By Yan Xiong 3/10/2004
The Price of Freedom and Democracy
After the soldiers left their comfortable home in America to the desert, they will need a lot of patience in order to make a phone call, send an e-mail and/or carry out the tasks. From a pastor’s viewpoint, this is the purpose of God by giving us historic process. Our heavenly father gives us the chance to grow and the training with love and confidence. In the afternoon, I received the newspaper with the headline “Iraqi Council Signs Interim Constitution”.
The interim constitution includes 13 clauses of right, founding the base of rule by law with the combination of parliamentary and president system. Iraq will take federal form. If the constitution is enforced, the once savage country under Saddam will become the freest one in Arab world.
As a military pastor, I see the soldiers work hard in Iraq. They endure the separation from their family. I sense that the news will console them. It is worth their sweat and blood. On the other hand, as a former student-movement leader in 1989, I realize from my experience that it is a long way to go for China to become a nation with freedom, democracy, and legal system. There is big hope. But without many people sweating and bleeding, it may not come.
I sat in my jeep. There are thousands of military trucks and jeeps around. Thousands of soldiers from the marine corps are working on the vehicles this morning. They are getting ready to replace those fellows staying over a year in Iraq after the repair and check. The needed material and human resource are astronomical. Isn’t the goal building a free and democratic society to keep world peace? China, I think of China. Which way will it take to carry out the vast historic mission?
My assistant just graduated from military school. He is not too familiar with the truck. He asked help from those commanders… They are youth in their twenties. They respect me because not only I am a pastor, officer, but also I get along with them. When will the mainland have a force to create freedom and democracy? At that time, perhaps I will become old. But my heart will still be young. China should melt into the civilized world sooner. Don’t be Saddam’s older brother. Neither should it follow the backward.
I feel ruefully that there may not be success in the thirties. How long ahead will the road be?
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