Carrying The Torch (by Sr. Patricia Rayburn)
In January, I was nominated to be one of the Torchbearers for the Olympic Torch Relay when it came to
What sustains me on my personal journey for excellence is my faith that God has created all people and all of creation out of love. In this love I am called to respond by being the best person God has created me to be, using my gifts and talents to create a world that reflects love, peace and hope.
My personal journey includes that I am a Catholic Sister. I belong to the order of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity. My calling and experiences have compelled me to work for the communities I am part of, the country I live in, and the world, to promote each person being treated with respect and dignity.
As I carried the Olympic Torch, I also carried with me the many communities I work with, such as the Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Habitat for Humanity, and the international mission work I've done in Chiapas, Mexico, and
Additionally, I try to live as "simply and as green" as possible, through recycling, not using bottled water, and using alternative methods of transportation. The Christian community of the Sisters of St. Francis to which I belong works to protect our environment through a variety of efforts: particularly in water conservation, the conservation of wildlife and the wetlands, as well as efforts to bring about peace in our world. I spoke about these themes whenever there were opportunities in the Olympic process.
Some of the torchbearers shared together that we were grateful for the protestors supporting the people of
We thought the protestors who climbed the
I am honored to have carried the Olympic Torch and found it a true gift as a Franciscan Sister to represent those who follow St. Francis - the one for whom the city of San Francisco was named. St. Francis was a man of peace, a person who respected all people, and who honored all creation. As a Franciscan Sister, I also strive to be a woman of peace, a person who respects others, and who honors all creation. This is what the Olympic Spirit is about: peace, respect, and honor.
Sr. Patricia Rayburn, OSF, lives in Redwood City, CA, and carried the Olympic torch for a block along the Marina in San Francisco looking toward the Golden Gate Bridge.
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Comments
Thank you, Sr. Patricia, for sharing this with us. It was a wonderful testimony in several different areas!
Posted by: Janible | June 2, 2008 11:55 AM
Sr. Patricia You have motivation and moving words. Thanks for the example. From Tucson AZ.
Posted by: Luis Velasco | June 2, 2008 12:10 PM
Given the extent to which the PRC persecutes genuinely Christian "House Churches", I'm not sure it's appropriate for a Christian to take part in the torch relay this time around. I'm not saying that we are obligated to protest, or that Sister Rayburn is a bad Christian, but if it were up to me I would have stayed away from the whole thing.
Wolverine
Posted by: Wolverine | June 2, 2008 12:45 PM
I think this is a both-and situation rather than either-or. I'm glad the Olympics are in China, I'm glad there is a torchbearing ceremony AND I'm glad that there are protests all over the world reminding us of China's human rights violations against the Tibetans and others.
China in many ways is doing a lot of things right. But as with any country, the government needs to be held to the fire when it has perpetuated injustice. Just think about all the protests around the world if the US was hosting the Olympics this year, with the Iraq occupation and all.
Posted by: I and I | June 2, 2008 1:23 PM
I am of two minds about this. I agree with Wolverine in that I would have chosen not to participate based on China's treatment of people (not just their terrible treatment of Christians). However, I can also see the value of Sr. Patricia participating and being a witness for Christ with her presence. Being there she can speak about what is on her heart with regards to China's violations of human rights and might influence others with her witness.
I think this is an instance where there is no one correct answer. Each person must respond as the Holy Spirit leads them. For me (and for Wolverine, apparently) that leading would be to not participate. For Sr. Patricia, the leading was to participate. I think God would (and has) blessed both.
Posted by: RJohnson | June 2, 2008 2:58 PM
While I fully believe that the PRC has misruled Tibet, with the latest thing being the "requirement" to file "reincarnation applications," things are in reality not so straightforward as the mainstream western media would lead one to believe.
Facts such as how the old Tibetan theocracy was actually quite repressive, the fact that Tibet wasn't seriously considered an independent state ever since 1750 or so by anyone, and the fact that there's been a great deal of cross-ethnic migration are seldom if never mentioned. (I hear something like 50% of the victims of the Sichuan earthquake were ethnic Tibetans. Han migration has also gone the other way, which is much more criticized. Drawing lines on the basis of ethnicity is in many ways akin to if not equal to racism.) Finally, I doubt anyone can honestly argue that violent rioting is legitimate, even as a response to repressive policies.
Rather than whine about biased media, I make a bold proposal. Why won't the PRC simply pull the government out of the religion business (the Communist party is Atheist, after all) and be done with it. That way, (1) people have clearly one less thing to complain about, be it house churches, Buddhist monks, or whatever, and (2) it's an advance in human rights where freedom of religion for all is actually carried out.
Posted by: Ngchen | June 2, 2008 3:28 PM
RJohnson writes: "I can also see the value of Sr. Patricia participating and being a witness for Christ with her presence. Being there she can speak about what is on her heart with regards to China's violations of human rights and might influence others with her witness."
RJohnson,
There's no evidence that Sr. Pat has been "a witness for Christ" or been able to "speak about what is on her heart."
The organizers are pretty cunning, though. They add a seemingly harmless nun to their lineup of torchbearers for propaganda value and to provide moral cover. With all due respect to this woman, I'm reminded of the phrase coined by Lenin, "useful idiot."
The 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 1936 Berlin Olympics are of the same category: showcase events for totalitarian regimes.
Posted by: Mel | June 2, 2008 4:33 PM
Mel: "The 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 1936 Berlin Olympics are of the same category: showcase events for totalitarian regimes."
But, although its significance has been exaggerated, things didn't go exactly as planned in '36, did they?
Posted by: carl copas | June 2, 2008 4:49 PM
I think what Ngchen has suggested is not a bold idea at all. It is something the Dalai Lama has suggested himself. In my impression, the question is not really about national independence anymore - it is about basic human rights, the right to the coexistence and preservation of different cultures and religious freedom. According to a sinologist I know, this is not happening - on the contrary, the Tibetian culture is already almost totally destroyed.
And referring to "migration" - yes, of course, migration takes place, but one has to consider as well the deliberate setttlement of Chinese people by the Chinese government in Tibet in a further attempt to "patronise" the region and destroy Tibetian culture.
I do not understand why people always refer to the "brutal theocracy" Tibet used to be, with slavery etc. One has to consider that this was more than hundred years ago! What did European countries look like at that time? Why do people seem to think that an independent Tibet of today would look the same as Tibet looked a long time ago? But as I've said, apparently the question is not about independence anymore anyway.
Posted by: doerthe | June 3, 2008 5:07 AM
Whatever excuses you may make for China's imperial occupation of Tibet, Tibet belongs to the Tibetans just as Vietnam belongs to the Vietnamese, Iraq belongs to the Iraqis, and Palestine belongs to the Palestinians. What is so hard for us in the US to understand about this? What did we do when we decided the British were foreigners?
In Him,
TV2
Posted by: Ted Voth Jr | June 3, 2008 10:11 AM
Ted Voth Jr. wrote:
Whatever excuses you may make for China's imperial occupation of Tibet, Tibet belongs to the Tibetans just as Vietnam belongs to the Vietnamese, Iraq belongs to the Iraqis, and Palestine belongs to the Palestinians. What is so hard for us in the US to understand about this? What did we do when we decided the British were foreigners?
Yes, but here's the rub. How do we define who is or is not a "Tibetan," "Vietnamese," or for that matter an "American." It would seem racist to argue that only say, people with dark skin can be considered "real" "Zimbabweans." If someone else, say from France and with light skin, moved to Zimbabwe with the permission of the locals and settled, at some point the person should also be considered Zimbabwean if the person so chooses. Likewise the same with any other grouping.
As others have pointed out, the issue might not really be independence anymore (although I'm not sure: I heard the Tibetan Youth Congress is quite staunchly, and perhaps militantly, pro-independence). Honestly, I'm not aware of any decent set of objective rules for determining when an independence movement is legitimate and when it is not. The US case for independence wasn't open and shut, if one's brutally honest about it.
Posted by: Ngchen | June 3, 2008 11:36 AM
Thanks Sister for the diverse ways in which you bear witness.
Posted by: Greg | June 3, 2008 1:11 PM
I am very glad that Tibetan human rights are an issue of concern to many people around the world. However, I am also curious as to why it is not of bigger concern to American evangelicals. Is it because most Tibetans are not Christians? Do they consider Tibetan Buddhism a threat?
Posted by: I and I | June 3, 2008 2:54 PM
Not to detract from the main discussion, but a Christian using the term "Mother Earth" (especially with reverant capitalization) makes me cringe.
Posted by: Jeremy | June 4, 2008 1:23 AM
"...a Christian using the term "Mother Earth" (especially with reverant capitalization) makes me cringe."
Why not? We capitalize "United States" and "America the Beautiful," and consider the flag sacred (hence the persistent congressional bills making it a crime to "desecrate" it).
Posted by: I and I | June 5, 2008 9:36 AM
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