For the first several days we got up a little early, got ready for school and work, and had a family devotional time before school. Given the early hour, the language barrier, and their complete lack of spiritual context, the devotionals were a little confusing to them at best. So after about the third day, instead of reading the bible and praying, we started acting out parables of Jesus. One day Xiao was the loving father and Hank a prodigal son. Another day Xiao was a lost sheep and Hank a good shepherd. Our family would complete the cast. They loved it, but who knows how much they understood. I tried a few times to ask them what they knew about religion or church and was consistently greeted with a shy laugh and quiet comments indicating that they knew nothing of religion or church.
I’ve been told a little about Christianity in China, but I really wanted a better understanding, so I spent some time talking to the liaison between the school and the chinese travel agency. In China there are basically two divisions in Christianity: there is the legal church and the illegal church, and the differences are remarkably small. Both churches operate under the watchful eye of the government. Both churches are allowed to preach the Gospel. Both churches are likely to be attended by government spies at any time. And both churches are prohibited from speaking against the government.
As she explained this last part to me, I was fascinated. The church in China is not allowed to speak against the government or politics or political systems or government officials or policies or goals or initiatives. If you’re thinking “well yeah, we don’t talk politics in our church either,” then I haven't explained myself well. In China, it’s not just a matter of not being allowed to take a political stand; they are not allowed to degrade politics or government at all. Not mine, not yours - no ones, either now or in the future. So they would not be allowed to say that some end time beast in the book of revelation is a symbol of a future government. They would not be allowed to preach caution or suspicion about government. They would not be allowed speak any evil whether it be in philosophy or in fact.
I should interject here that I am a card carrying, full-on, patriotic, red-blooded American who cherishes the right to criticize my government and all the politicians that populate it. But I was struck in an unexpected way by the implications of the Chinese Church’s restrictions.
It means that they cannot attract people by being against something. It virtually eliminates their ability to motivate by fear. They are prohibited from hate. The Chinese Church is compelled to attract people by preaching Jesus’ love. By telling the story of a God that said, “Fear not.” By teaching that we must bless those that curse us, we must pray for those that hate us, we must love those that would harm us. In short, the Communist, Atheist government of China is compelling the Church of China to do exactly what Jesus told us all to do 2000 years ago! And the Church in China is growing at an astounding rate.
The last weekend our students were here we took them to church. The church was full of love, energy, excitement, acceptance, and worship. The next day Xiao came to me with a pen and paper and asked "What was the song from church yesterday?" I was a little confused but asked "which song?" He said "All of them!" I stammered a little then told him I could get a list of them tomorrow, but why did he want them. The huge smile never left his face as he said, "I love them."
No longer content to get the list tomorrow, we went to the computer and looked up last week’s service format and printed it. I gave the format to him and circled all the songs. We then looked up two of the songs on youtube ("If We Are the Body" and "Forever Reign") and listened together. He wanted to know how it is that everybody could sing these songs. I explained that we get together every week and sing, and that every few weeks we learn a new song. He responded with his patented, "Wow." I went on to tell him that millions of Christians all over the world sing these same songs, so we could go anywhere and sing with them - to Korea, Australia (where one of the videos was filmed), even to China. He was clearly thrilled at the notion.
He then told me, "I just love your Church! I'd like to go all the time. We could have so much fun there." Perhaps Xiao has opened a door for God in his heart. Perhaps God has prepared a church in China to love and nurture a young boy. Perhaps God wanted to deepen my conviction that he wants to draw his children with love, not fear.
Perhaps God wants to astound us all.
John Monday
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