Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel, hosting the Taiwan delegation

When Fennie, Katherine, Thomas, and I visited the city of Taichung, on Taiwan’s west coast, during our visit last September, we got a morning tour of St. James Episcopal Church and School from its beloved rector, the Rev. Lily Chang. This was right after kids arrived for the day. It was just like drop-off here at The Church of Our Saviour or one of our other Episcopal schools, with parents standing on tip-toes, taking pictures of their kids during the flag-raising ceremony. One thing that was different was that the kids lined their helmets up next to their backpacks, since most had arrived on scooters with their parents.

When Lily showed us a kindergarten classroom, and I spotted a map of the world on the wall, I asked the kids if they could show me their country of origin. Twenty-five forefingers pointed like lasers at Taiwan.

A few months ago, not far from here, I spoke to a group of Arcadia High School students about the Cold War and the role of Kathy’s and my old boss, Richard Nixon, everything from his trip to mainland China to Watergate. Many of the students were of Chinese background. When I asked if the United States was an Atlantic or Pacific power, several hands shot up. The first student got it right. “Both,” he said. Then I asked if they knew what had happened at Tiananmen Square in June 1989. “My mother was there,” a student said.

I pray a prayer of two hopes this morning. First, that all young people will pay such close attention to what’s going on in the world. Second, that all of us in the older generations will do all we can to make sure our children and grandchildren, knowledgeable or not, inherit a world of peace, justice, and freedom.

In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul urges Christians to stand fast in the liberty Christ has won for us, never again submitting to the yoke of bondage. We learned this morning that Bishop Lennon Yuan-rung Chang has a vision of an autonomous Province of Taiwan by the middle of the century. Such a vision requires us to stand fast for Christ’s freedom as well as political freedom. The deepening ties between the dioceses of Taiwan and Los Angeles are one of the ways we are standing for freedom. By virtue its warm hospitality to our visitors this week, Church of Our Savior is part of a great freedom story.

[My remarks during a bilingual service this morning at Church of our Saviour in San Gabriel. The Rev. Dr. Thomas Ni, associate rector and head of the Chinese-speaking congregation, provided interpretation ministry. Bishop Chang was preacher; he and I celebrated Holy Eucharist together. The rector, the Rev. Jeffrey Stoller Thornberg, was our gracious host, including making North Carolina barbecue for the festive lunch that followed. Before services, the Rev. Claire Chia-Lin Wang offered a slide presentation and wide-ranging remarks on the 71-year history of the Diocese of Taiwan.]