Paradoxes of Faith

I must say I was more than heartened to read the following BBC article this afternoon about one Chinese woman’s valiant and defiant stance towards the Chinese government in defense of her home threatened by eminent domain. It makes me sincerely take note of the threat Ms. Wu Ping has potentially thrust upon herself, and has simultaneously allowed me to rejoice in such a poignant female voice embodying a profound yet peaceful resistance to a contingency of leaders prioritizing profits over people.

Which brings us to some questions for ourselves. It’s easy to lambast the Chinese government for some. Somehow China has come to symbolize another foe to US interests, though significantly less than the Islamic replacement of Communism as the pinnacle threat to ‘peace and freedom’ in the world, whatever that has come to mean these days. However, it’s so difficult for us to see how we engage in placing profits before people. Difficult in the sense that it takes so much effort, energy and ingenuity to insulate ourselves from the marginalized and to wall ourselves off from those who are exploited directly or indirectly for our benefit.

If we value placing people before products or profits, do our lifestyles match our values? Would we go out of our way to purchase Fair Trade Certified products despite the slightly higher costs than non-FT goods? Would we forsake extra tax cuts to ensure that certain domestic and international projects and regulations are in order to protect the weakest of our global society’s citizens? Have we bought into the lie that justice and concern are proximity-based – namely, that we are not required to be concerned for ‘the other’ so long as we have enough space between us and ‘them’ to erect a barrier of ignorance and preoccupation? What does it say about my values when the only way I know how to respond to Wu Ping is to publish this post about her?