Taiwan Church News

3770 Edition

May 27 ~ June 2, 2024

Weekly Topical

Do Justice, Love Kindness and Walk Humbly with God – A Prayer for Taiwan to Overcome Parliamentary Coup

Jointly Reported by Lin Yi-yin and Chiu Kuo-rong from Taipei

In order to protest against the overreached amendment of the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power, drafted by the KMT and TPP legislators, more than 40 civilian groups held the protest rally, entitled as “Parliamentary Power Abuse, Democracy Backsliding, Citizens Self-Help and Big Rally Around Legislative Yuan”, in the evening on May 21st, attracting more than 30,000 people to go around the Legislative Yuan to shout their opposition to the unprecedented ambush against Taiwan’s democracy. Many PCT pastors and members also joined the big rally to show their opposition against the KMT and TTP’s devastating legal amendment and its poisonous impacts.

To show PCT’s severe condemnation against such Legislative Yuan’s power abuse, which amounts to a parliamentary coup launched by KMT and TTP, Rev Fuyan Suda, moderator of the PCT General Assembly, led the pastors from Yu-Shan Theological Seminary, Tayal and many other Presbyteries to sing hymns, “Stand Up! Stand Up! For Jesus” and “Jesus Overcomes it All” at the rally, pledging to stand together with Taiwanese people to fight for justice and peace and walk humbly with God. Rev Fuyan Suda also blessed and prayed for the assembly in ‘Amis aboriginal language.

In his speech, Rev Fuyan Suda directly pointed out, when legislators overlook their duty and responsibility to deliberate, discuss and debate the law needed by the people, the PCT will stand up and speak out for the public beyond secular concerns and political scuffles. In addition, he said, when the legislators abuse their power to inflict and exploit Taiwan society, the PCT pledge to stand by Taiwan to fight for justice and peace.

He affirmed what Chi-Nan Church of Chi-Hsin Presbytery had served generously for civilian groups and individuals – opening the church as soon as possible to accommodate the crowd with water, foods and space for prayers. He hoped that all pastors of PCT and other denominational churches to understand Taiwanese people are all suffered due to this parliamentary coup and preach messages of justice and peace in the coming Sunday services and assemblies.

Rev Lin Wei-lien, secretary of the PCT Church and Society Committee, said that every church has a cross as a reminiscence of suffering. In the same vein, when Taiwan Congress abused its power and made the people suffered, all Christians on this island will stand up to speak out for truth and justice.

He admitted that he was not bold enough, as he only prepared 100 meals in the morning on May 21st, though later as people increased, he decided to prepare up to 1,000 meals at noon. As a result, twelve folds turned out, demonstrators at the venue reached 12,000 in the afternoon.

He gave thanksgivings to the professional chefs and voluntary sisters at Chi-Nan church to cook hot meals for those participating in the protests. He also thanked God for inspiring so many volunteers to help deliver meals and service for the protesters coming to the rally from all walks of life.

He also explained that the goal of 30,000 people turning out on May 21stwas to let KMT and KMT legislators to know the furious voice from the public. He stressed that at a critical moment concerning Taiwan’s future, many more people across ethnic groups will stand up to fight for freedom and democracy.

Quoting Jesus adamant answer in Luke 19:40, “I tell you, if these people were silent, the stones would shout out,” at the time when the Pharisees asked the crowd to be silent while Jesus was enthusiastically welcomed to enter Jerusalem, Rev Omi Wilang, secretary of the PCT Indigenous Mission Committee, explained this apocalyptical warning to the public that seeing KMT and TPP legislators abusing their power so shamelessly, this is why aboriginal peoples from across all ethnic tribes took to the streets to shout out their deep furor for the Mother of Taiwan.

He indicated that the abuse of power by KMT and TPP lawmakers and their willingness to serve as the agents for the Chinese Communist Party have driven the people of Taiwan roared up with unstoppable furor.

In the evening of May 21st, in the front-square of the Chi-Nan Church, NGO groups were distributing refreshing supplies, and many pastors of the PCT GA office joined to distribute hot free meals for the protesters, including Rev Ng Tiet-gan, director of the PCT R&D Center, Rev Chen Ming-huei of Song-Chiang Road Church of Chi-Hsin Presbytery, and Elder Chang Chai-kai, director of Church and Society Committee of Chi-Hsin Presbytery and many others.

Rev Huang Chun-seng presided over a prayer service for Taiwan held inside Chi-Nan Church chapel, and arranged theological students from Tainan Theological Seminary to sing the hymns. The chapel was filled with people who cared about the parliamentary power abuse to join the rally.

Rev Zeng Yang-en, a pastor of Theology and Education of Chi-Nan Church, gave a short speech at the prayer service, quoting Micah 6:8, to deliver a sermon entitled as “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” As the prophet is called by God to care for the suffered, Rev Zeng stressed, his task was destined to speak up for the voiceless and the marginalized.

He said that when Taiwan’s congress could not hear the true voice, a prophetic church should speak the truth together with the people who stand out in front of the unbridled lawmakers. As justice, mercy, and humility are all important values of faith, it means that God cannot co-exist and reconcile with injustice, oppression, bully, and fraud in the world. God expects his creations to throw away their wrongs and arrogance and walk humbly with Him, he said.

Rev Zeng finally reminded the audience, when Taiwanese people participated in kinds of social reform, a prophetic church would always stand silently behind to care, concern and deliver the Word of God for all.

On May 24, more than 50 citizen groups jointly launched a second rally against the Parliament’s overreached amendments, attracting more than 100,000 protesters. The crowd spread from Chingdao East Road to Chi-Nan Road, and from Chong-Shan South Road to Chong-Hsiao East Road.

Elder Chang Chai-kai, director of Church and Society Committee of Chi-Hsin Presbytery, responsible for the assignment of voluntary manpower within Chi-Nan Church, pointed out that it is estimated that 40,000 people will receive the refreshing supplies, like water, raincoat and meals, per day. Volunteers in the kitchen team said that a total of more than 5,000 bowls of fish porridge and minced-pork fried-noodles were prepared to cater the demonstrators flooded in.

Taipei session of the “Pray for Taiwan” hosted by the PCT was held at Chi-Nan Church in the evening on May 24th. Entitled as “Justice, Kindness and Hope”, Rev Isa Walis, dean of academic affairs of the Taiwan Theological Seminary, also quoted Micah 6:6-8 to deliver his sermon. Meanwhile, to care and concern the giant and unpredictable impacts of the parliamentary coup to Taiwan society, the PCT Churches also held simultaneous prayer meetings in the northern, central and southern Taiwan.

Translated by Peter Wolfe