1.30.2015

Humbled.

I'm continually humbled as I live among the Chinese people. You can feel their kindness as you see them smile and as they try to talk to you in broken English. I love it!

Today, I was able to have a small glimpse into history as we went to the Nanjing Massacre Museum. The museum was very moving. As I looked around at the descriptions of what happened to the 300,000 various victims of the massacre, I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have been living in Nanjing at that time. The massacre was during World War 2 and the Japanese attacked Nanjing at that time because it was the current capitol of China. Men, women, and children were all killed in horrible ways. Women and young girls were being raped and killed every single day. As I read the few accounts of the survivors, I reflected on their stories and how hard it would've been to see your father, brother, or husband brutally killed and to see your sister, or your mother, raped. It would literally tear me to pieces.

Forgiveable, but unforgettable.

Through all the heartache, struggle, and sorrow, I was comforted by the outlook of the Chinese people today. They had a large sign written in Chinese, but captioned in English, that said, "Forgiveable, but unforgettable."  Although the massacre was extremely scarring on their emotions, culture, homeland, and people, they are willing to forgive. Grudge holding and unforgiving attitudes seem to be rampant in today's society. I don't feel like people have created such a tough and rough culture intentionally, I just feel like things have evolved over time to be where they are today.

My heart was comforted as I reflected on the Chinese people's attitude of forgiveness. They were so willing to forgive the Japanese soldiers and move on from the horror and terror which still haunts their memory. The forgiveness portrayed throughout the museum inspires me to always think to forgive before thinking to be upset. At the end of the museum, you walk reverently through graves and the names of every person and family affected by the massacre. Then you walk outside around a corner and you see a HUGE reflecting pool with a GIGANTIC white marble statute of a woman and a baby at the opposite end from where you are standing. The caption on the bottom of the statue is written in large, bold, white letters and it simply says, "Peace". There's also a sign titled "The Epilogue" and it talks about how all the Chinese people want with the Japanese people now is peace. As you walk down by the reflection pool, you truly do have time to think about how important peace and forgiveness is in this world. I truly am grateful for the peace I feel in my life every day. I know that peace comes into my life personally from knowing, living, and loving the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But unforgettable.
As I've been writing this post, I've also been thinking about the last part of the statement, "Forgivable, but unforgettable." I firmly believe that everything happens in our lives for a reason and we can learn and grow from everything that does happen. Growing up, I always heard the phrase "forgive and forget." I do believe that we need to forgive, always! But I also believe that we don't always need to forget. I believe that as we forgive, we can detach the hardened feelings we have about an experience, but still remember it so we can continue growing from it. I know that my life has been full of growth and I would never want to forget about those moments of hard, but important growth.

I'm so grateful for the principle of forgiveness and for growth that does come through forgiveness. I'm also grateful for the opportunity I had to go to the Massacre Museum today and reflect on all of these things. Last of all, I know I will be forever grateful for this humbling experience of living among and loving these fantastic Chinese people. They really do teach me so much every day!