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She was accompanied by and introduced by Prof. Dr Hans-Peter Grosshans (University of Münster). During his introduction, he asked a key question that Layang then explored: “What does it mean to love the neighbor in a contested context?”
Layang opened with photos of the Kachin Theological College and Seminary, located in the northern part of Myanmar. She is known for her work on Kachin contextual theology, biblical hermeneutics, and sociopolitical discourse.
“We train our students, despite missile and air drone attacks from the military,” she said, describing how, geographically, Myanmar is located at the boarder of China and India. “We live with the most powerful country close by—but nothing helpful comes from them.”
She spoke out against the military's top-down religious imposition.
"The central government set the mark of their ownership on Kachin lands, building their pagodas wherever there is a hill, big or small,” she said. “Our beautiful hills, valleys, plains and mountains have the symbols of their domination.”
She also offered an overview of Christianity in Myanmar. “What is needed is a contextual reading of the life of Jesus,” she said. “People don’t take part in fighting injustice but a theo-political Jesus encourages Myanmar Christians. He becomes a sympathetic figure sharing comparable troubles and an example of how to stand up for the people who suffer injustice.”
She urged people to move beyond praying for peace to acting for it. “Even mothers and children cannot sleep peacefully,” she said. “How do we as Christians respond to such a military coup and injustice?”
