What is Chongqing 1949 Shows Tell About

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Located at Chongqing theatre, PRC, a 360 degree pivotal stage, what is realy tell about?

In 1949, when the new China had just been established, the city of Chongqing remain shrouded in darkness. Represented by the Third Brother, Lin Zijie, and Jin Ziu, Communist Party member faced the enemy's brutal torture at the Zahzhidong and Baigongguan prisons, faced life-and-death choices everyday. The underground party in Chongqing was actively rescuing comrades in prisons. Meanwhile, the Second Brother, Lin Zihao, led the advanced detachment of the Second Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, marching swiftly toward the southwest. However, just before the liberation of Chongqing, the Nationalist goverment issued an order to the eldest brother, Lin Zixiong, to carry out the masacre and destroy the city, causing numerus revolutionary martyrs to fall at the break of dawn.

Preface

The Darkness Before Dawn

China underwent tremendous transformation in the late 1940s. After three major battles, the People's Liberation Army swept through China and quickly liberated most of China. However, the southwestern region, centered on Chongqing, remain under the dark rule of Koumintang. A group of revolutionaries secretly imprisoned in Chongqing faced uncertain fates. On September 6, 1949, General Yan Huncheng, who had been imprisoned by Chiang Kai-shek for twelve years after initiating the "Xi'an Incident", along with his children and many other revolutionaries, were killed by military agents, making the beginning of a masacre di Chongqing.

Act 1

The Dark Current of Jialing River

Zhang Yunxia, an underground member of the Communist Party of China, returned to Chongqing undercover as the secretary of Lin Zixiong, the commander of Chongqing's garrison. She prepared to unite with the Chongqing underground party to rescue comrades imprisoned in jail. At this time, Lin Zijie and numerous revolutionaries imprisoned in a concentration camp in Chongqing faced constant threats to their lives. Along the Jialing river, students took to the streets calling for peace, while agents arrested civilians to suppress protests. Meanwhile, Lin Zixiong was busy installing explosives in power plants and water plants. Undercurrents of various forces surged, and the mountain city, struggling in cold and fear, saw no glimmer of dawn.

Act 2

The Test of Will

Upon learning that the new China was about to be liberated, the revolutionaries in the concentration camp concieved the idea of escaping prison to save themselves. Subsequently, Lin Zixiong secretly met with Lin Zijie and tried to persuade him to sign a statement renouncing his Communist Party membership in exchange of freedom. Lin Zijie firmly refused, and the two brothers parted on bad terms. During their conversation, Lin Zijie seized the opportunity to reveal the location of the concentration camp to Zhang Yunxia. Having not seen each other for years, the two lovers, close at hand, could only silently pour out their burning emotions in their hearts. Zhang Yunxia, who had obtain the intelligence, hastily rushed to the secret rendezvous point but happened to witness it being destroyed, forcing the termination of intelligence transmission. At this time, Lin Zihao, the younger brother, was following the Second Field Army Advance Group to liberate the southwestern region.

Act 3

The National Flag in my Heart

The news of the establishment of People's Republic of China spread to the concentration camps, and every comrades in the prison was immersed in excitement and happiness. They broke out their cells, danced in chains. With good wishes for the new China, the crafted a "Five-Starred Red Flag" from a red quilt cover, excitedly imagining their future happy lives. As dawn rose  another group of revolutionaries was ruthlessly killed.

Act 4 

A Choice without Regret

A confession book lying across heaven and hell, Prison warden Gu Teifu used freedom and the safety of her child to bribe and cierce Jin Xiu to sign a statement renouncing her Communist Party membership. Facing her own child, her comrades-in-arms, and her beliefs, Jin Xiu made an unrepenting choice. Though deeply reluctant, she stood tall and walk calmly to the execution ground. At this moment, chairman Mao's solemn declaration at the founding ceremony echoed through the air: "The People's Republic of China, the Central People's Goverment, has been established!" As soon as the world fell, the enemy's gun fire rang out again.

Act 5 

The Information that can not be Delevered

The Liberation Army, where Lin Zihao was, gradually approach Chongqing, and the enemy's masacre plan enteres its final frenzy. At this time, the Chongqing underground party organization had been largerly destroyed by the Kuomintang. Zhang Yunxia decided to contact the Chongqing guerrilla force to organize an arm prison break. However, agents who recieved advance information laid an ambush at the rendezvous site. Zhang Yunxia was forced to fire a warning shot and killed the agents who under the cover of civilians, terminating intelligence transmission again. In desperation, she decided to head to the concentration camp and carry out the prison break plan alone.

Act 6

Strong Faith

The sound of liberation gunfire drew nearer and nearer. Seeing that the situation is hopeless, the Chiang kai-Shek regime urgently order Lin Zixiong to immediately activate the city destruction plan, detoned explosives throughout the city, and execute all revolutionaries in the concentration camp. At this critical moment of life and death, the three Lin brothers faced each other. The three Lin brothers, who once share a bowl of glutinous rice ball, took vastly different path due to their differing beliefs. Lin Zijie and Lin Zihao tried to persuade Lin Zixiong to laydown his weapons. Facing the determination of his two younger brothers to defend the communist faith with their lives, Lin Zixiong felt complex emotions.

Act 7

The Dream in Flame

The masacre begun! Lin Zijie led his comrades in the concentration camp to break free from the prison. In order to rescue the children burried under the bodies, Lin Zijie and Zhang Yunxia both fell at the gunpoint of the enemy. Lin Zixiong saw his little brother Zijie die right infront of him and confronted Lin Zihao at gunpoint at the entrance of power plant. He put down his gun in remorse when saw Zihao and the power workers sacrifice their life to protect the power plant. A few days later, Lin Zixiong led a rebelion.

Epilogue

Chongqing has been liberated! In the morning glow, the martyrs, with joyous smile on their face, said to us: "Forget us! Our dream has come true! Please live a happy life for us!" They died a hero, with their strong faith, altruistic sentiment and fearless courage! They shed their last drop of their blood for our happy life today but fell forever before the moment of dawn and the founding of New China. Their names, their voices, and their beliefs lived forever in the fire, in the monuments and in our hearts!

Pdt. Ferdinand Suleeman Yang Kuingat

Karangan Bunga di depan gereja

Thanks for reading,

Hari ini, Minggu 12 Januari 2025 adalah ibadah minggu GKI Bektim sekaligus upacara penutupan peti alm. Pdt. Ferdinand Suleeman.

Semasa hidupnya, umat biasa menyapanya dengan panggilan formal "Pdt. Ferdi" atau "pak Ferdi", kadang secara informal ada yang memanggilnya dengan sebutan "Boksu".

Yang kuingat tentang Pdt. Ferdinand Suleeman:

1. Soal Musik, jangan ditanya lagi:

a.  Boksu jago main Violin, di suatu Ibadah Minggu, pada Saat Hening, beliau memainkan komposisi violin karya komponis asal Perancis, Jules Massenet berjudul Thais Meditation (1894). Aslinya komposisi ini adalah instrumen dalam opera, penuh dengan perubahan dinamika dari Pianissimo ke Fortissimo, lalu tetiba Pianissimo lagi, bertebaran Ritardando kemudian A Tempo. Kejadian lucu waktu itu adalah ketika Jemaat terlanjur bertepuk tangan karena mengira sudah sampai di akhir lagu namun sebenarnya belum, masih tersisa beberapa birama lagi. Komposisi indah ini terkenal misalnya versi Itzhak Perlman, bisa dicek di internet.

b. Masih tentang Violin, di suatu kothbah ibadah minggu lainnya, Pdt. Ferdi menyebut seorang virtuoso violin, namanya Nicolo Paganini (1817), yang menggubah karya indah namun maha ribet berjudul Caprice No. 24. Bisa jadi ini adalah pionir musik metal karena speed yang luar biasa cepat dengan notasi blingsatan dari dawai G ke senar E. Bertempo Allegro dengan Notasi garis dua di hampir semua Notnya. Saat itu Boksu bercerita bahwa Violin milik Paganini sekarang berada di museum, dan karena tidak pernah digunakan lagi, justru kondisinya rusak. Saat kothbah itu Boksu menggunakan Violin Paganini sebagai ilustrasi bahwa Iman tanpa perbuatan adalah mati.

c. Selain violin ternyata pak Ferdi ahli main Clarinet, alat musik tiup yang biasanya terbuat dari kayu berwarna hitam, berbasis reed tunggal (penggetar dari bambu khusus). Waktu itu beliau bersedia mengiringi Bel Canto Choir lagu “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” (Kepala Yang Berdarah) arr John Leavitt. Karena Partitur Clarinet yang saya kasih sangat kecil fontnya, maka cukup menyulitkan bagi pemakai kacamata seperti beliau, namun Pelayanan saat itu berjalan lancar.

2. Soal sejarah gereja apalagi:

a.  Nah ini yang saya suka, Pdt. Ferdi dalam kothbahnya sering menyebut nama-nama dalam sejarah gereja, misalnya Irenaeus of Lyon yang di tahun 180 menulis risalah berjudul Adversus Haereses (melawan bidat-bidat), saat itu Santo Irenaeus heran mengapa sepeninggal para Rasul, mulai bermunculan injil-injil lain yang tidak dikenal sebelumnya (palsu), padahal sewaktu Ireaneus masih muda dan berguru kepada eyang Santo Polycarp of Smyrna (yang adalah murid langsung dari Yohanes rasul), para tetua gereja saat itu hanya mengajarkan 4 injil saja yaitu Matius, Markus, Lukas, Yohanes. Seperti quote Santo Irenaeus yang mahsyur itu: ”Sebagaimana keempat arah mata angin, demikian juga hanya empat injil inilah yang rasuli.”

b. Atau ketika Boksu mengisahkan peristiwa skisma besar tahun 1054 (sd saat ini angka 1054 masih menjadi profil WA saya selama lebih 5 tahun). Lebih karena kesulitan komunikasi dan halangan geografi antara gereja barat dan gereja timur, yang dipuncaki dengan peristiwa penyisipan kata “Filioque” dalam Pengakuan iman Nicea (Konstantinopel) oleh gereja barat yang membuat gereja Ortodox Timur tidak berkenan.

c. Untuk sejarah gereja di Indonesia, kothbah beliau juga tak kalah menarik, misalnya ketika menyebut Penginjil asli jawa bernama Kyai Sadrach (lahir 1835an), berkarya di Jawa Tengah, menginjil dari kampung ke kampung. Sampai saat ini Gereja Kyai Sadrach masih berdiri di Purwokerto, bangunannya justru lebih mirip masjid. Kyai Sadrach pernah menjadi murid dari seorang penginjil bernama Kyai Tunggulwulung. Kyai Tunggulwulung menjadi Kristen justru di tempat tak lazim, yakni di kaki gunung Kelud, setelah mendapat jawaban dari pertanyaan apakah yang dimaksud “ditandur saiki dipethik wingi” (ditanam sekarang, dipanen kemarin). Bahwa yang mampu melintas waktu seperti itu hanyalah sang Kristus, karena Kristus ada sebelum segala sesuatu ada. Lebih lanjut Boksu menyarankan kalau ingin mendalami sejarah bisa membaca buku karya Th. Van den End, Ragi Carita.

3. Soal Bahasa asing, ga heran:

Tentang Bahasa Inggris, beliau adalah dosen Bahasa Inggris Teologia, tentang Bahasa Mandarin, beliau pernah tinggal di negeri tirai bambu selama 3 bulan untuk mempelajarinya, soal Bahasa Yunani, nah ini:

Di suatu kothbah ibadah minggu Pdt. Ferdi menerangkan bahwa bahasa asli Kitab Perjanjian Baru adalah Yunani Koine. Kemudian beliau menyebut ayat alkitab, “Ego eimi he hodos kai he aletheia kai he zoe.” Hayo, apakah jemaat ada yang tahu ayat ini? Terkenal, sering dikutip oleh umat Kristen dimana-mana, lanjut beliau. “Akulah jalan dan kebenaran dan hidup” itulah terjemahnya (Yohanes 14 ayat 6b). Baru tahu ternyata “hodos” berarti “jalan”, “aletheia” bermakna “kebenaran” dan yang kuingat justru “zoe” (hidup) merupakan akar dari istilah bahasa inggris “zoo.” (kebun kehidupan, kini kebun binatang). Tadinya saya berpikir “hodos” berarti “majalah” karena dulu GKI Bektim punya Majalah Hodos.

Selamat Jalan Pdt. Ferdinand Suleeman.