It is the evening of June 4th. Where else can I be but the Candlelight Vigil at Victoria Park? I arrived on time, and would normally sit comfortably in the middle of one of the 6 soccer fields, nursing my candle, and singing my heart out whenever I have a chance to. But this is an unusual year. The crowd trying to enter the park was much thicker than usual. I was late.
In fact, my wife and I (and an old secondary school classmate) could barely got into the park. We followed the crowd, squeezed, wiggled, and finally wormed ourselves to the edge of the last soccer field, where we could at least see some of the people seated there, and listen to the proceedings.
The sight of all the candles was impressive. But it should have been even more striking. Because there were far more people than the number of candles available. I felt bad for not having listened to my wife, who wanted us to take with us some of the old half-burnt candles that we saved from previous years - I was in too much of a hurry to get out of the apartment. So we had no bulletin, no candle, and for a long time, could not hear what was going on. I could not sing along with the crowd because I could not remember the words for the songs although I knew the tune - until I found a trodden-many-times bulletin on the ground.
Tonight we can be proud to be HongKongers. Where else in China, and in the whole wide world, can you find so many people gathering to remember what happened 20 years ago. The organizers said there were 150,000 people. The police, as usual, said the number was less than half of that, 62,800. It is amazing that the police can come up with a number that appears to be so accurate - down to the hundreds, when the crowd spilled from the soccer fields to the basketball courts to the grass fields to the walkways to the streets outside. The truth is probably somewhere in between. But the actual number does not matter.
What is important is that there were lots and lots of people, overflowing not just the soccer fields but the whole Victoria Park. My wife was there with me. My daughter was there somewhere with her friends. Many of my best friends were there. Some of my colleagues and students were there. All of us stood up to be counted, for what we believe in. And there were a lot of young people among us.
I shall sleep well tonight, having done something that means a lot to me.
I was there, yes, where else could I be. My husband was suddenly called to business in the Mainland but then I had the company of two female principals. I was there from the beginning to the end. I managed to sit at the edge of one of the soccer fields, could not see the stage and barely the screen but was able to get the bulletin and candle (my friend brought 3 candle holders particularly made for this purpose), and I was still suffering from discomfort due to a heavy cold. But it does not matter - I want to be counted, I want to send my respect to the dead, condolescences and moral support to the living parents, anger to the rulers who were responsible, and despise for those who do not speak with conscience.
These are the moments when I am proud of being a Hongkonger. History will remember us when one day China has become a nation that we are proud of, in the broadest sense, in the sense where human rights are respected and protected, unlike what our CE has so narrowly defined. Ann
It is the evening of June 4th. Where else can I be but the Candlelight Vigil at Victoria Park? I arrived on time, and would normally sit comfortably in the middle of one of the 6 soccer fields, nursing my candle, and singing my heart out whenever I have a chance to. But this is an unusual year. The crowd trying to enter the park was much thicker than usual. I was late.
In fact, my wife and I (and an old secondary school classmate) could barely got into the park. We followed the crowd, squeezed, wiggled, and finally wormed ourselves to the edge of the last soccer field, where we could at least see some of the people seated there, and listen to the proceedings.
The sight of all the candles was impressive. But it should have been even more striking. Because there were far more people than the number of candles available. I felt bad for not having listened to my wife, who wanted us to take with us some of the old half-burnt candles that we saved from previous years - I was in too much of a hurry to get out of the apartment. So we had no bulletin, no candle, and for a long time, could not hear what was going on. I could not sing along with the crowd because I could not remember the words for the songs although I knew the tune - until I found a trodden-many-times bulletin on the ground.
Tonight we can be proud to be HongKongers. Where else in China, and in the whole wide world, can you find so many people gathering to remember what happened 20 years ago. The organizers said there were 150,000 people. The police, as usual, said the number was less than half of that, 62,800. It is amazing that the police can come up with a number that appears to be so accurate - down to the hundreds, when the crowd spilled from the soccer fields to the basketball courts to the grass fields to the walkways to the streets outside. The truth is probably somewhere in between. But the actual number does not matter.
What is important is that there were lots and lots of people, overflowing not just the soccer fields but the whole Victoria Park. My wife was there with me. My daughter was there somewhere with her friends. Many of my best friends were there. Some of my colleagues and students were there. All of us stood up to be counted, for what we believe in. And there were a lot of young people among us.
I shall sleep well tonight, having done something that means a lot to me.
4 comments:
It is proud of China!
That is the hope, June 4th is still remembered!
I was there, yes, where else could I be. My husband was suddenly called to business in the Mainland but then I had the company of two female principals. I was there from the beginning to the end. I managed to sit at the edge of one of the soccer fields, could not see the stage and barely the screen but was able to get the bulletin and candle (my friend brought 3 candle holders particularly made for this purpose), and I was still suffering from discomfort due to a heavy cold. But it does not matter - I want to be counted, I want to send my respect to the dead, condolescences and moral support to the living parents, anger to the rulers who were responsible, and despise for those who do not speak with conscience.
These are the moments when I am proud of being a Hongkonger. History will remember us when one day China has become a nation that we are proud of, in the broadest sense, in the sense where human rights are respected and protected, unlike what our CE has so narrowly defined. Ann
我們是一群華人基督徒。我們領受了上帝的救恩大愛，被呼召來行出「愛人如己」的神聖誡命。
正是這樣的愛，使我們無法忘記發生在一九八九年的六四慘案。這是一場由中共少數當權者動用軍隊，對和平請願民眾的屠殺；這場殺戮將專制制度的殘暴和虛偽，以及人心最深處的罪孽和黑暗，赤裸裸地呈現在上帝和世人面前。但是，時至今日，這一慘案的真相仍被政府刻意隱瞞著，許多受害人依舊處於被逼迫的困境中。而中國人二十年來持續地活在一個由強權維繫的謊言之下，以至於在年輕人的心中，這一歷史已經被扭曲、甚至完全忘卻。
我們認爲，無論這二十年來財富的積累和擴展如何鼎盛而喧嘩，關於六四悲劇的記憶、控制和遺忘，仍然壓迫並扭曲著中國人的心靈。從中國人失魂喪魄的生命狀態，麻木冷漠的道德意識，失去誠實、勇敢、仁愛和正直的文化，到官場上無法遏制的腐敗，社會中急劇分化的貧富差距，都無不與二十年前的這一場血案息息相關——與二十年來官方的謊言與遮蓋，以及我們在這謊話下的苟且與沉默密不可分。
再也不能這樣下去了！我們不能再沉默！我們必須說出上帝要基督徒們發出的正義之聲。
我們謹向二十年來爲這一事件尋求真相與正義、並付出各種努力和代價的人們致以崇高的敬意；我們對「天安門母親」等六四受難者家屬群體、及爲此遭受政治與司法迫害的人們表示深切的同情。
我們認爲，六四作爲政治罪惡的一個醜陋標誌，其意義不只是向中國人指明了一個更好的社會政治模式之必要；更向中國人指明，任何建立在罪惡人性與短暫塵世的社會理想，都是不完全的，都不可能承載人生的意義和價值。一切基於人本、將神排除在外的理想，即使看來再好，都不過是金玉其外、敗絮其中。國人一百多年來在尋求民族自強的路上一再付出的慘重代價，就是明證。
我們中間一些出身中國大陸的學人，今天之所以成爲基督徒，其尋求信仰的歷程，多與六四事件密切相關。一方面，它激起了我們作爲知識分子的社會正義感，民族、國家的苦難使我們痛心疾首，專制暴力的罪孽更粉碎了我們在人間尋找天堂的夢想。另一方面，這一悲劇也震撼了我們的靈魂，使我們看見自己並不是站在這一罪孽和悲劇之外的全然無辜者。一切社會層面上的苦難，雖然往往被歸結於制度與政治的醜惡，然而，究其根本，它無不源於人心中根深蒂固的罪性。就這一罪性而言，我們與殺戮的決定者、指揮者和執行者，並無根本的不同。感謝主，我們雖同爲罪人，卻蒙了從上帝而來的奇異恩典，悔改認罪，接受耶穌爲主， 從而成爲上帝的兒女。
我們認爲，信仰基督，不但意味著領受個人的救恩，更意味著相信上帝的愛和公義掌管著人類歷史。基督徒靠著上帝的恩典與真理，不但領受傳揚福音的使命，也領受愛人如己、作光作鹽、治理這地的社會文化使命。我們相信，社會生活的每一個領域都屬於上帝，沒有一個領域不應該充滿從上帝而來的聖潔、公義、慈愛、憐憫。我們認爲，持守聖經真理，在每一個時代和族群中關懷公義、看顧弱者、指摘罪惡、饒恕敵人，這些都是基督徒不可逃避的社會責任。
我們特別爲自己的罪在上帝面前憂傷痛悔。我們身爲基督徒，甚至奉獻成爲牧師、傳道人，有些卻因著偏頗的神學立場，將聖俗斷然兩分，把自己禁錮在一個與世上的苦難和罪惡隔離的自義國度中；有些則因著懦弱、麻木的良心，膽怯地活在骨肉同胞的政治苦難之外。我們不敢行公義、好憐憫；我們不敢向著無辜坐監的人伸出援助之手，不敢在一個黑暗的世代指摘罪惡，以至於事實上我們成了偽善的基督徒，默認並且縱容了不義者。
在六四二十週年之際，我們願意深刻反省，並懷著悔改的心及殷切的期待，向全球華人教會發出呼籲：懇請海內外華人教會從二○○九年五月十二日四川大地震紀念日，到六月四日六四血案紀念日之間，爲國人的靈魂得救、社會公義與民族前途懇切禱告；將五月十二日和六月四日作爲華人教會的禁食禱告日，並在五一二和六四期間舉行「爲國家禱告會」。
我們相信，惟有在真相得以還原、正義得以伸張的基礎上，和解才有其意義與價值。因此，我們向全球華人基督徒呼籲：
一、承認、並且求上帝赦免我們面對六四血案中所犯下的怯懦、麻木、偽善、隱瞞、遺忘和沉默的罪。
二、尋求並揭開六四的真相，包括：
1. 就我們所知，在家人、同事、朋友或客戶面前，說出六四真相，並在能力所及的範圍內，公開表明基督徒對這一事件的立場；
2. 關心並且幫助我們身邊那些因六四而遭受迫害和傷害的個人與群體，也鼓勵知道真相的人勇敢站出來。
三、爲當時和現在中國領導人的悔改禱告，並敦促他們：
1. 面對歷史，糾正錯誤；
2. 公佈真相，追查元兇；
3. 公開悼念六四血案的受難者，賠償、撫恤受難者家屬；
4. 對於因六四事件而流亡海外的人士，給予他們自由歸國的權利。
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