On the day before Palm Sunday, many Americans took to the streets, holding “No Kings” signs to protest President Trump. The next day, on Palm Sunday, millions attended church, beginning the celebration of Jesus—the King of Kings.
It may seem striking, but this is the United States: a country where people freely exercise their rights—freedom of speech, assembly, and religion—side by side.
China has kings—and no one dares to protest.
In China, there is a “king”—Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). If people dare to protest in public, they risk being arrested and punished.
In 1989, Chinese students protested corruption in the Communist Party. I was one of them. We were peaceful. We simply asked for reform and a move toward democracy. Yet, Deng Xiaoping, the “king” at the time, sent in tanks and troops, killing thousands of protesters in Tiananmen Square.
In 2019, the CCP regime broke its promise of “one country, two systems” and began stripping away freedoms in Hong Kong. Up to two million people took to the streets. They protested peacefully, but the police responded with tear gas and guns.
I lived in China for 40 years. Like many others, my life was shaped by fear and a constant sense of oppression under Communist rule.
From an early age, we were required to attend daily political study sessions—a form of indoctrination. We wrote essays praising the Communist Party and pledging loyalty to the “king.” When Chairman Mao—the Communist Party’s dictator—died in 1976, I was in third grade. The school forced all of us to stand in the classroom and cry or pretend to cry. If anyone laughed, they were punished in front of the entire class.
Growing up in that environment, hope felt distant. I often lived with a quiet sense of despair. When I first moved to the United States, some American friends would ask me, “What is your dream?” I would answer, “I don’t really have one,” or simply, “I don’t know.”
When the “king”—the Communist Party—controls your life, it doesn’t just limit your choices; it slowly erases your ability to dream.
Jesus is my King now —and He sets me free.
My life changed completely after I came to the United States. In 2012, I met my godmother in a small town in Idaho. She shared the gospel with me and baptized me that year. Afterward, she told me, “Now you have a new life; God has lifted you out of the pit.”
I remember sitting in her car, wondering if I should feel different after accepting Jesus as my Lord. At first, I didn’t feel anything change. But over time, the difference became undeniable.
Life in the United States has not been easy. I enrolled in college, lived in a rural town while pursuing my degree, and worked odd jobs just to afford groceries.
Despite these hardships, I remain joyful and hopeful. When I feel discouraged, I pray and ask Jesus for wisdom and strength—and He answers. By His grace, I found a good job, a comfortable life, and a warm church community. Step by step, I finally feel free.
Thanks to America, I have risen out of the pit.
I often compare and contrast my old life with my new one. In China, most people are taught atheism because the ruling “king”—the Communist Party—portrays religion as harmful. Many mock Jesus’ teaching: “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other also.” From a young age, children are often taught to view the United States and other Western countries as enemies.
A popular song from a Chinese movie about the Korean War captures this mindset: “When a friend comes, you welcome them; when you see an enemy, you kill them.”
By contrast, in the United States, there are Communists, and there are people who stir up hatred to gain power through elections. Yet the broader culture still values mutual respect—people can disagree deeply and still treat each other with civility.
As a Christian, I have learned to love and forgive. Jesus was nailed to the cross and died for our sins. That is how deeply the King loves us—perfect in righteousness, yet boundless in mercy.
I once lived in fear, surrounded by a culture of hate. Now I live in love and freedom. Jesus is my King—and no one can take that from me.