American hears God’s wakeup call while visiting a church in China
03-05-2010Clyde E. Hughley
Special Contributor
This past June, 17 Arkansas teachers and I had the privilege of being invited to participate in a three-week educator’s trip to the People’s Republic of China. This was sponsored by the Freeman Foundation, through the Arkansas Global Programs at the University of Little Rock at Arkansas. As a Christian who has been active in ministry for the past 24 years, my key desire was to see what God is doing in and through the Church in China.
Even now, strict governmental controls are maintained over Christian organizations, and all “unregistered” religious activity is repressed wherever and whenever possible.
While in China, I met “John” (the father of a Chinese co-worker who lives in Arkansas) and had the pleasure of spending several hours over two days with him and his wife, Hua. On our second afternoon together, I asked, “Is there a church to be found? I would love to see one.”
John and Hua have friends who are members of a local evangelical Christian church, and offered to take me there to see the church in that city. (I am intentionally leaving the city unnamed because I do not wish to compromise anyone’s safety.)
To be honest, this church was not the best-looking structure I have seen. It was tall, pretty rough-looking and needed repair. However, the warmth in which John and Hua’s Christian friend received me was real.
As I entered and climbed the stairs of the church, I could hear voices singing — not too softly, not too loudly, but clearly singing to be heard. I wondered what this meant I was going to see.
As I looked around, a group of at least 700 people sang songs of praise (in Chinese) to the Lord.
I was in awe. “Oh!” my heart shouted as God moved me to slowly raise my hands in praise. “If only I could sing the words with you!” One of the church leaders saw me and motioned for me to go to the front.
In the midst of my watching and hearing, God gently said to my Spirit: “You came wanting to have an opportunity to speak. I wanted you to come so you could be spoken to!”
That was it. True, the Church of China needed and still needs our prayers and our support. But God wanted to use my trip to open my spiritual eyes —not so that I could be used to touch the Church of China, but so that I could be touched by what He would have me see in the Church.
Before me were college-aged students who could be doing anything else on a Saturday afternoon, but they were here praising God. There were also businessmen, businesswomen, doctors, military officers and police officers — all praising God.
The leader of the service then said something (translated by John) that was clearly another message from God. “We cannot keep to ourselves the joy we have in Christ,” he said to those assembled. “We need to go out and share with all our neighbors the joy that God has given us!”
Wow! Here I was in a country where evangelism is not accepted or approved. Here I was in a country where you place your freedom, your well-being and your life at risk if you dare to evangelize. And here I was in a church that was saying, “Let’s do it!”
And God said to me: “What do you and the members of your church do for Me on a Saturday afternoon? And what risks are you taking to tell others of My love and grace?”
And all I could say was, “Forgive me, Lord. Forgive me for forgetting how to love You, how to praise You and how to serve You.”
When I left the gathering, one of the leaders and his wife escorted John, Hua and me to the door.
I wanted to express my gratitude for being allowed to have shared in this moment of praise, but words escaped me. I could think of nothing to say. And then it came. “John,” I asked. “How do you say, I love you?”
“Wo ai ni!” (Woah eye nee), John said. So, in that parting moment, I said to this Christian brother and his wife those words that only God could give: “Wo ai ni!”
My eyes on China were no longer the same after my encounter with that church. God had spoken to me, and my life will never be the same.
Clyde E. Hughley is the pastor of Haven United Methodist Church in Hot Springs. He can be reached at hughleyc@hssd.net
