| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 |
| Hope, Expectations, Perseverance |
My world is in pain.
Not my emotional world, necessarily, or even my physical world, as in the earth. I'm talking more about my surroundings - the people and places I see around me. From the smiling vegetable man who learned English just to keep my business to the stiff security guard who watches over my apartment building - I see a world in pain.
It's hard to put into words what this year means to China. For most of us, hosting the Olympic Games, while a standout event, really doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. We might buy a t-shirt and go see the torch if it's coming by, but mostly we're thankful that the big events are going to happen during our prime time television hours.
But for my world, this year means so much more.
A little history is needed to make sense of it. For thousands of years, China stood atop the world, boasting the best in technology, philosophy, scholarship, military, navigation, and art. She saw herself as the axis around which the world spun, the literal center of the universe. And with good reason. While Alexander united a choppy Europe, Qin Shi Huang solidified an empire and built marvels that still astound visitors to this day. While the West plunged into the intellectual depression of the Middle Ages, the Tang Dynasty created a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. At one point her empire dwarfed anything Rome would ever boast. And before Aristotle, Plato, or Socrates, there was Confucius. It's with little wonder that the Chinese named their land "The Middle Kingdom," living with a pride that comes from standing at the peak of civilization for so long.
But in the last 150 years, she has been humbled. Evils both from without and within pushed her off of her pedestal and reserved her a place at the kid's table of world conversation. The shame of this reality, this fall from grace, is at the heart of every Chinese person and is only matched with the desire to return to prominence. And this Olympic games, this seemingly simple gathering of athletes, is a step back to glory. It is a chance to take back her rightful place. It is a showing that she has dusted off, healed over, and is ready to shine once again.
I once heard a Chinese official use this metaphor to describe the importance of the Olympics. He said that people who are rich and powerful like to show off. They like to host big parties where they can invite their friends over to show them all of their nice things: houses, furniture, cars, toys, etc. It impresses people and shows them how important you are. This Olympic Games are China's chance host a big party and show off all of their nice things, and remind the world of how important they are. Not necessarily a "coming out" party, but rather a "coming back" party.
In this event holds the hopes and expectations of over a billion souls. And now those souls are feeling pain. Pain that they might fail to wipe away their century of shame. Pain that they will disappoint their ancestors. Pain that they will fall short of the standard of being Chinese. And so they feel anguish as each continual crisis, both supernatural and political, takes a small piece of their glory away.
My world is in pain, but that is not all I see. Mixed into that ache is something stronger, something deeper, something that will rise from this tragedy: perseverance. She is learning that the road to redemption must come with cleansing, with determination, and with hope that in the end the triumph will outweigh the costs. |
posted by Aaron @ 5:49 AM  |
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