wfn.org | TCN: PCT shows appreciation for Dalai Lama’s visit to typhoon-damaged regions

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3002 Edition

>September 7~13, 2009

PCT shows appreciation for Dalai Lama’s visit to  typhoon-damaged regions

>Reported by Lin Yi-ying

>Written by Lydia Ma

The Dalai Lama, renowned spiritual leader of the Tibetan  government in exile,

visited Taiwan on August 30th-September 4th at the invitation of 7  local

government leaders from Southern Taiwan to pray and reach out to  victims of

>Typhoon Morakot.

Though the visit was vehemently opposed by Beijing, coolly  received and played

down by the Ma administration, and fiercely criticized by  pro-China media outlets

in Taiwan, the Nobel Prize laureate and renowned religious leader  maintained a

low profile and handled every situation with poise.

Commenting on the Dalai Lama’s visit, Presbyterian Church in  Taiwan (PCT)

General Assembly Moderator Leornard Lin said Taiwanese people  should

emulate the Dalai Lama’s apparent display of humility, love,  and forgiveness.

Besides visiting regions devastated by Typhoon Morakot and  comforting victims,

the Dalai Lama also met with Cardinal Shan Kuo-shi on September  3rd and the

two held a dialogue on religion for more than two hours. Several  PCT General

Assembly and presbytery leaders were also present at the meeting.

PCT Associate General Secretary Lyim Hong-tiong commented on the  Dalai

Lama’s visit on behalf of the PCT by noting it was first and  foremost for

humanitarian purposes. The Dalai Lama had come to comfort victims  and PCT

would honor and respect such visits. PCT also encouraged all  religious leaders

to have compassion, reach out, and offer material aid to flood  victims.

Lyim also said that PCT would continue to reach out to typhoon  victims and help

them rebuild their homes. Its presbyteries would hold a special  service in mid-

September in areas devastated by the typhoon and continue to visit  victims who

have now been relocated from temporary shelters to military  barracks.

Finally, Lyim urged political parties in Taiwan, foreign leaders,  and media outlets

to avoid politicizing the Dalai Lama’s visit when he had come  for the sole

purpose of comforting suffering victims. He also called on these  people to be

>levelheaded and demonstrate some empathy.

Lyim said he was very touched after listening to the Dalai  Lama’s conversation

with Cardinal Shan and he thought it was amazing that leaders from  two different

religions were leading the way in showing mercy and solidarity. A  sense of

peace, reconciliation, and harmony flowed from the Dalai  Lama’s visit and it was

reminiscent of the Bible’s command to weep with those who  weep. Such

gestures can help those who are grieving to overcome despair and  lighten their

burden so that weeping will be replaced with rejoicing.

Leonard Lin also disclosed that Cardinal Shan Kuo-shi had stood  with him under

the sun’s blazing heat for more than two hours the day before  during a national

inter-religious prayer meeting for Morakot victims. For someone  suffering from

fourth stage pulmonary cancer, such gesture of solidarity with  victims was really

inspiring. Lin said both the Dalai Lama and Cardinal Shan had  followed Jesus’

example of loving people, sowing hope where there was only  despair, bringing

light where there was only darkness, and sharing a message of  peace and joy

>where there was only sadness.

PCT General Secretary Andrew Chang commented the exchange between  Shan

and the Dalai Lama was filled with words of wisdom and reminded  everyone in

attendance that as long as there is love, there is a way to save  Taiwan. Chang

urged for more dialogue between political parties and between  people from

different ethnicities as antidote against animosity, suspicion,  and prejudice.

He also hoped pastors from churches across Taiwan will respect and  honor visits

from any religious leader, and through such exchanges, pass on  God’s love to

>every mourning family.

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