Blog Entries in Our China Stories
A Missed Opportunity
How Our Questions Shape Our Narratives
Through his testimony, many became acquainted with China’s suffering church. His story was one that needed to be shared, and by God’s grace it became a great source of encouragement to those who heard it. . . . There is another story, however, that could have been told if anyone had thought to ask.
Beyond the Golden Era
The world in which Jesus grew up and spent his earthly life was in many respects a microcosm of our world today.
Messy Choices in Messy Situations
When facing situations in which right and wrong choices are not quite so black and white, we need each other more than ever to discern the right path to take. In supporting each other, I believe we should also give each other the benefit of the doubt more often than not.
What Forms Our Narratives (and Our Hearts)
Rather than skirting uncomfortable China conversations, leaning into the narratives by which evangelicals seek to make sense of China and its church can uncover the biases and cultural assumptions standing in the way of a more authentic understanding of what it means to be citizens of God’s kingdom.
Beyond the Standard Narrative
Legislation may technically render a host of Christian activities illegal, but these activities do not suddenly cease. While we may hear that “China” is clamping down on unregistered meetings or websites or online gatherings, the reality on the ground may tell a different story.
Who Moved My Church?
The key to the Western church’s ongoing effectiveness may well be its ability to learn from majority world believers, many of whom have experience in living out their faith in the face of political and cultural restrictions.
Giving Thanks in the Darkness
This thanksgiving glimmers with the hope that our engagement will help to complete the story…about what China is becoming. But what happens when we ourselves are the ones in need, with neither the opportunities nor the means to enter into the story in the way we thought we were supposed to?
Will History Repeat Itself?
Whether a century ago or today, whatever our China stories may purport to tell us about being apolitical, of “leaving our politics at the door” or “staying out of politics,” one of the hard lessons of history is that foreign Christian involvement in China is unavoidably political.
Enduring Friendship
When our friendship storyline is out of step with the larger cultural narrative, whether in China or in the West, how do we as the body of Christ continue to build bridges of understanding?
What if Christianity Is No Longer Successful?
May the stories we tell in this new era be stories of God’s faithfulness and the faithfulness of his people. The gospel is still unique and true, even when it is not clothed in the outward signs of success.