In solidarity demand true peace

Watching the news evening after evening, hearing stories, memories, I find myself asking the Lord to gift peace to the world. Today I wonder if my prayer has much depth to it, after all the Lord did gift us with free choice, there is no debate that we are using that gift!  Peace though, why are we not embracing this gift…

What feels like many moons ago, I was in China. I was fortunate enough to know couple who lived there, an Australian girl who married a chinese athlete. We all meet while living in Japan, keeping contact when I found myself in China I got in touch to see behind the scenes of what seems like a country built on a clash of modernism and tradition. 

Unlike other Asian countries I had lived in, transportation was mainly the use of taxis, as they were convenient and cheap. Yet taxi drivers wore their road rage on their outside, shoving when necessary, hitting when riled up and also laced with profanities when been involved with 'fender bender' as I learnt to call the small incidents. 

Many times sitting in the backseat of the taxi while the driver gets into an argument, I started to take it in my stride that its a part of ordinary life to witness fist fights between Chinese taxi drivers. At first I was uncomfortable with the physical violence, which even to this day I would be and apart of me twisted in fright at been a helpless witness. 

I did learn that nobody ever ended up being badly hurt and often the fight was a public spectacle. It never took long for a group of both men and women to descend upon the two drivers and forcibly break them up. 

I learnt a very common saying - 

"Suan le ba, suan le ba" meaning "just forget it, let it go" 

There is a small beauty that I draw from these moments, as I watch the news of violence, of unsettled peace in our world, think we all could learn from the chinese…. 

The act of breaking up taxi drivers was volatile and physical, yet it was always done by a group of people, mixed gender, age, strength all coming together to signal group solidarity to put an end to the actions of a few. 

Giving a very clear message  - we want the fighting to stop! - 

Peace!!! 

I think that there is a little misunderstanding around the concept of peace! As christians we have long sought to keep peace by silencing dissent under the pursuing of unity, having a coating of zealous concern for been nice and holding an unwillingness to move on the status quo at times. There is one question that is often forgotten to be asked! 

For whom do we keep peace???

As wherever peace is elusive, the first ones to suffer are the vulnerable. 

This is clearly demonstrated in todays society, just take the example of corporations engaging in legal battles that employees don't get a vote even though they are the ones holding highest stakes. Or what about relationships, when martial tensions rise its the children's tender spirits that lay at the parents mercy. 

As we have witness in the past few months, when war ravages a country, the displaced people helplessly suffer!! 

This teaches us all that when keeping peace only benefits the powerful this is not christian peace at all. 

During the christmas season the image of Jesus as a sweet baby is a rather abrupt departure from the kind of peace we see Jesus embody in scripture. Even as an infant, baby Jesus disrupted the power authorities of the day, sending them scrambling into every homes killing firstborn baby boys… 

The same Jesus grew to preach 'radical' teachings - the first shall be last, love your enemies, grace and mercy shall transcend the law. 

The Prince of Peace turned tables in the marketplace of greed, shared meals with 'unclean' people, wept with grieving women. Entering Jerusalem on a donkey fully aware he was to be executed as a political dissident; was tied by the reigning religious authority of the day. His peace did not protect the powerful, it disrupted the systems, brazenly paving a new way and inviting those in the margins to follow. 

Bring us back to the question - For whom do we keep peace??

Todays society is disrupted by scandalizing conflict, from Bill Cosby rape 'accusations' or the 'harsh disciplinary methods' of certain people, or entire neighborhoods weary of losing their young men to violence. It makes the call for no-one to dare not keep peace by silencing the voice of the victims. Instead, there must be room for disruptions to take place, let the voices of those marginalized wear down the reigning power structures. The cries of minorities not be labelled oversensitive or the desperate pleas of abuse victims as 'unforgiving' and the repetitive calls for gender equality as 'whiny' or 'shrill'. 

If the scandal disturbs us, upsets up, makes us uncomfortable then we may just be on the right track to peacemaking, after all that is also where Jesus began. Let us never forget that the reigning Roman Empire of Jesus' day appeared peaceful under a certain light. Merchants were flourishing, economy booming, religious structures intact helping to maintain order and complicity from citizens. YET behind the illusion, civilization was superficial peace that was extracted from violence, a society built on the backs of slave labor and spiritual oppression. 

I believe the cross pierced that illusion, exposing a false peace to make way for lasting peace. Jesus took real action that even cost his life. Therefore its a call to all who follow Jesus to shed the passivity of peace-keeping in exchange for active engagement of peace-making. 

Just like all those people on the Chinese streets, let us not walk past the disruptions of peace by turning a blind eye, but become involved, ofter our hands and feet in solidarity to demand true peace.