|
October 2000
Dear Friends,
The word "fear" has come to my attention in the past
few weeks in the course of my daily work. It was not due to any
personal incident causing me to be afraid, but rather two encounters
with persons who felt that fear is a serious issue for Christians.
The first person, a Christian leader in a predominantly Muslim
country, said, "We do not feel that people should leave their
places only due to fear. We must face it and take this as a challenge
to encourage others who are behind us." I was impressed with
his statement, coming from one who lives in a place where harassment
and fanaticism are very real. The second person, a Hong Kong Christian
activist, said that the Church needed to be liberated from fear
in order to allow the diverse expressions of humanity that should
characterize authentic discipleship. The context of her statement
had to do with sexuality, but it could be applied to many more
areas of our lives.
In the years leading up to the change of sovereignty in 1997,
people in Hong Kong were indeed afraid—afraid of the unknown,
afraid of the Communist government, afraid they would lose their
freedoms and the lifestyle they enjoyed. One of the most valuable
lessons to come out of that period was the affirmation of the
power of community to allay fear. In the church, when ministers
and denominations stood together to proclaim their faith in God’s
providence and protection, it made a world of difference to believers.
When messages of prayer and concern poured in from friends around
the globe, it was a great encouragement to the Hong Kong Church.
We would not be forgotten. We would not be left alone.
I have pondered over the power of community once again, as I
follow the controversy over the canonization of 120 Chinese Christians
and missionaries by the Roman Catholic Church on October 1, China’s
National Day. This action by the Vatican brought a furious response
from the Chinese government in Beijing, which claimed the Vatican
had distorted history and that these "martyrs" were
accomplices of the imperialists who invaded China, some committing
"enormous crimes." The Chinese government also accused
Rome of offending the feelings of the Chinese people and the dignity
of the Chinese nation. Such strong words of condemnation would
be enough to send many people crawling under the table, including
me. But the response of the Catholic Church both in Rome and in
Hong Kong has been exactly the opposite. Instead of retreating
or apologizing for the action, the Roman Catholic Church has justified
its action as an honor to the Chinese people and says it should
be celebrated by the church worldwide. As Bishop Joseph Zen of
the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong wrote:
Let us thank God for giving us the message of the gospel through
the dedication and sacrifice of these 120 martyrs. Let us thank
God for having chosen 87 of our Chinese brothers and sisters to
be his champions and become examples for all the faithful in the
world. Let us ask him to give us courage to persevere in faith
and never betray our conscience.
Such an event could never have happened in the Protestant church.
Obviously we do not canonize saints, but, even more, we no longer
have a universal church organization that has the moral authority
to speak on behalf of all its followers. We have no visible head
representing Christ to give our allegiance to against anything
else demanding our ultimate loyalty. Therefore, when we speak
or act, it is usually as a divided body with little influence
beyond our limited denominational or ecumenical circles. This
is the price we pay for our brokenness.
I take heart knowing that many believers in both the "open"
and "underground" church in mainland China have followed
their conscience in these vital matters of faith. Many also suffer
because of it, but this has not dampened their zeal. Chinese Catholics
know they have the support and blessing of their spiritual leaders
and of the international Catholic religious community. They are
willing to pay the price for their beliefs. They are not afraid.
How about you and me?
Judy Chan
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page 162
|
