wfn.org | TCN Editorial: May the stories of 228 mold our mission

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>2973 Edition

>February 16~22, 2009

Editorial: May the stories of 228 mold our mission

Taiwan will soon observe 228 Memorial Day. As Taiwanese  Christians, how should we commemorate this day that dramatically changed  the lives of so many Taiwanese and the country’s culture, history,  and society?

Perhaps some people don’t know the origin of this holiday,  while others have forgotten what happened on February 28, 1947. These  are likely scenarios for many young people today and the trend should  serve as a wake-up call to everyone.

228 Memorial Day was set apart in memory of the 228 Incident which  occurred on February 28, 1947 when a female cigarette vendor was stopped  and shot by an officer from the Office of Monopoly for Tobacco and  Alcohol because she was selling banned products.

Taiwanese petitioned and demonstrated against the Nationalist  (KMT) government at the time because they felt the law was unfairly  enforced. In response, the government sent out an army to suppress  protests and also used the opportunity to arrest and murder Taiwanese  leaders and intellectuals in the name of cracking down a mass rebellion.

The 228 Incident is not only a tragedy involving the death of  thousands of Taiwanese that caused significant social and political  turmoil and distorted the character of Taiwanese across the country; it  is also intricately related to the development of Taiwanese history and  culture. Hence, it is a pity for any Taiwanese to be ignorant about it  and a tragedy for any Taiwanese who have forgotten it.

According to some news reports, Pope Benedict XVI had a formal  meeting with 68 leaders representing several major Jewish organizations  and issued the following statement during the gathering:  “Forgetting or belittling the truth of the Holocaust suffered by  Jews under the Nazi regime is unacceptable and unforgiveable. Memories  serve as warnings for future reference, prompting us to reconcile with  others and build lasting friendships. Memories help us avoid similar  catastrophes from ever happening again.”

We believe that Taiwanese attitude about the 228 Incident should  be likewise. We should not forget what happened on February 28, 1947  just because the government has created a national holiday on February  28 or built several memorial stones or parks in its memory. We should be  aware that there are still many untold stories about the 228 Incident  hidden in many corners of Taiwan.

There are still many personal stories about 228 that are largely  ignored by the public. We don’t have the right to tell the families  of victims that they should put the past behind them because we’ve  done all we should do. We cannot tell their stories for them, nor tell  them to let go of the past based on what we know about their stories.

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan’s confession of faith  acknowledges that the Church is the fellowship of God’s people  “rooted in this land, identifying with all its inhabitants, and  through love and suffering becoming the sign of hope.” Based on  this statement, we should do our best to shed light on untold stories  about the 228 Incident by listening intently to what the victims have to  say, acknowledging their stories, and re-telling these stories with  them.

Many of the stories surrounding 228 involve political corruption,  injustice and suffering caused by existing social structures, fighting  for human dignity, democracy, and freedom. Many people sacrificed their  lives or suffered greatly because they fought for these freedoms.

Taiwanese churches must ensure that stories surrounding 228 are  retold so that they can contemplate on the theological implications of  these stories and let them mold their mission ministries. Highlighting  the suffering and tragedy of 228 are keys to reconciliation, justice,  and peace for Taiwanese.

Ethnic reconciliation doesn’t happen only on February 28 of  every year. The holiday is a reminder that we should allow the suffering  endured by the Taiwanese to shape our missions ministry constantly.

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