, and education system.

And once that happened, there was no turning back. From having nothing to lose, having had nothing, we found ourselves having to fight hard to defend our world-class standing. We had won, not having set out to do so, and now, we must not lose. Enter kiasu. 

There will be no book written about 'The Art of being Kiasu', for it bears negative connotations on the word cline to which it belongs. With its slew of successes, Singapore has grown proud, so much so that we would rather shrug off any suggestion that there was something we had to be afraid of. Why, we have our sovereignty to guard!

Singapore has truly grown from strength to strength over our short period of independence; it's no wonder there is much to be proud of - especially in spite of being so very small. Yet, there is also the keen awareness that our very existence hangs on a thread. We paddle furiously, for we think that it is what is needed to maintain our position on the leaderboard. Beneath that proud veneer, a frenetic energy drives the nation, almost desperately. It is almost as if our success has made us its slaves. We succumb.

Yet - that can hardly be the promised end. God has not yet been considered, though He is the author of the world's history. Should this be a Godless world, Singapore should be much afraid. Knowing that the hearts of kings lie in God's hands, and that nations are but a drop in His balance, we glimpse a new perspective. What if Singapore is merely His instrument, with a destiny of fulfilling His purpose, not ours? What if our successes are part of His sovereign plan - not only for our sake, but for the world? What if our future is determined not by how "future-ready" we make ourselves, nor how hard we work, but other factors in His consideration?

In this light, we reorient our hearts. We continue to fear - but what do we fear? It is no longer losing out, nor falling behind that we fear. We see God at the centre of the universe - and so we fear Him - and Him alone. We fear God, as this is the beginning of all wisdom. We place our hope in Him, and are rewarded with confidence - not in changing circumstances or the cleverness of human minds - but in that firm knowledge that our future lies in His hands. We are desperate - to follow His revealed will, and to please Him - and for that we fight. Beyond that, we rest - knowing that there is nothing else to be done.

With that, I think I've found the word. 義 This Chinese character for righteousness logographically depicts a sacrificial lamb serving as a covering for oneself. This is the essence of my vision for Singapore - that we would be made righteous, because of His sacrifice. Dare I dream this for our nation? I do, and must. 

 *kiasu is a Hokkien (a Chinese dialect) word meaning 'afraid to lose out'