Whoever destroys anything that could be useful to others breaks the law of bal tashchit, “Do not waste.” – Babylonian Talmud, Kodashim 32a (second or third century), quoted in ‘Teachings on Creation through the Ages’, edited by J. Matthew Sleeth M.D., in The Green Bible (2008) San Francisco: HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-162799-6.

同舟共濟百又壹冬祈和好
天下為公兩千玖春更合壹

Tóngzhōu gòngjì, bǎiyòuyī dōng qí héhǎo;
tiānxià wéigōng, liǎngqiājiǔ chūn gèng héyī.

All in the same boat and helping each other, we have prayed for reconciliation for 101 winters;
the whole world but a single commonwealth, in spring 2009 we shall become more at one.

It surely does not follow the meter, and especially in bad form as the first four syllables of each singlet are a cliché.

Well, what is the line going across on the top doorframe (橫批)? Of course, it has to be the four Greek syllables οἰ-κου-μέ-νη, written à la sini Arabic or quốc ngữ.

And instead of the pair of mythical door guards, certainly Peter and Paul should have the honour of place, upholding the church.

If you implement this at your church, I would appreciate that you taking a photograph and leaving a message here to let me know. I might make a mock up image when I have time.

Happy new year!

Here are some highlights from each the speakers, with links to their texts for the gentle readers’ perusal over Christmastime:

Grand Mufti of Syria:

So, let us build a new generation that believes that the civilisation of mankind is a common work and that the most noble of all is mankind and freedom – after God, of course. If we would like to see peace in the world, let us start from the land of peace: Palestine and Israel. So we can tell people, as the Pope said years ago, rather than building the wall, let us build the bridges of peace, because Palestine is the land of peace. Considering how much it costs to build that wall, we could actually allow Christian, Jewish and Muslim children to attend the same school and to live as brothers and sisters in a school of peace.

Dr Asma Jahangir:

In my opinion it is important to start at an early age with getting acquainted with the approaches of your neighbours or of other religions. This would not necessarily need to involve long-distance travel, but, for example, could be organised by setting foot and meeting people at your local church, mosque, synagogue, temple or other places of worship. The size of the groups – especially for grass-root interfaith meetings – should not be too big, in order to give the interlocutors an opportunity to speak and to get to know each other personally.

The Ecumenical Patriarch:

For Orthodox Christians, the icon, or image, stands not only as an acme of human aesthetic accomplishment, but as a tangible reminder of the perennial truth. As in every painting – religious or not, and notwithstanding the talent of the artist – the object presents as two-dimensional. Yet, for Orthodox Christians, an icon is no mere religious painting – and it is not, by definition, a religious object. Indeed, it is a subject with which the viewer, the worshipper, enters into wordless dialogue through the sense of sight. For an Orthodox Christian, the encounter with the icon is an act of communion with the person represented in the icon. How much more should our encounters with living icons – persons made in the image and likeness of God – be acts of communion!

The Chief Rabbi:

What is a covenant? A covenant is not a contract. A contract is made for a limited period, for a specific purpose, between two or more parties, each seeking their own benefit. A covenant is made open-endedly by two or more parties who come together in a bond of loyalty and trust to achieve together what none can achieve alone. A contract is like a deal; a covenant is like a marriage. Contracts belong to the market and to the state, to economics and politics, both of which are arenas of competition. Covenants belong to families, communities, charities, which are arenas of cooperation. A contract is between me and you – separate selves – but a covenant is about us – collective belonging. A contract is about interests; a covenant is about identity. And hence the vital distinction, not made clearly enough in European politics, between a social contract and a social covenant: a social contract creates a state; a social covenant creates a society.

The Dalai Lama:

As a human being I believe – and for a number of years, many of my friends have agreed with my views and feelings – that in modern times there is too much emphasis on the importance of material values. We have somehow neglected our inner values. That is why, in spite of materially being highly developed, I have noticed there are still a lot of people – even billionaires – who are very rich but are an unhappy on a personal level. So one of the most important factors for happiness or joyfulness is very much to do with peace of mind, a calm mind. Too much stress, too much suspicion, too much ambition and greed I also think are factors which destroy our inner peace. So therefore, if we wish to achieve a happy life, there is no point in neglecting our inner values. These inner values are not necessarily what we bring from religious teaching, but I feel they are a biological factor we are already equipped with: warm-heartedness or a sense of responsibility, a sense of community.

By the way, the latest issue of New Left Review (number 54, November/December 2008) has a symposium on Robert Brenner’s book The Economics of Global Turbulence, also mentioned here earlier.

Ten New Englanders travelled to Washington, DC for a march yesterday against China’s support for the government of Sudan’s genocidal practices in the Darfur region.

The group included one person who had been to Darfur and four who had been arrested for protesting the violence in Darfur with nonviolent civil disobedience.

The day before this march, Human Rights Watch issued a press release saying, “Darfur: ‘Scorched Earth’ Tactics Warrant UN Sanctions.”

The march began at the Chinese Embassy’s “Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office,” which seemed to be in some sort of mall/office complex. We handed out a few fliers and had many honks of support from cars driving by.

From here we marched a couple miles to the Sudanese Embassy. This has been the focus of previous demonstrations, and brought back fond memories for several of the marchers. You may recall that a few years back, during a 4-day fast at the embassy, some of us even helped with landscaping. I was proud to note that the yard is finally coming together. We were happy to see both Mr. Bashara and the Italian landscaper were there. Demonstrator Scott Schaeffer-Duffy went onto the embassy grounds to chat with them.

From there we marched to the main Chinese Embassy, where they were holding a day of mourning for the earthquake victims. We’ve had similarly unfortunate timing in the past; for example, our four-day fast at the Sudanese Embassy coincided with a day of mourning for Sudanese Vice President John Garang.

One Chinese man objected strongly to our presence. The police moved us to the official demonstration area, where we joined people demonstrating in favor of Falun Gong and North Korean refugees in China.

Our flyer included words of condolences for the earthquake, but since we had no access to people visiting the embassy, we had no way of expressing our full message. Two of the demonstrators flipped their signs around and wrote “We Mourn The Earthquake Victims” on them.

Reportedly President Bush visited the Chinese Embassy that day, but not during the time we were there.

This visit to the embassies was less powerful than our previous visits, which included either nonviolent civil disobedience or fasting. Still, I was glad I went, because with the current pressure on China over all sorts of human rights issues, my voice isn’t quiet and unheard but part of a worldwide chorus.

Dear Sirs and Madams,

As a peace activist who has witnessed the tragedy of avoidable loss of life in war zones, I offer you and your people my heartfelt condolence for the suffering caused by the recent earthquake in your country. As a parent, I am especially sympathetic to all those Chinese parents whose children were injured or killed.

It is my desire to spare other parents this same agony that inspires me to write to you today. In December 2004, as a member of a Catholic Worker Peace Team, I visited Darfur, Sudan where I witnessed enormous harm inflicted on hundreds of thousands of civilians by the Sudanese army and its militias. We delivered food to many in pitiful camps for internally displaced people, but realized that only an end to the Sudanese government’s genocidal campaign against its African citizens could truly restore those victims to health and safety. When we asked Sudanese human rights activists what was the most effective nonviolent action we could take to end genocide in Darfur, we were told to protest at the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, DC. We have done this several times since then, but have become increasingly aware that diplomatic efforts to end the genocide have been frustrated by the continued economic, military, and political support being given to the Sudanese government by the government of China.

And so, on Tuesday, May 20, at 9 a.m., we will hold a small, peaceful vigil outside your embassy and then march to the Embassy of Sudan for another solemn vigil. We do not do these things to point fingers or to stir up anti-Chinese or anti-Sudanese sentiments, but to reach out to the good people in both governments who can use their influence to end the genocide and save lives. Our signs will say, “China’s Support for Sudan- an Olympic Mistake.” We realize that our own government has made many mistakes as well, most notably in Iraq, and we are trying to change those policies as well, but cannot forget the vulnerable people of Darfur in the meantime.

Earthquakes, typhoons, and tornadoes will always take innocent lives, but humanity can decide that no more children, women, and men will die from genocide. Your government has enormous power to help save lives in Darfur. Taking unambiguous action to persuade the Sudanese government to end the killing and to allow unfettered access to Darfur for United Nations’ personnel would help make the Olympic celebration in Beijing more joyful and freer from controversy.

With respect and admiration for the Chinese people,

Scott Schaeffer-Duffy

Please gather with us at midday at the Chinese Embassy, 2201 Wisconsin Ave., NW, to hold signs which say, “China’s Support for Sudan is an Olympic Mistake” and “STOP THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR NOW.” Some of these signs have enlarged photos of victims in Darfur. We will have a limited number of t-shirts available with the same message for those who wish to join the rally and 1.3 mile march to the Sudanese Embassy at 2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

Please contact us now for details and for information about rides from Massachusetts (leaving at noon on May 19th), as well as about lodging in Washington, DC for the night of the 19th. With the Olympics less than 100 days away, the media and Chinese government are paying greater attention to the Darfur issue. For the sake of those Darfurians whose lives are still risk, please consider spending a half a day in the nation’s capital. RSVP ASAP!

Scott Schaeffer-Duffy
Saints Francis & Therese Catholic Worker
52 Mason Street, Worcester, MA 01610
508 753-3588
theresecw@gmail.com

Dear Mò,

I am very glad to read, in your letter of the 26th day of the tenth month, that our newly-bought field yielded 25 tonnes of grain in the autumn. Now we can be farmers until we leave this world.

I think that farmers, the primary producers, are first-class people between the heaven and the earth. In contrast, we scholar-bureaucrats should be the last among the four classes, ranking after farmers, craftsmen, and merchants. The best farmer can cultivate 15 acres, the next-best a dozen acres; even the least-efficient work about 8 acres. In all cases, they till the land until their backs ache to feed everybody on earth. If there were no farmers, we’d all starve to death! In the past, we scholars held the traditional virtues in our going out and coming in, keeping everybody in our care. When we had achieved power, we tried to benefit everybody in society; out of power, we tried to be role-models for all. Nowadays, alas, that is no longer the case! As soon as we pick up our books, we dream only of climbing that greasy pole, of getting our qualifications and honorary titles. Then we think of grabbing money to buy land and build mansions. We had such untoward ambitions to start with, no wonder it only gets worse without us doing any good for the society. Those scholars who didn’t get a place in the imperial bureaucracy can only get petty jobs in their own shires. This narrow-minded lot is even more unbearable! Of course, there are a few idealists here and there who kept themselves pure, no matter the circumstances. But we cannot argue for ourselves because of those rotten apples spoiling the barrel. When I tried to say something, people laugh to scorn: “Yeah yeah, you scholars can talk! When you get to be a bureaucrat, when you get on top, you won’t be such an idealist anymore!” So I keep it all to myself and bear the ridicule. Craftsmen, in the secondary industry, produce the things we use; merchants, in the service sector, transport goods from where they are made to where they are needed. These benefit people. But we scholar-bureaucrats are nothing but a tax on society. No wonder we should be the last of the four classes. In fact I wonder whether we should even have a place in society!

My brother, I have always felt that the farmers should have an eminent place. Whenever I get a new tenant-farmer, I treat him with courtesy. He addresses me as Dear Host, and I him Dear Guest. Between the host and the guest, there should only be courtesy and fair-play. On what grounds should I think I am more important than he is?

Though we have 50 acres of field in our estate, it is but leasehold, which we cannot rely on forever. We should get some 40 acres or so freehold, for the two of us brothers: 20 acres is plenty for a man, as the ancient canons told us! If we ask for more, it is coveting others’ due share, a great sin. There are people under this heaven who are without a single piece of land, without a roof over their heads. Who am I to be greedy without limit? Where are they to find a place for themselves?

Your brother,
Xiè

The full-scale launch of a large, organized campaign to highlight China’s complicity in the Darfur genocide appears likely to begin soon.

This campaign has to spread.