Today, June 4, marks the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Incident/Protest/Massacre which took place the night of June 3 into June 4, 1989. Peaceful demonstrators gathered in the square in Beijing to protest against the tyranny of the communist party’s dictatorship and for democratic freedoms. In response to the growing movement, the government sent the military to disperse the protesters, many of them students and professors. The action resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, peaceful protesters and bystanders alike. Today is a day to remember and honor the memory of those who stood for peace and freedom in the face of a brutal regime.
In our own country we currently face the results of disparity and inequity, the results of the sins of the past and the present. As we navigate these difficult times, may we remember that we are called to carry the cross of sacrifice and servanthood each day. We follow Christ to the cross, with our cross. We join Christ on Easter in resurrection and life. May we live into the grace we have been given by sharing that grace even in the face of peaceful protests, violence, fear, and anger. May we be peacemakers as Christ has called us to be, even when it means we walk with those who challenge us, call us to judgment, ask us for a better way. May we lift up the cup of salvation as if we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us and the world, for the sake of God’s glory.
Psalm 116
I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my consternation,
“Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Prayer (published in Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro. Published by Zondervan Press, 2010)
God, give us discomfort at the easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that instead we may live deep within our hearts. Grant us anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may wish for justice, freedom, and peace. Bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.
Please note – the intent of this post is not to equate Tianinmin Square with what is happening in the US today. The circumstances were different. The times and climate are different. The intent of this post is to remind us that people around the world struggle for peace and freedom. The work for wholeness and reconciliation is never finished because sin constantly breaks us apart. We are called to do the difficult work of discipleship, to embrace our call as peacemakers within our personal lives, the church, community and world. Transformation takes courage and takes the power of prayer. There is always work to do when on is a servant in Christ’s name.