wfn.org | TCN Editorial: Evangelism includes staying tuned to people’s concerns

["Lydia Ma" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>2990 Edition

>June 15~21, 2009

Editorial: Evangelism includes staying tuned to people’s  concerns

>Translated by Lydia Ma

Mid-June is typically the season when the Presbyterian Church in  Taiwan’s three

seminaries hold convocations. This year, about 70 freshly-minted  M.Div. students

will begin a new chapter in their lives centered on preaching the  gospel. We

encourage all church members to pray for this band of young  warriors so that God’s

Spirit can be on them as they preach the gospel for the rest of  their lives.

Luke 4:16~21 is a familiar passage for anyone commissioned to  preach the

gospel. Those who are commissioned must preach the gospel and  defend the

cause of the poor, prisoners, and oppressed. This is in essence a  portrayal of

>Jesus’ life and ministry as well.

This year’s graduates will soon join others who have gone  before them in facing the

biggest challenge Taiwan has ever encountered. In terms of the  economy, Taiwan is

facing the biggest economic crisis since the end of World War II  due to bungled

economic policies, inflation, and the global financial crisis,  which have significantly

shrunk the national economy and increased the rate of unemployment  to

>unprecedented levels.

According to statistics, 1% increase in the rate of unemployment  translates into 500

more cases of suicide in Taiwan. In other words, more than 20,000  people have

committed suicide in the past year that the Ma administration has  been in office.

This figure is close to the number of people who lost their lives  during the February

>28 Incident.

If the Ma administration signs an Economic Cooperation Framework  Agreement

(ECFA) with China sometime this year or next year as it is set on  doing, Taiwan’s

economic superiority over China will disappear overnight and the  fate of Taiwan’s

economy will be in China’s hands. Taiwan’s predicament  can only become worse

from that point onward. Though many experts have urged the Ma  administration to

slow down and turn back, their counsel has fallen on deaf ears.  This government is

keen on handing Taiwan over to China on a silver platter.

According to reports, the Chinese government has expressed high  satisfaction with

the way the Ma administration has governed Taiwan. It hopes that  economic

integration with Taiwan can be achieved during Ma’s current  term in office. Signing

ECFA is a critical stepping stone toward that goal and the most  important task for

officials on both sides of the Taiwan Strait at the moment.

In view of recent developments, opposition against ECFA has  mounted significantly

across Taiwan because economic or trade agreements between China  and Taiwan

can actually be negotiated under WTO instead of signing another  agreement that

would relegate Taiwan to the same status as Hong Kong when  negotiating with

China. Furthermore, research has confirmed that Hong Kong’s  rate of

unemployment and poverty increased after signing an economic  agreement similar

>to ECFA with China.

A petition demanding the Ma administration conduct a referendum  regarding

whether or not to sign ECFA has already begun in Taiwan in recent  weeks. People

are rising up and demanding that this issue be decided through  direct democracy.

Regarding this petition, we can refer to a declaration issued by  the Presbyterian

Church in Taiwan in the 1970s, which essentially declares human  rights as God-

given rights so that Taiwanese people can decide their own future.

Let us remember the PCT’s declaration and participate in this  petition so that we

can stay tuned to Taiwanese people’s concerns even as we  evangelize. Taiwanese

clergy cannot afford to pretend they do not see these national  developments or do

not hear the voices of the people. We cannot turn a deaf ear to  people’s suffering.

Otherwise, our proclamations of peace and the gospel we preach  will be

meaningless to those we are trying to reach for Christ.

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