The Delicate Relationship between Wealth and Poverty | Fountain

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[ ‘SHARE’ Sept-Oct 2013 – Myanmar – A Beam after the War Flame ]　CEDAR’S BLOGGER

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The 6.5 foot tall sculpture ‘Survival of the Fattest’ by Jens Galschiøt (who also made the Pillar of Shame) and Lars Calmar was exhibited in Hong Kong during the anti-WTO protest in 2003.

Author: Fountain CHIK, Programme Officer

I encountered the sculpture in 2003 and read its inscription: ‘I’m sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under the burden. I would do anything to help him, except stepping down from his back.’ It has embedded in my mind and I have recalled it often.

Since 2006, either from a distance or close up, I started caring about CEDAR’s concerns. The skinny figure surged my mind as I met with the survivors of the Sri Lanka tsunami, the Hmong people of North Thailand who hold no identity, the impoverished farmers of Hubei, and the Bangladeshi slum dwellers. The figure shoulders a heavy burden, and although his back is straight, the load’s weight forces his head to be lowered.

The fat woman above him is blind to their dangerous situation: she is over-weight even to the point of threatening her own health; her ‘foundation’ is not steady either – top-heavy and fragile like hitting an egg against the wall; both seem to be in danger.

He is stressed, so is the fat woman; their fates are intertwined and tangled. The fat woman is hijacking the skinny man and both are at a dead end.

O Lord who daily bears our burdens [1] , You bore the sins of mankind but Your yoke is easy. You teach by word and deed and show the world a new way: ‘Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.’ [2]

How we wish the fat woman would step down and share with the skinny man the scales of justice in her hand, and walk humbly together with God on a new path.

Fountain went on CEDAR’s Sri Lanka exposure trip in 2006, was with a Hmong tribal village in North Thailand on a two-month seminary practicum in 2010. He joined CEDAR in March 2012.

 

[1] Ps. 68:19
[2] Gal. 6:2

The Letter from CEDAR | June 2013

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▲ CEDAR works with Sichuan churches and Christian groups to implement quake relief work. For details, please click here. ▲ ‘Long term service’ and ‘total commitment’ are required to support communities to face potential disasters. For more information on CEDAR’s approach on relief and rehabilitation, please click here. ▲ CEDAR is a member of Integral Alliance, responding to disasters worldwide in partnership with Christian relief agencies around the world: www.integralalliance.org

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

An earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale on 20 April struck Lushan County in Yaan, Sichuan, promptly bringing back the memory of Wenchuan quake five years ago. However, the public media soon turn their focus on whether HKSAR government should grant China 100 million HKD relief fund and the integrity of relief and development agencies. Also many people said, ‘I would not donate any of my money to this relief work.’ These made a huge contrast with the past active response of Hong Kong people to emergency relief, concern for the hardships and needs of victims and touching stories with compassion.

Continue reading The Letter from CEDAR | June 2013

Bangladesh and Myanmar Brace for Cyclone Mahasen

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[ePrayer – Pray for the cyclone affected communities in Bangladesh and Myanmar]

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Bangladesh and Myanmar are bracing for Cyclone Mahasen, a storm which could affect millions in the region. According to OCHA, a red storm alert remains in effect for Mahasen, just east-northeast of Sri Lanka, now moving northwards across the Bay of Bengal towards both countries. Set to reach land on 16 May, the storm is expected to strike just south of the Bangladesh port city of Chittagong, but could, depending upon its final trajectory, bring life-threatening conditions for millions of people in northeast India, Bangladesh and Myanmar’s Rakhine State, OCHA warned on 12 May. It was predicted that Myanmar will have rain and thunderstorm on 15 May, followed by increasing wind and rain, as well as flash flooding later.

Aid agencies in Myanmar say heavy rain and mudslides could bring difficult conditions to about 140,000 displaced people across Rakhine state, mostly Rohingya. Up to 45,000 displaced people living in low-lying areas in Sittwe have been identified as the most vulnerable to cyclone Mahasen. Some have begun to be moved to higher ground. [IRIN]

Pray for the cyclone affected communities in Bangladesh and Myanmar:

  • Pray that Cyclone Mahasen would be weakened;
  • Pray for God’s protection to those people and communities who are being threatened by the coming cyclone;
  • Pray that tens of thousands of refugees who have already had so much troubles and suffering would be protected by the Lord and have peace
  • Pray that local governments and NGOs will have good preparation and coordination on mitigating the risk of the cyclone.