Liz, I mean, Messy Christian, is coordinating the Celebration of Discipline Group Blog. Here is her first installment on the series. It is intended to bring together readers of the book by Richard Foster, in order to share their reflections, perspectives, reactions and questions in response to reading through the excellent book, subtitled, “the Path to Spiritual Growth.” I would have loved to participate, but I know that I must be first of all disciplined to write and finish my thesis (if blogging don’t get in the way, but that is another story), while trying to learn and master all the new software and other stuff at my new job. However, I can at least participate as an interested, engaged reader!

By the way, for those of you who are following that series of blogs, you might be interested to know that Richard Foster has started an organization that is focused on spiritual growth in Christians called, “Renovare” and they are having a first annual Renovare International Conference from June 19-22, 2005 in Denver, Colorado. How I wish I can go. For me, this is truly a case of so near yet so far. But if anyone of you gets to go, I’d love to hear your experience.

Today is the eve of the sixteenth anniversary of the day when the leaders of a nation ordered the armed forces to decimate the very people after whom it is named. It is incredulous to think that your own army who is sworn to protect you, and which is a symbol of your safety and refuge, or supposed to be, can not only point their guns in your face, but actually pull the triggers and roll their tanks over you!

What is more horrifying is that while the entire world looks helplessly on, there was nothing anyone or any other nation could do. Or perhaps, no nation or no other people wanted to do anything. All they did do is apparently, watch you suffer, cry, run, and die. How sad, lonely and confused were those who only days before were hailed as the courageous, fearless, future leaders of a bright new China! Even today, leaders of nations appear to refuse to do much more than vex rhetorical about “concerns for human rights issues” and other platitudes.

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