| The Asia Lutheran Webmaster |
| ASIA LUTHERAN HOME |
previousarticle |
 next article |
|
|
| |
Letters to the editor do not in any way express the views of the Asia Lutheran. As much as is possible, we will attempt to present the letters "as received", however the Asia Lutheran reserves the right to postpone, to refrain from printing, as well as to edit any material sent in. All letters must include the writer's name and address. Please refer to the inside of the front cover for address information.
For the forthcoming holiday season, the Filipino people are braving the regional crisis. It has affected every sector of the population. The financial turmoil created widespread instability and uncertainty among foreign investors and local companies. Unemployment is up, the Philippine Stock Exchange has just recovered from its lowest index level, and cost cutting measures of corporations continue to affect the lives of all Filipinos.
The regional crisis has created cynical feelings towards the Estrada administration despite efforts of the government to cope with the financial crisis. The "masa" who propelled Estrada into presidency are losing hope that poverty, unemployment and crime will ever be solved.
In times of such financial crisis, the ordinary masa or the poor people are not able to understand why there are massive layoffs or why prices of commodities are doubling. Their only concern is to have food on their tables three times a day, to have a job that can support a family of five and, if they are lucky, to send one child to a public school.
The financial crisis has affected different sectors of the society. The church has also felt its effect. Many ministries are suffering. Pastors, evangelists and lay church workers are the ones that suffer the most. Offerings have gone down. Pledges have not been met. Budget priorities keep on changing. Some ministries had to be postponed. In addition to the financial crisis, there have been three storms-especially the fatal Loleng that devastated farm crops and public property. Many Lutheran church members are farmers. They suffered most from the onslaught of the typhoon. The Filipino people have proven to be able to face whatever challenge is presented to them, with God's grace and help.
-Eliza V. Zamora
Philippines
Eliza V. Zamora is a freelance writer.
At the end of July, 1998, I heard for the first time that a symposium of the "Program of Theology and Cultures in Asia" had been held at Lake O-soa'n-thaau, Tainan, Taiwan, from July 20th to 23rd. The theme was "The Taiwanese Christians' Identity in the Pluralistic-Religious Society-Biblical Exegixes, Story Theology, and Reflections of Missions."
Only because the present writer is particularly interested in the theme did he ask the symposium organizing committee for a copy of the material. Inasmuch as the symposium report has not yet come, the present writer borrowed a copy of the symposium handbook from a participant in the meeting. When the writer wrote the present article, he also referred to the related materials and books published here and there recently. Some points can be agreed some are difficult to agree with. But there are two points especially that made continued reading difficult and done only by compulsion: namely, we don't know how these people will define culture. Because they do not define culture, naturally we cannot understand what they mean by "Asianization," "contextualization," or Taiwanese identity."
The writer expects to read the definitions by these "culture theologians," in Taiwan as well as from other parts of Asia. Then probably it will be easier to understand what these scholars are saying.
-John Jyigiokk Tin
Taiwan
Professor Emeritus of History, Tainan Theological Seminary, Taiwan,
and Director of Christian Institute for Social Transformation of the Seminary.
| Next Article:Editorial |