Can I add, and ACT. How? Continue to speak out against injustice. Support and be invloved with the work of NGOs working in these areas.
A Hindu temple was demolished in Shah Alam 2 days ago. Devotees were pelted with stones and beaten by enforcements officers. Lawyers who went to the police station to lodge police report were arrested and manhandled and threatened with machine gun.
Are we not going to speak out because we are Christians and not Hindus? If we continue to keep silent, there will be no one who will speak on our behalf when our churches are desecrated. It's already happening with the Orang Asli churches.
A check on the NECF's website. No press statement. CCM's website. There is a press statement not by CCM but by the President of Malaysia Hindu Sangam condemning the action of the authorities. I wonder if we are going to hear anything about this from our pulpits this Sunday. Maybe the pulpit is not meant for this. It is meant to instruct Christians how to live a more happy and fulfilled life. Isn't that what the good news or gospel supposed to do? Believe and be happy. Well, tell it to the guy in your picture.
I think while we are called to act now, we must also think through the framework of our socio-political invovlment.
While we picketed and demonstrated and cried out against injustice, all these are non negotiable, how do we make sense of forgiveness, grace and charity in our social action and social reform?
I have been invovled in amatuerish socio-political activities during my university days and now have decided to go full fledge as a member of a political party, aiding my local MP freelance. But it strucked me that what if we've won? It's really easy to lose graciously, I mean, that was how we were all taught to do, christian or not.
Can we win graciously? What are we to do with our political/economic/moral enemies? What are we to do with those who once wronged us?
And of course, the question, do we have an alternative structure to present?
Rev. Jim Wallis, said in his book, God's Politics, protest is good but alternatives are better.
I think the church is a babe when it comes to all these questions. how unfortunately. It is left to us individual to discern not only our present movement but also our next actions, just in case we won the race.
Dr. Alex, being part of the GPM leadership, may I ask you to send this msg to the national leaders; not only how we should act now, but how we should act always.
Thank you for your comments. These are importnat issues that you have brought up (1) what are the alternatives? (2) what if we wins?
Christians in each generation have to struggle with these questions because each generation is different. Detrich Bonhoeffer did that in Nazi Germany and Desmond Tutu did that in post apatheid South Africa. His commission of reconciliation has done much for forgiveness, repentance and avoidance of bloodshed.
It is important that every individual Christian and every churches be engaged with this issue. The church cannot be redemptive in its role if she hides in a religious ghetto. We cannot be salt and light if we are not involved in this country.
Jack, I am not that high up in the GPM leadership *smile* but I can always make my two cents' worth heard.
Have you read Thomas Merton's Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander New Your: Doubleday Dell, 1968? Well worth reading. Complement Jim Wallis.
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteRemember and pray
Can I add, and ACT. How? Continue to speak out against injustice. Support and be invloved with the work of NGOs working in these areas.
A Hindu temple was demolished in Shah Alam 2 days ago. Devotees were pelted with stones and beaten by enforcements officers. Lawyers who went to the police station to lodge police report were arrested and manhandled and threatened with machine gun.
Are we not going to speak out because we are Christians and not Hindus? If we continue to keep silent, there will be no one who will speak on our behalf when our churches are desecrated. It's already happening with the Orang Asli churches.
A check on the NECF's website. No press statement. CCM's website. There is a press statement not by CCM but by the President of Malaysia Hindu Sangam condemning the action of the authorities. I wonder if we are going to hear anything about this from our pulpits this Sunday. Maybe the pulpit is not meant for this. It is meant to instruct Christians how to live a more happy and fulfilled life. Isn't that what the good news or gospel supposed to do? Believe and be happy. Well, tell it to the guy in your picture.
Hi splim,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insightful comments.
Here's something from anthony's blog
When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
We need to do some serious DOING.
I think while we are called to act now, we must also think through the framework of our socio-political invovlment.
ReplyDeleteWhile we picketed and demonstrated and cried out against injustice, all these are non negotiable, how do we make sense of forgiveness, grace and charity in our social action and social reform?
I have been invovled in amatuerish socio-political activities during my university days and now have decided to go full fledge as a member of a political party, aiding my local MP freelance. But it strucked me that what if we've won? It's really easy to lose graciously, I mean, that was how we were all taught to do, christian or not.
Can we win graciously? What are we to do with our political/economic/moral enemies? What are we to do with those who once wronged us?
And of course, the question, do we have an alternative structure to present?
Rev. Jim Wallis, said in his book, God's Politics, protest is good but alternatives are better.
I think the church is a babe when it comes to all these questions. how unfortunately. It is left to us individual to discern not only our present movement but also our next actions, just in case we won the race.
Dr. Alex, being part of the GPM leadership, may I ask you to send this msg to the national leaders; not only how we should act now, but how we should act always.
Jack
Hi jack,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. These are importnat issues that you have brought up
(1) what are the alternatives?
(2) what if we wins?
Christians in each generation have to struggle with these questions because each generation is different. Detrich Bonhoeffer did that in Nazi Germany and Desmond Tutu did that in post apatheid South Africa. His commission of reconciliation has done much for forgiveness, repentance and avoidance of bloodshed.
It is important that every individual Christian and every churches be engaged with this issue. The church cannot be redemptive in its role if she hides in a religious ghetto. We cannot be salt and light if we are not involved in this country.
Jack, I am not that high up in the GPM leadership *smile* but I can always make my two cents' worth heard.
Have you read Thomas Merton's Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander New Your: Doubleday Dell, 1968? Well worth reading. Complement Jim Wallis.