HONG KONG’S STRUGGLE for democracy has caused irreparable physical and emotional injury, misery and pain to hundreds of thousands of protesters and their families, and to society at large. The whole saga of protests in Hong Kong could be understood as being a result of two obstinate behaviours.
First, the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) was too adamant with its policies to feel the pulse of the society. It failed to realise that autocracy is no longer a feasible form of governance. Second, the protesters were too stubborn with their five demands to come around a negotiating table.
The SAR government was prejudiced and refused to heed to the voice of the millions of peaceful protesters who initially took to the streets. Peaceful protests gave way to violence and arson when there was an attempt to suppress the protests both by the police and by the goons who were seen being appreciated by one of the lawmakers. Further, the government refused to give reasonable explanations for police savagery and the loss of lives in the process.
The horrendous images that emerged from Hong Kong’s prestigious university campuses in November will haunt the memories of people for the days to come. Students were labelled as threats and many of them were detained. When peaceful measures of protests fell on the deaf ears of those in power, people reciprocated with contempt for the government and its police.
Yet, this agonising struggle has painted numerous unique pictures that speak of the spirit of Hong Kong. Where else on this planet would one see youngsters cleaning up the debris after a violent clash with the police? How could one explain hundreds of thousands of people of diverse religions singing Sing Alleluia to the Lord in unison as they march against the policies of the government? Who could predict that the use of a surgical face mask would be branded illegal by the government?
People in power begin to fear their own people when they fail to listen to and address the real issues that affect the lives of the citizens. An anecdote from the freedom struggle of South Africa rings similar to the events that unfolded in Hong Kong over the past months. In the days of apartheid, Christians in South Africa placed lighted candles in windows as a symbol of hope for themselves and for others in the belief that some day this injustice would end.
A burning candle turned out to be a sign of political statement. The Pretoria government did get the message. It passed a law making it illegal to place a lit candle in a window, the offense being equal to owning a firearm, both considered equally dangerous. This eventually became a joke among the kids: “Our government is afraid of lit candles!”
The Season of Advent reminds us of lighting candles, candles of hope. For the next four Sundays, we light the Advent candles as an act of hope, to say to the world that, despite everything that happens around us, we are still hopeful of a vision of peace and unity. To light a candle is to state publicly what you believe in. To light a candle is an act of defiance against despair and depression. It’s an act of hope.
Hope doesn’t base itself upon any assessment of the empirical facts, but upon belief in a deeper set of realities: God’s existence, God’s power, God’s goodness. We light candles of hope because the deepest reality of all is that God exists. jose
