One Year On

Posted on 13 June 2009.

May 12 saw the first anniversary of the major earthquake that shook much of China in 2008. Chinese President Hu Jintao led the official commemorations from the ruins of Yingxiu, Sichuan province, very near the epicentre.

Wreaths were laid at the foot of a clock whose hands were set at 14:28, the exact time the quake struck.

Elsewhere people held their own ceremonies to remember the nearly 90,000 dead or missing. Mourners visited ruins and graves, lit incense and candles, and burned paper money for the dead. "I feel the earthquake isn't over yet. Every time I see something about it, I feel like crying," said Zhou Na, a young woman who lost several family members (BBC).

President Hu said the disaster had galvanised the nation. "Confronted with this immense disaster, the masses of Chinese people and military were as one, forming a fortress of unified resolve," he declared (BBC).

However, many parents continue to question why so many schools collapsed during the earthquake. The government has put the number of dead and missing schoolchildren at 5,335, but compilations of reports from the time give a rather higher figure.

A writer who tried to put together a list of children killed in the schools has been detained, as have a number of parents who demanded inquiries into claims that corruption and lax quality-control had led to weakened school buildings, and lawyers who offered to help them.

The Chinese government has pledged to spend an extra eight billion yuan (US$1.17 billion) this year on making schools in earthquake-prone areas safer, but for many this comes too late. One grieving mother said, "When the quake happened, my daughter was trapped underneath the rubble. She wasn't injured but she eventually died as no one came to rescue her. Now, my child has been dead for a year. When our daughter was born, we expected her to grow up and bring us happiness. Now all our hope is gone" (BBC).

Pray for parents and others who continue to mourn the loss of loved ones. Pray for renewed hope and meaning for their lives. Pray that each one might come to know their heavenly Father Who longs to bring them comfort.

Pray for the ongoing rebuilding programme in the areas of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces affected by the earthquake. Pray for any corrupt officials to be removed and that everything will be built in accordance with the necessary standards.

Pray for those who are seeking to know the truth about what happened in the schools. May those who have been detained by the authorities because of this search for truth be quickly released. And may each one find peace and a release from their heartfelt pain.