December 25, 2011
Translated by Lydia Ma

On December 19, 2011, renown North Korean state television anchorwoman Ri Chun-Hui announced in a broken voice and with tears in her eyes that the country's leader, Kim Jong-Il, had died 2 days ago aboard a train while on the way to an inspection. Kim Jong-Il was reported to have died of over-exertion. This news was followed by images of a nation in mourning and people crying so loudly and in such anguish that it seemed as though they'd lost one of their own parents.

How did a dictator who lived a rotten and self-indulgent life at the expense of his countrymen manage to be heralded like a god in his death? The only explanation is that the communist party machine did a superb job in capturing and brainwashing the minds of North Koreans. To a certain extent, it's should come as no surprise and North Korea's closest ally and partner is China.

Images of a whole nation in deep mourning over the death of Kim Jong-Il should be eerily familiar for people in Taiwan today who are in their 50's and beyond. When Taiwan's "Great Leader" and former President Chiang Kai-shek died many years ago, he was lauded in a similar fashion from the time he died to the time of his state funeral. At the time, though color television was already in existence, only black-and-white broadcasting was permitted during that period as a show of respect and a sign of reverence.

Just one day prior the death of Kim, another renowned national leader passed away in Central Europe. Vaclav Havel, a playwright, essayist, poet, politician, and former president of the Czech Republic, died on the morning of December 18. As church bells across the Czech Republic began ringing at 6:00 p.m. on that day, thousands of Czechs convened in Prague for a memorial gathering at Wenceslas Square to pay homage to Havel.

It was in Wenceslas Square that Havel delivered a passionate speech to anti-communist protestors in 1989. People today still remember how he stood in solidarity with oppressed people at the time. Havel's friend and fellow prisoner Archbishop Dominik Duka of Prague remarked that Havel was a person who truly understood what it feels like to lose human dignity and freedom.

Because he understood the importance of human dignity over and above wealth, Vaclav Havel once urged Beijing to release Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo and spoke on Taiwan's behalf on several occasions. His conviction that "Truth and love must prevail over lies and hate" became a motto often used during the Czech democracy movement.

Though both Havel and Kim were national leaders and would have been given the title of king in ancient times, Kim enjoyed unimaginable wealth while his own people lived on less than US$1,000 a year. On the other hand, Havel devoted his life to secure democracy and freedom for his people even at the cost of his own imprisonment.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us consider the life of another king and ponder on why Jesus Christ chose to become a human being like us. The apostle Paul offers the following reflection on Jesus' life in a letter written to the Church of Philippi: "[Jesus Christ], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8).

From Paul's words we can see that the incarnation reveals the true majesty and glory of a king. Jesus understands how much humans are suffering ever since the Fall, when we lost God's likeness in us, and he came to earth to save us. As we celebrate his birth this Christmas season, let us also imitate his life and his servant heart for every person.

Taiwan Church News