For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’
Rom 10:12-15
Recent statistics indicate that the revival in China has produced the fastest growing church in the world. Yet, in spite of this miraculous growth, there are still many areas in China where the gospel is virtually unknown. It is not unusual to find regions of deep spiritual darkness adjacent to communities with thriving churches. A number of factors have contributed to this unusual mixture of spiritual vitality and spiritual poverty: the restrictions (which often vary from region to region) imposed upon the church by a Marxist government, the relative immobility of a largely peasant society, the sheer vastness of the country, and the lingering strength of traditional religions are but a few. So, while churches continue to grow, the sobering fact remains: China is, in many regions, a land of intense spiritual darkness.
The depth of China’s spiritual darkness is illustrated in several encounters with individual Chinese. Some years ago I travelled in a remote, mountainous region of China. After hiking down the side of a mountain, I entered a beautiful village that was full of small huts, excited children and clacking chickens. After speaking with several elderly villagers, I noticed the village temple. Entering the temple compound, I met the religious leader of the village. His duties included caring for the temple and passing on the religious traditions of the community encoded in an ancient script. After briefly getting acquainted, I directed the conversation towards spiritual matters, stating, ‘Your temple is beautiful, but I am a Christian.’ The man looked puzzled. I repeated the words. Again, the man showed no signs of comprehension. ‘Haven’t you heard of Christianity?’ I asked. He shook his head, indicating he had not. ‘Haven’t you heard of Jesus Christ?’ I asked.
With a vacant look in his eyes, he answered, ‘No, I have not yet heard.’
The character of the spiritual darkness in the cities is often quite different from that of the rural regions. Once, I spoke with a young waitress in a local restaurant. She initiated the conversation and spoke in English, obviously eager to try out her language skills. When she learnt that I was a teacher, she quickly asked what subjects I taught. I responded, ‘History and theology.’ (Although due to government restrictions we must be cautious concerning how we present ourselves to strangers, I felt this was an appropriate response.) She understood ‘history’, but struggled with ‘theology’. Finally, a look of comprehension flashed across her eyes and in Chinese she confidently uttered the word for ‘geography’. I shook my head and said, ‘shen xue’ (the Chinese word for ‘theology’).
A shocked look covered her faced, and she gasped, ‘God? You believe in God? No one believes in God anymore!’ I assured her that many people do believe in God and that I happened to be one of them. The impact of years of atheistic propaganda was all too evident.
Finally, on a recent trip to a large city, I saw evidence of the strength of traditional Chinese religions, especially Buddhism, even in an urban center. In this great city I saw a young woman, perhaps 20 years of age, prostrating herself before a Buddhist idol. Full of anguish, she prayed to the image made by human hands. It was dusk, but even in spiritual terms, the darkness seemed to engulf her.
Lord, how easily I forget that there are many people in our world who have never heard your name, people who have no opportunity to know and worship you. And the Scriptures remind us that in order for these people to believe and enter into relationship with you, they must first hear. And if they are to hear, messengers must go, they must be sent. Lord, speak to me concerning my place in your redemptive plan. What would you have me do so that others might hear? Empower me so that I might help push back the darkness in my region and in the world.
