In the Hebrew Scriptures we read, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-3)

Precisely because everything indeed has a time, discerning the signs of the times is very important. To the question: "Is this a time for Christian faith in China?" my answer is "yes"- and this "yes" of mine is based, I believe, on the lessons of history and the signs of the time in contemporary China. It also points to some concrete tasks for Chinese Christians today.

Firstly, in the 17^th century, at the time of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, many Chinese welcomed Christianity. Why? Because they valued the new knowledge that the Jesuit missionaries brought them. Western technology, astronomy, and geography attracted many open-minded scholars. The impact of this new knowledge was beyond imagination. It was not only about new scientific data, but also about a challenge to an arrogant and self-sufficient mentality; it was about a fundamentally new way of looking at the world and the universe.

In such a situation, it was both natural and logical to assume that since the missionaries knew some natural truth that the Chinese never knew before, it was then possible that the missionaries also knew some supernatural truth that the Chinese never knew. This new mentality paved the road for many Chinese to accept a new religion. It marked the first sign of success for Christian faith in China. Unfortunately, the banning of both the Chinese veneration of ancestors and the rite of honoring Confucius ruined this precious opportunity.

Secondly, I think we can learn a lesson from the rise of communism in China. For the Chinese people, Christianity and communism both came from the West, but when communism entered China in the 1920s, Christianity still had not gained a solid footing in Chinese society. A striking difference from the coming of Christianity: communism did not enter China through communist missionaries, rather it was brought by young Chinese scholars. Very soon it attracted many people to follow and even die for it. In less than thirty years, communism gained solid ground in China.

There are many reasons for its success; one major reason was that the timing was right! China was in a crisis at the time; ambitious foreign invasion, colonization, and civil wars placed the country on the brink of death. Communism was able to offer a way to save the country. Communists stood side by side with the poor and the oppressed, gathered people under the banner of patriotism and a common goal for a new China. Striking while the iron was hot, Communism scored a great success.

Yet china also has its problems. Firstly, the wounds of ten years of Cultural Revolution are still not healed – people were stripped of their basic human dignity during the years of wars and political campaigns and they still have not totally recovered. A lack of respect for and trust in other human beings is quite common in china. Meanwhile, new problems arise: the widened gap between the new rich and the poor, the insatiable consumerism and the related obsession with making money.

For over two thousand years, Chinese people relied on the teaching of Confucianism for a sense of direction, but this philosophy’s influence has been drastically eroded after the "May 4^th Movement", and the Cultural Revolution marked its lowest point. Now the situation is that fragmented Confucianism is not able to meet the needs of the time, and there are no alternative principles to direct people’s behavior. Knowingly or unknowingly, people are searching for directions in life! There is a yearning for some slid guiding principles for life, morality, and personal accountability. And these are the signs of our time: people are searching for the meaning of life, looking for directions to a meaningful life, and seeking a solid ground for morality and personal behavior!

Christianity can answer these special needs of our time. Christians believe that God created all human beings in His own image; this belief is a solid foundation for human dignity and human equality. God not only created the world, but also saved the world through the death and resurrection of His only son. The Gospel of John says Jesus came to the world to let us have life, and have it more abundantly (10:10). This faith defines our basic attitude toward life: optimistic but not naive; admitting the problems but bearing the cross with hope. Experience tells us that material things cannot satisfy the needs deep in people’s hearts. In certain times or on certain occasions, every person must ask the basic question: what is the meaning of my life? Christians have the answer: follow Jesus, we will find the meaning!

Secondly, Christians also need to recognize the wrong doings of the church in the past. In doing so, we demonstrate the sincerity, truthfulness, and good will of today’s Christian Church.

Third, Christians need to forgive those who have wronged the Church. Just as the Church has made mistakes, the Church has also been treated unjustly. Following the teaching of Jesus, we need to forgive those who have wronged us. The power of forgiveness can transform enemies into friends. Unless we have the desire and willingness to forgive, we are not capable of winning the Chinese people to Christ.

Fourthly, Christians need to live a life of peace and harmony in their own communities. In China many Catholic and Protestant villages are famous for being model villages, because they are crime-free communities. Many people became Christians because of these good examples.

Finally, we Christians need to identify ourselves with the Chinese people: their joys and sufferings, their hopes and worries, their glorious past and their promising future. In the past, the Church often regarded itself as an other-worldly community, and consequently alienated itself from ordinary Chinese people. But now people do not see the Church as a foreign enterprise anymore. The sufferings in the past few decades, especially the suffering inflicted during the Cultural Revolution, have increased the bond between Christians and ordinary Chinese, and the Church is now closer to the Chinese people than ever before.

The cross is a perfect image of reconciliation. The cross has two parts: A vertical part and a horizontal part. The vertical part represents reconciliation with God, and the horizontal part represents reconciliation with our fellow brothers and sisters. Yes, it can be a painful process, but it is a necessary process for healing and growth.

We are all ambassadors of our faith in China. This task requires hard work, commitment, and perseverance. Most importantly, this work needs the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God.

I have this dream, that one day, by embracing the Christian faith, the ancient Chinese culture will be transformed onto a much higher level, shining in the world. This transformed new culture will bring peace, prosperity, and much needed spirituality to the Chinese people. This is the sign of the times. Let’s strike while the iron is hot!

By Joseph Li Hezu

Article on July 1999 World Mission, submitted by author for reprinting on Internet