One of the churches on campus carries the name “Christ The King.” Every night, on my way home from the library, I stop by the church and pray outside the building. The altar is surrounded by windows. From the outside, I usually was able to clearly see the crucifix above the altar, under the diffused ceiling lights.
However, one day, to my surprise I suddenly found I could not see the crucifix from where I was praying. The crucifix was gone. I felt both curious and a little distressed, and decided to ask someone from the church what had happened to the crucifix. Nancy, a nice lady who works at the church office, happened to be around and I asked her. She was kind of surprised by my question.. She took me to the sanctuary. This was my first time inside this Catholic church. I came down by the altar and saw that the crucifix was still there, not on the altar, but on the wall. I sighed with relief and said excitedly, “Jesus is still there!”
Nancy gave me a quizzical look. She asked me where I came from. When I told her I am from China, she immediately told me that her daughter-in-law is Chinese, from Inner Mongolia, and she would go to China for her son’s wedding. “My daughter-in-law and her family don’t believe in Jesus and they do not even want to know Jesus,” she said mournfully. I realized why she was curious when I told her that I prayed every night near the crucifix outside the building..
“It is not easy to convert to Christianity in China,” I told Nancy. I grew up in an atheist family. My father has been an ardent Communist Party member all his life. My brother had to join the Communist Party in order to keep his job. I began to dislike Communism when I was very young. When an American teacher secretly took me and other first year college students to church one Christmas morning, I strongly felt God’s calling and made up my mind to become a Christian. With God’s love and mercy, I came to the United States and was baptized.
Cross, crucifix and church not only are significant, visible symbols to the faithful who gather in the temple, but are also calling us to become the disciples of Jesus.
In the last two years, the Chinese government relentlessly removed church crosses and demolished many churches. The reason for the persecution is very simple, that is, more and more Chinese, like me, are feeling God’s calling.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).
Nancy told me that when she applied for a visa to visit China, the Chinese Embassy asked her to sign a vow promising not to try to convert anybody in China to Christianity. I encourage you to pray with me for Nancy’s daughter-in-law and other Chinese families. May Jesus, the Light of the World, shine on China.
Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)