Below are Singapore’s top poems of 2023, as determined by YouVersion. In partnership with The Langham Partnership, Christians Today reached out to three local Bible scholars for their thoughts and analysis on what to make of the current state of Christianity in Singapore as seen from these findings. Ta.
Mr. Samuel Lo, Dean of Advanced Studies and Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies, Singapore Bible University
What’s your overall reaction to this list?
It’s not surprising. In general, the scriptures are reflexive responses to worldviews and issues in our context, and subscribe to the theological frameworks of Singapore’s leading megachurches/sects.
What do the more unique scriptures on this list tell us about Singapore’s spiritual needs?
I was actually even more surprised that Proverbs 3:5-6 is unique to Singapore, and I would have expected it to be mentioned in other countries as well. I remember a Sunday school song based on these verses that we used to sing when I was growing up in America. Perhaps this poem is popular in Singapore because it parallels the Asian/Confucian attitude towards life’s journey and is consistent with the Taoist worldview.
Given the events of this past year, are there any scriptures you wish you had included on this list?
Isaiah 55. This chapter reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways and that God is still at work despite the circumstances. Despite his 21st century situation of VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous), nothing hinders his power to change the situation according to his mission to save all creation.
Peter CW Ho, Dean, Faculty of Theology, Singapore Bible University (English)
What’s your overall reaction to this list?
We’re not surprised, but we’re concerned. For example, in college we often discuss Jeremiah 29:11. Students will say they didn’t know about the “good plan” involved in asylum, and “you” is plural. These texts are often read out of context and quickly become personalized. There are clearly hermeneutic and interpretive gaps in the way we read the Bible. We have been reading the Bible in fragments, but now we are training students to read in large chunks in context.
What do the more unique scriptures on this list tell us about Singapore’s spiritual needs?
Reading these verses without context reveals several problems.
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A strong focus on receiving what is positive for the individual. This includes God’s material provision and guidance for choices for success.
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At least half of these choices reflect a lack of faith or a sense of fear. This underlies scriptures such as Isaiah 41:10, Joshua 1:9, Proverbs 3:5, 1 Peter 5:7, and John 14:27. Note that this is not “fear” of God.
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If the (Singapore) data, combined with “whatever is good for me” and fear for life (rather than God), the underlying meaning of the scripture is how God deals with His people. If , reflects a general ignorance of the larger historical context, then we have reason to be concerned.
Given the events of this past year, are there any scriptures you wish you had included on this list?
These verses focus primarily in one direction. That is, it is not how I should live before God, but what God should do for me (my commitment to God, e.g. Deuteronomy 6:4). We need to bring our focus back to God.
There is also a lack of how the collective of God’s people should live before God and in community (justice, righteousness, love, etc.). We need to move beyond what is good for ourselves.
Perhaps most frightening is the lack of choice to express our faith in Jesus Christ and our worth as the most important thing. Material success and life’s anxieties characterize the general selection of poems, but Christ is rarely found.
Maggie Lowe, faculty member at Trinity Theological College and ordained minister at the Presbyterian Church of Singapore
What’s your overall reaction to this list?
In general, it is encouraging to see people looking to God in a troubled world through scriptures like Isaiah 41:10 and Jeremiah 29:11. As a Biblical scholar, I want my readers to understand that the historical context presupposes repentance on the part of the Jewish exiles for whom this text was written.
Similarly with Joshua 1:9, I would like the reader to be more aware of 1:8, which calls for meditation on the law. Finally, I was surprised to find that Proverbs 4:23 is quoted in Singapore, and that it is actually the number one Bible verse in Taiwan. Perhaps it would resonate more in a Confucian context.
What do the more unique scriptures on this list tell us about Singapore’s spiritual needs?
On the other hand, it is no surprise that Proverbs 3:5-6 is used in Singapore, although it is not quoted in other countries. This is a scripture often taught in Sunday school. Perhaps it reflects our desire to achieve good results in school or work amid uncertainty and unpredictability, so we must turn to God and surrender everything to Him. It won’t.
However, I would like to emphasize that this is not a prediction of a positive outcome, but a genre of proverbs based on observation.
Given the events of this past year, are there any scriptures you wish you had included on this list?
Psalm 94:1–2 is something I have been stressing to my students regarding the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. We need to realize that God is a God of justice, not just rewards, and that it is okay for people to express anger at Him. In fact, it is also necessary for our mental health.