「為了所有人都有自私的權利，必須有一個道義巨人無私地犧牲….歷史沒有必然， 一個殉難者的出現就會徹底改變一個民族的靈魂，提升人的精神品質。甘地是偶然，哈維爾是偶然，兩千年前那個生於馬槽的農家孩子更是偶然。」這是劉曉波2000年一月寫給廖亦武信中的句子，在這裡我想要添上迪特里希·潘霍華的名字。
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劉曉波用他清澈的語言，縝密的思維和真實的情感化解了毛澤東時代誇張虛偽的謊言和戾氣。他呼籲知識人「用真話顛覆謊言制度」。
同樣地，迪特里希·潘霍華用他的哲學和神學思想和語言激勵了三十年代的德國青年，他更以無比的道義力量和基督徒的信心參與抗暴法西斯的運動，最終死於納粹的絞架。
這兩位道義巨人曾生活在不同的時代，不同的文化和地域土壤，他們的成長過程、心歷路程也大異其趣，但是他們對真理和正義堅定的信念，賦予他們超於常人的勇氣，如同大衛面對歌利亞，以個人的血肉之軀面對國家機器的碾壓，肉身雖滅，但其精神卻永存。
曉波成長於一個謊言瀰漫、暴力仇恨充斥社會的中國，青年時代的他已經洞察了共產社會的弊端和傳統文化里的犬儒，80年代中期他獲得北京師範大學的碩士和博士學位，他以尖銳的筆觸、狂放的姿態對傳統文化進行無情的批判，震撼了華夏文壇和文化界。曉波後來說：「為自己七十年代的淺薄和八十年代的狂傲而深感羞愧」。經過八九天安門屠殺的洗禮後，他3度進出於看守和勞教所，他的思想逐漸沉澱累積漸趨成熟。進入21世紀以後，他更以行動配合他的思想和寫作，參加了各種簽名呼籲運動，他的文字也更貼近社會底層，如關於「黑窰童奴」、「楊佳殺人」、「鄧玉嬌殺淫官」等，反映他對普通人生活困境的關懷同情，並進行深層的問題癥結的分析調查。對於專制政權，曉波從不吝於批評和揭露，這導致他第四度入獄，被判刑11年。在他的判決書上， 這位「煽動顛覆國家政權」的作者的文章如「多面的中共獨裁」、「獨裁崛起對世界民主的負面效應」、「中共的獨裁愛國主義」等被當作他的罪證。這樣一位獨立的知識分子自然不容於專制政權。
潘霍華亦成名於青年時代，他17歲中學畢業，21歲拿到博士學位，25歲完成教授論文，從此開始他作為基督徒的傳道授業解惑生涯。當納粹於1933崛起之時，他很快警覺到法西斯對滅絕猶太一族的極端殘酷理念和暴行，很快投身於教會中的抵制運動，創建認信教會（Bekennende Kirche/ Confessing Church ）,即便在政權的高壓下亦不妥協。潘霍華著作很多，其中他的神學理論表現在《基督論》（Christologie）和《倫理學》（ Ethik）中，提出了「基督是為他人而死」， 以及教會也擁有「自由的權利」這些理念。他參與暗殺希特勒的計畫曝光被捕而下獄，一年之後，就在戰爭結束之前的1945年4月他和幾位宗教的同仁一同被送上絞架，面對死亡，他甘之如飴，從容赴義。
如今世界各地，特別在德國，很多地方都有潘霍華的紀念碑和文史館，人們永遠記得在歷史的至暗時刻，有那麼一些勇敢的人，為了正義，為了人性尊嚴，無怨無悔地獻出生命。
曉波死後被當局燒成灰投入大海，在中國沒有他的墓碑， 沒有紀念他的史料館，但是他的詩歌、文章書籍翻譯成多種外文，流傳在世界各地，我們每年都在7月13日這天舉行紀念活動，當有一天中國成為一個自由的國家時，這一天將會被定為國家的紀念日，因為曉波代表的是中國文化的倫理和精神和一個「士人」的浩然正氣，它會永存於世。
Moral Giants Liu Xiaobo and Dietrich Bonhoeffer
—Commemorating the 8th Anniversary of Liu Xiaobo’s Death
“It seems ironic that in order to win the right of ordinary people to pursue self-interest, a society needs a moral giant to make a selfle sacrifice. History is not fated. The appearance of a single martyr can fundametally turn the spirit of a nation and strengthen its moral fiber. Gandhi was such a figure. So was Havel. So even more, was the humble boy born in a manger two thousand years ago.” This is a sentence from Liu Xiaobo’s letter to Liao Yiwu in January 2000. I would like to add Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s name here.
Liu Xiaobo used his clear language, meticulous thinking and true emotions to dissolve the exaggerated and hypocritical lies and hostility of the Mao Zedong era. He called on intellectuals „Using truth to undermine a system built on lies.”
Similarly, Dietrich Bonhoeffer inspired the German youth in the 1930s with his philosophical and theological thoughts and language. He also participated in the anti-fascist movement with unparalleled moral strength and Christian faith, and eventually died on the Nazi gallows.
These two moral giants lived in different times, cultures and regions. Their growth processes and mental journeys were also very different, but their firm belief in truth and justice gave them extraordinary courage, just like David facing Goliath, facing the crushing of the state machine with his personal flesh and blood. Although their flesh was destroyed, their spirit will live forever.
Xiaobo grew up in a China where lies, violence and hatred permeate society. In his youth, he had already seen through the shortcomings of communist society and the cynicism in traditional Chinese culture. In the mid-1980s, he obtained a master’s and doctoral degree from Beijing Normal University. He ruthlessly criticized traditional culture with a sharp pen and an unrestrained attitude, which shocked the Chinese literary and cultural circles. Xiaobo later said: “I feel mortified at my shallowness in the 1970s and my bravado in the 1980s.” After the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, he went in and out of detention centers and labor camps three times. His thoughts settled and accumulated and gradually matured.
After entering the 21st century, he took action to match his thoughts and writings, participated in various signature appeal campaigns, and his writings were closer to the bottom of society, such as “child slaves in black kilns”, “Yang Jia’s murder”, “Deng Yujiao’s murder of corrupt officials”, etc., reflecting his concern and sympathy for the plight of ordinary people, and conducting in-depth analysis and investigation of the root causes of the problems. Xiaobo never hesitated to criticize and expose the authoritarian regime, which led to his fourth imprisonment and 11 years in prison.
In his verdict, the articles like „Inciting subversion of state power” , “The many faces of the Chinese Communist Party dictatorship”, „How a rising dictatorship hurts democracy in the world”, and “The authoritarian patriotism of the Communist Party of China“ were used as evidence of his guilt. Such an independent intellectual can naturally not be tolerated by the authoritarian regime.
Bonhoeffer also became famous in his youth. He graduated from high school at the age of 17, received his PhD at the age of 21, and completed his professorial thesis at the age of 25. From then on, he began his career as a Christian preacher and teacher. When the Nazis rose in 1933, he quickly became aware of the extremely cruel ideas and atrocities of the fascists to exterminate the Jewish people. He quickly joined the boycott movement in the church and founded the Confessing Church (Bekennende Kirche), and did not compromise even under the high pressure of the regime. Bonhoeffer has many works, among which his theological theories are reflected in „Christology „ and „Ethics“, proposing the concepts of “Christ died for others” and that the church also has the “right to freedom”.
His involvement in the assassination plan of Hitler was exposed and he was arrested and imprisoned. One year later, in April 1945, just shortly before the end of the war, he was sent to the gallows with several religious colleagues. Facing death, he was calm and peaceful. Today, there are many monuments and museums of Bonhoeffer all over the world, especially in Germany. People will always remember that in the darkest moment of history, there were some brave people who sacrificed their lives for justice and human dignity without regrets.
After Xiaobo’s death, the authorities burned his body and dumped the ashes into the sea. There is no tombstone for him in China, and no historical museum to commemorate him, but his poems, articles and books have been translated into many foreign languages and circulated around the world. We hold commemorative activities every year on July 13. When China becomes a free country one day, this day will be designated as a national memorial day, because Xiaobo represents the ethics and spirit of Chinese culture and the upright spirit of an „interlectual“, and it will live on forever.
