Sayonara, tsai-hue-lah (goodbye) (Feb 28, 2021)

- March 01, 2021

Date: Feb 28, 2021

Sermon Title: Sayonara, tsai-hue-lah (Goodbye)

Scripture: John 19:26–27

26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Here is your son.” 27 Then he said to his disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that moment, the disciple took her into his household. (The Inclusive Bible, TIB)

1. the scripture – very short

Form last week, Rev. Hill started the “Last Word Series” for the Lent season. Each week, we will read a sentence and reflect on our history and context.

According to Gospel of John, the scripture today might be the last word that Jesus spoke to his mother, Mary, although it was very short. At the same time, this might be also the last word Jesus said to his disciples, the beloved one, although it was also very short.

Before I jumped in the scripture, let us pray:

May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in your sight, YHWH, my rock and my redeemer! (Psalm 19:14, TIB)

2. 228 Massacre (1947) Taiwan

I would like to share a story from Taiwan and lead to the reflection on the scripture today..

Ms. Lin-Fan Kou (郭林汾), was born in 1919 Taiwan. She graduated from Keio University (慶應義塾大學) in Tokyo, Japan. She and her husband, Dr. Cheng-Hoan Kou (郭章垣), attended the same school and her husband became a medical doctor afterward. They lived in Japan, owned a clinic, and also worked at different hospitals. After World War 2, they felt the medical needs from their hometown Taiwan and decided to move back.

On March 18, 1947, 2 o’clock in the morning, Dr. Cheng-Hoan Kou (郭章垣), who was the superintendent of Yi-Lan Hospital on the east coast of Taiwan, was taken by soldiers from the hospital dormitory. Dr. Kou was elected as the chair of the Yi-Lan 228 Incident Committee, who helped to communicate between the government and the people in that region. Those soldiers broke the windows and the gate by force. They covered his eyes and sealed his mouth. Before he was taken, he told his wife, Ms. Lin-Fan Kou (郭林汾) that I did nothing wrong, don’t worry just wait for me. The other day, his body was found in the square, downtown Yi-Lan, buried with many other bodies. Dr. Kou was murdered.

His widow, Ms. Kou, had to leave their home to start over and raised her daughter alone. Her daughter, Dr. Margaret Lu (郭勝華), became a medical doctor in Taiwan, just like her father. The daughter never saw her father and had no idea what’s happening to her father. After she got married and moved to the US in 1974, she asked her mother about the death certificate of her father for the immigration affairs. Ms. Kou told her the story and how she found the body, how her husband was targeted by the KMT government, the violence that night, only one of Dr. Kou’s colleagues gave hands to them to bury the body, who was disappeared after that assistance, she also described the bloody clothe and gunshot around the dead bodies. And the reason why she refused to speak in Mandarin anymore.

The February 28 Incident, or called the February 28 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that was violently suppressed by the Chinese Nationalist Party, so-called Kuomintang KMT,-led Republic of China government, which killed thousands of civilians beginning on February 28 till May 16, 1947. The number of Taiwanese deaths from the incident and massacre was estimated to be between 18,000 and 28,000. The massacre marked the beginning of the White Terror, in which tens of thousands of other Taiwanese went missing, died, or were imprisoned. In the meantime, the KMT-led government deployed Martial Law in Taiwan from 1949 to 1987. The incident is one of the most important events in Taiwan's modern history and was a critical impetus for the Taiwan independence movement. (Wikipedia)

Since 1995, Feb 28 became the national memorial day announced by the first Taiwanese elected President. However, the KMT party still does not want to share any critical documents with the current government regarding how KMT wiped out all the “Taiwan born Japanese” leaders on the island intentionally and systematically. People who were born before 1945 are called “Taiwan-born Japanese.” Their nationality was Japan. In 1945, they were forced to become “Chinese” while Japan surrendered to the US.. The Chinese Nationalist Party took over Taiwan by following the command given by General Douglas MacArthur.

I have no idea about this massacre or the identity-shifting until high school. While Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of KMT party, one of the KMT military commanders during 228 Massacre, died in 1975, my grad pap said to my papa, “what a great news since they came to our place.” I asked my papa why I never learned it from school nor the family. He merely told me, none of us would like your generation to suffer or to been murdered. Just like authoritarian countries, people suffered, nothing they could do but waited and waited till the dictator’s passing away. I also realized there were more hidden stories in my family afterward, I noticed those silent words from the conversations among my four uncles and five aunts. However, I could not reconstruct those puzzles into a whole picture after most of them have died.

Till today, I am still haunted by those fragments.

2. The Israeli Romans – Jesus

In the first century, the Jews were ruled by themselves, under Roman Empire. Jesus and his “Israeli Roman” people were also the same. The political conflicts were caused by personal interests among different groups. However, Jesus might be a leader of a smaller group, and people called it Jesus’ movement, who identified themselves as pursuing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples, suffered from political and religious conflicts, and eventually died on the cross. The scripture today was the last word he told to his mother and his beloved disciple in the Gospel of John.

(1) Mary – the connection between Jesus’ ministry, in the past and in the future

There is Mary, Jesus’ mother. She is one of the key persons and witnesses of Jesus’ Movement. She raised him up, taught him how to read, asked him to transform water into wine; she also accompanied Jesus till his crucifixion. In some tradition, Mary was called, Mother of God. That represents the importance of this female figure in Jesus’ ministry and church theology.

The flyer of the worship today on Facebook and YouTube is a painting in the 13^th century, Eastern Church tradition. I took it at Art Institute Chicago. In the painting, on the left, it is Mary holding baby Jesus; on the right, it is the crucified Jesus, the crying Mary, and some others. This female figure connects the beginning and end of Jesus’ ministry. Mary, who witnessed her son’s death, felt the terror and sober; very few people stayed till the very end. Why were they not there? Were they afraid of the Roman soldiers and Jewish community? Was that a shame to be recognized as Jesus’ friend and disciples or relatives? Would that bring them trouble? She lost her husband, Joseph, and now she lost her son. She was alone herself.

(2) the beloved disciple – the queer companion without a name

Then, there was another key person, Jesus’ beloved disciple, who was also with Jesus while he was crucified. He was one who laid right next to Jesus at dinner, the one who laid on his chest, the one who asked Jesus whom will betray you, the one who ran to the tomb before Peter and the rest of the male disciples; the rumor said “that beloved disciple won’t die.” (John 21:23)

Theologians have lots of debates: who would that beloved disciple be? Is he John, the author of this gospel? Is he Lazarus, the one Jesus cries for? Marta and Mary sent the message to him “Rabbi, the one you love is sick.” (John11:3) But, why, Jesus’ beloved disciple is nameless? However, the scripture does not provide us a good answer.

(3) the chosen queer family – the community

Jesus said, “This is your son; this is your mother” to Mary and the beloved disciple. It sounds like a queer family arrangement to me. This is a proto-chosen family that the outcasts could gather together and help each other. This is an outcast’s perspective – beyond the master narrative, there is a space for them. I could see a queer story and courage revealed by women and “queer” companions.

A female disciple, like Mary – Mother of God, was not appreciated in church history, at least in the protestant tradition. Even in some Christian denominations, there is no female clergy. It has become a long history that male clergies and leaders dominated the Christian churches.

Rev. Margaret Ellen Towner is the first ordained Presbyterian minister in the US, 1956. United Methodist Church (UMC), in which the ordination of women has occurred since its creation in 1968. I think UCC is the same started in 1957. However, there are three times more male ordained ministers than female ministers in PCUSA today, 1.5 times more male in UMC, one time more male in UCC.

It is not unfamiliar for an LGBTQ Christian to resonate with the beloved disciple’s narrative. He is a queer disciple, a non-appreciated folk in the community, but he has a special connection and relationship with Jesus. Although his name was covered or forgotten by the church history, none could get rid of it completely. Even in Jesus’ narrative, the beloved disciple was silenced and unknown to the public. LGBTQ people might have the same experiences – you can contribute to the church, but you won’t and shouldn’t be recognized as your real identity. We LGBTQ Christians witnessed the crucifixion of our people, the exclusion from the church, culture and society. Donald Boisvert describes the image of Jesus the Beloved Disciple, “it is, however, a beautiful image, a deep and touching affirmation of our central place as gay men in the heart of God” (Boisvert, 2004:2000) (QBC 561-2)

We might assume in 2021, everything gonna be alright. UCC’s Open and Affirming Coalition project started in 1985 and is the most successful LGBTQ program among all the mainline denominations. However, there are only 30% of UCC congregations self-declared Open and Affirming. Does that mean only 30% of the UCC congregation could be “home” and “safe place” for LGBTQ folks? UCHP affiliates with three denominations; one of them, UMC, was facing a critical decision these years. It is the courage that queer folks and allies would like to recognize the importance of the queer voices in the church and proclaim that everyone should be treated like a human being equally. I was told the UMC General Synod was postponed again till next year.

A survey done by UCC, LCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and DOC (Disciple of Christ) points out, those who self-declared LGBTQ Open and Affirming congregation are more vibrate and having more energy to adjust themselves to different challenges, and most of the show increase in various aspects.

Queer folks and allies keep carrying on.

3. the title of the sermon: Sayonara, tsai-hue-lah.

The sermon title means “Goodbye” in Japanese and Taiwanese. Sayonara, tsai-hue-la.h

This is the one word said by many people who were removed and then displaced in 228 massacres. Unfortunately, some of them did not leave any word to their family or friends. Some of their bodies were found in public parks and squares, some in the field, some in the river and ocean. Some of them are still unknown.

People who lost their relatives during 228 massacres were silenced for a long time. They were labeled “bad people” and had to carry stigma and shame in their whole life. However, Ms. Kou took on the burden of the family and raised their daughter. It was until they left Taiwan in 1975, the story was told. Ms. Kou died several years ago, and she was a member of the Taiwan Presbyterian Church of Greater Chicago, PCUSA. It was the Christian who became the community to support her and accompany her. It was the Christian church who became the only helper while nobody would dare to give the survivor family a hand.

Her daughter, Dr. Lu, lives in the west coasts now. She published Ms. Kou’s diary and memoir two years ago. This memoir describes her life in three different nations - Japan, KMT-led Taiwan, and the US; the identity conflicts and all the challenges, the sorrow, and the eagerness for truth and justice. Their daughter, Dr. Lu, continued the works of restorative justice and the revelation of the true history of the 228 massacres. Dr. Kou’s story was also collected in Formosa Betrayed (1965, 2018), page 306, George H. Kerr is the author, 1965.

Lots of survivors would have the same meal that day while their relatives were taken. They gather together and told stories and shared memories. They do these in remembrances of their relatives.

The connections between the narrative of Jesus, Mary, the beloved disciple, and the 228 Massacre in Taiwan are, at least, are vital for me. Do you hear the sorrow on the street? Do you notice the silenced whispers in your dream? We, as the disciple and follower of Jesus and the gathering as a Christian community, shall continue Jesus’ movement, which is to bring the Kingdom of God, the heave of love and justice, on earth as it is in heaven. At the same time, our church community shall continue to be the family for all who is in need, especially while nobody else would like to have them.

“This is your son….This is your mother.” What would those stories we share with our friends and chosen families today? Jesus’ beloved disciple won’t die, as long as we keep telling the stories about Jesus’ movement, carrying on Jesus’ ministry, and caring for our chosen families. "Jesus' beloved disciple won't die." Amen.

4. closing prayer

May God bless you and keep you! Let you be brave in Jesus’ ministry and telling the true stories. May God’s face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! As well as you care for your chosen families. May God look kindly upon you, and give you peace! In the midst of terror and tremble times. Amen (Number 6:24-26).

YouTube video link

https://youtu.be/E2WbxBg_uaE

Reference

郭林汾：二二八與我 (2007)

http://www.laijohn.com/archives/pc/Koe/Koe,Lhun/228/Lim,Khun.htm

George H Kerr, Formosa Betrayed (2018)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LCQWVV7/

The Queer Bible Commentary (2007)

https://www.amazon.com/Queer-Bible-Commentary-Deryn-Guest/dp/0334054427/

Women's Bible Commentary (2012)

https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Bible-Commentary-Third-Revised/dp/066423707X/

The man Jesus loved (2003)