Yu
Jie grew up in China, where his father was an engineer and Communist
Party member. Yu's wife became a Christian in 2001 and was baptized. She
then began a small Bible study in their home. Two years later, Yu came
to faith in Christ and was baptized on Christmas Eve.
On December 10, 2010, he was kidnapped by the secret police and taken to
the outskirts of Beijing. There he was beaten and tortured for hours.
His fingers were broken one by one. For days his wife was under house
arrest and did not know if he was alive or dead. God spared his life
because he had greater plans for him.
On January 11, 2012, Yu and his family were led out of China to
Washington, DC, where he writes on behalf of the oppressed Chinese
people. He is now the best-selling author of more than thirty books and
has been awarded the Civil Courage Prize by the Train Foundation. He was
the first Chinese person to win the award.
Writing for the latest edition of
First Things,
Yu explains the astounding rise of Christianity in China. When the
Community Party came to power in 1949, Chinese Christians numbered half a
million. Now they are estimated conservatively to number more than
sixty million. If current trends continue, by 2030 China will be the
largest Christian nation in the world.
What explains this remarkable growth?
According to Yu, the Cultural Revolution that began in 1966 and the
Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 led to the deaths of countless
innocent people. As a result, "The people's belief in Marxism-Leninism
and Maoism was destroyed." In Yu's estimation, "These events opened up a
great spiritual void, and the Chinese began searching for a new faith."
This search is bringing unprecedented numbers to Christ. When I was in
Beijing a few years ago, I witnessed firsthand the explosive growth and
dynamic strength of the Chinese church. The more Christians are
oppressed, the more they turn to Christ. As Yu notes, "One of the
phrases I have heard most often among them is: 'The greater the
persecution, the greater the revival.'"
These can be discouraging days for Christians in America. Evangelicals increasingly
say
it's becoming more difficult for them in the US. By contrast, a growing
number of nonreligious people say it's getting easier for them in
America. But when we compare the moral trajectory of our culture to the
oppression faced by so many Christians around the world, we must say
with the writer of Hebrews, "In your struggle against sin you have not
yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood" (Hebrews 12:4).
Persecution against believers is
escalating
around the world. Every five minutes, a Christian is martyred for his
or her faith. Today is a good day to pray for our persecuted sisters and
brothers. And it is a good day to pray for the same courage they
manifest in following Jesus.
When Yu Jie was being tortured by the Chinese secret police, before he
lost consciousness he prayed, "Lord, if you take me, then make me a
martyr. I am not worthy, but I am willing."
Note: My latest booklet,
Half-full or Hopeful? Five reasons for optimism in a pessimistic day, is available
on our website. I hope you'll read it and be encouraged by the good news of God at work in our world today.
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