Chavez, Crystal Cathedral, Chloe and China

We remember this week Cesar Chavez, the charismatic farm worker advocate from Arizona of Native American stock, followed by many in the ’60s, especially Pinoys, but also other Oriental folks. His health did not let him go past 60.

Robert Schuller built that impressive Crystal Cathedral in California from where he developed a televangelist following from a movie drive-in ministry to a megachurch, and a writer promoting the virtues of positive thinking, to the ire of the Westboro Baptists who will protest his funeral after his death last week at 80. Not of the revivalist that rants against the failures of human flesh, he soared to heights in enflaming the human spirit. He rued classical Christianity’s start at condemning human nature as perverted. The Orange Country parish of the Roman Catholic Church bought the cathedral.

In one of my oral English classes at Shenyang Aerospace University, Chloe joined her friend Joseph in my class sessions, though she was not formally enrolled in the class. She participated in the assignments, one of which is a write-up of what they did after an extended holiday.

Chloe wrote (edited): “I took a trip to the city of Xi’an over the national holidays. It was a wonderful journey. Tourists crowded Qin Shi Huangdi’s terra cotta warriors. Foreigners were everywhere, enjoying their trip and getting used to life in China. I talked to some in English to practice my speaking and listening skills. To my surprise, most answered me in Chinese. To be sure, their Chinese was not easy to understand, but they tried hard and were proud they had the courage to try. That made me speak English harder as well!

“The world is learning more about China. Folks travel to China, live the ambience, experience the culture, choose to study and live here with a few marrying locals. The number of foreign students at Shenyang Aerospace University is an example.

“We also know that the Confucius Institute is spreading the illuminati’s thoughts. The subject of China is at present academically ‘hot.’ Really hot! But it is not just the learning that is in demand. Our economic life has also gotten much closer to the economies of the world, with foreign companies investing in the country, opening factories, selling to the domestic market, and establishing relationships with local businesses. In turn, Chinese investors are in demand in the global market, especially in this time of global recession, with Chinese money and personnel in foreign hands and lands, and Chinese students studying abroad.

“China adapted to globalization and added its policy of harmonious relationship to economics, politics and culture. While China wishes to be known by the rest of the world, China also welcomes the whole world to its history-long ancient civilization, the sights, sounds, fragrance and tastes of its culture, and of course, the generally friendly attitude of its people. Fear of the stranger is not our first response!

“It was only in 1978 when Deng Xiaoping opened a new path ‘to the outside world’ and to ‘internal reforms.’ The reforms distributed wealth in economics, and broadened decision-making in politics—measures that need to go further. We recognize that we can learn from the experiences of those beyond our borders. The world itself is in a process of rapid change. It is in a progressive world that China wishes to participate in recreating human civilization itself. Chinese are not a close-minded people, and we have shown a great capacity to learn from other cultures even as we share ours.

“Remembering how I related to the foreigners in Xi’an, we can do the same as a country to the rest of the world. To present a picture of self-confidence without appearing arrogant, practice self-reliance without losing interdependence with friends, and show self-sufficiency to provide adequate comfort and confidence to a great majority of our population, is the call of the hour. 

“Of those in the world who wish for us to stumble, we assure them that, yes, we will fall hard but with grace. Those who wish to visit us, live with us, get to know us better, partake of our meals, and join us in singing our songs as we build a new China, we spread our arms in warm welcome.”

The spirit within Chloe’s affirmation of an enlightened China is heartening. Our heart tempered by the protest movements like Chavez’s, and the innovations like Schuller’s, make us face the call of the moment on how to overcome defeatism that pervades contemporary life. Even NASA contemplates moving the human race (read, Texans) to another planet, on the certitude that this one is doomed, and that any sustaining development is a futile exercise.

I will go with Chloe any day!