Despite our shared heritage and upbringing, my brother Dan and I see the world from much different perspectives. I watch events with the detachment and analysis of a journalist. Dan, a minister and missionary, experiences the world with the passion of a participant.
Our interests have overlapped considerably the past few weeks. I joined several other family members in the Kansas City area May 16, when Dan was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary (good luck getting your little brother to call you “Dr. Buttry”).
As I wrote recently, I learned after the commencement that Dan was joining me in that large and growing fellowship of cancer survivors (he’s recovering from successful surgery for prostate cancer on Monday; I celebrate 10 years since my successful surgery for colon cancer in August and I’m more than four years past removal of a basal cell skin cancer).
And when I wrote this week about photojournalists covering the “tank man” of Tiananmen Square, I knew I had to share the story with Dan.
Dan travels the world, teaching and preaching about peacemaking and conflict resolution. The Jeff Widener photo of the tank man standing in front of the line of tanks is on the cover of Dan’s book Christian Peacemaking: From Heritage to Hope (a fact I forgot until I got the book off my shelf as I wrote this post).
I sent a link to my blog post on the photojournalists to Dan and he shared his recollection of visiting Tiananmen Square:
Last year when I was in Beijing I went to the Square. Of course, there is no sign about any of those actions. But I felt I was walking on holy ground as I went around the square imagining and recalling what happened during May and June, 1989. I tried to find the spot on Changan Avenue where the man stood in front of the tanks. I knew the photos were shot from a hotel. I went to where I figured it might have been and had a moment of prayer and meditation–for me it was a pilgrimage. The photo that just came out of the incident taken at street level looked like the place where I stopped. I think I got it right. Wherever the “tank man” might be I hold him in my heart.
On the first anniversary of Tiananmen Square, Dan wrote a song. It’s not available as an audio file (here’s hoping his son, Jon, can remedy that), but Dan sent me the lyrics:
There’s a red moon over Beijing
Silence hangs like a shroud on the square.
The ghosts of the young sing lament
For a hope that once flowered there.Tiananmen tears, Tiananmen tears,
The cry of brave hearts to be free.
Tiananmen tears, Tiananmen tears,
A fountain loosed by cold tyranny.The goddess held a bright flame aloft,
A million hearts leapt to hear freedom’s sound.
Then the demons of power were set loose
Tank treads smashed that sweet dream to the ground.Tiananmen tears, Tiananmen tears,
The cry of brave hearts to be free.
Tiananmen tears, Tiananmen tears,
A fountain loosed by cold tyranny.A man stands before a line of tanks,
His courage so humble and strong.
Today those tanks own the square,
But they won’t be there for long.Tiananmen tears, Tiananmen tears,
The cry of brave hearts to be free.
Tiananmen tears, Tiananmen tears,
A fountain loosed by cold tyranny.History can now be redone,
A new story line shall be set.
But truth lives on in memory
And shall rise unfettered yet.Tiananmen tears, Tiananmen tears,
The cry of brave hearts to be free.
Tiananmen tears, Tiananmen tears,
A sorrow that one day shall see victory.
loved this post.
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[…] children (Brandon was the second-oldest adopted child). I also have mentioned before that my older brother, Dan, is a peace missionary, both here and on the travel blog I share with […]
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