Money and Country
A few years ago, during Spring Festival, someone in my village asked me two questions:
“Does it cost money to join your Christianity?” And, “Is your Christianity Chinese?”
When he asked me these seemingly simple questions at the same time, it made me realize a profound truth: Chinese people misunderstand and persecute Christianity primarily because of these two things: money, and country.
In line with this, churches and pastors who have been persecuted in recent years have been charged with crimes like “illegal business operations,” or things like “inciting subversion [of state power].”
Behind the issues of money and country lie doubts about whether Christianity is real, and whether it is “close to us.” If the Christian faith is real, it’s worth spending money on. There’s no need to worry about being deceived.
Chinese people misunderstand and persecute Christianity primarily because of these two things: money, and country.
If the faith is real, it would be even better if it were Chinese! Then, Christianity would be true, but also especially dear and close to us, as if we were extraordinarily fortunate. How wonderful that would be!
This fall, our church faced persecution. We directly confronted these two questions. When state authorities were willing to expend resources and effort to suppress us, it revealed the life-and-death struggle between two kingdoms and two treasures.
Some police officers told sisters in our church that anyone who asks them for money is a scammer. Other officers categorically stated that they are Chinese, and would never believe in a foreign religion. As we were about to leave the prison, one officer laughingly said to me that, if believing in Jesus could get him one million yuan, then he would believe immediately.
When we face persecution, we have to answer these questions about money and country: is it truly worthwhile to believe in Jesus? What benefits does it bring? How does believing in Jesus fulfill rather than demolish our identity as Chinese people?
In persecution, those of us who were detained – alongside the congregation waiting outside for us – brilliantly answered those questions. We clearly showed both the world and ourselves what our treasure is, and where our country truly is.
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Our True Treasure
Soon after I entered the police station, they took off my glasses. Everything before me became blurry. But at that exact moment, I heard the brothers sing, and heard their prayers for their enemies. In that moment, it seemed like I was touching their souls – real, tangible, dear, and close.
These brothers and sisters, people I thought I knew well, had aspects I had never known. They were like treasures waiting to be discovered. Through persecution, I saw their precious faith, and came to know and be close to them more deeply. This is a beautiful blessing bestowed by God.
When we face persecution, we have to answer these questions about money and country… How does believing in Jesus fulfill rather than demolish our identity as Chinese people?
In detention, I often meditated on the preciousness of Christ’s salvation. As I thought of my sins, they were like a thousand-pound burden on my shoulders. If Jesus had not redeemed me, my destination would be the pit of hell, a place ten thousand times more terrible than the detention center. Both now and in the past, I am delivered from that misery because of Jesus’s redemption. When I was stripped naked for inspection, when I testified to my cellmates about how sinful I was yet how I am forgiven – in those moments, the covering of Christ’s blood was clear, and the peace in my heart was vast.
People often say time is money. But it’s not like that in the detention center. People bitterly endure, hoping to get out soon. Times become heavy and cruel. People think of ways to count down: how many more steamed buns until I can get out? How many more sleeps until I can leave? But detained brothers and sisters were not troubled by time. Instead, we redeemed the time, and “turned time into money.” Time, by itself, is not necessarily precious. The Lord’s presence is what gives meaning to a period of time, imbuing it with love and eternity.
In the same way, money itself is not precious. In detention, we saw many wealthy people who gained no benefit from their money. Instead, they frequently sinned and suffered pain because of it. Many were estranged from their closest relatives because of money.
But in captivity, brothers and sisters on the outside loved us even more. They did not regard their own money as precious, but sent us clothes and supplies. This helped us come to clearly understand true treasure, treasure better than money: the love of Jesus, his church, and his redemption. We have obtained this great treasure, a treasure the world does not know about.
China Belongs to God
Through persecution, we belong more deeply to Christ’s kingdom, and also to the kingdom of China. When someone in China enters prison for the sake of Christ, doesn’t that reveal Jesus’s love for this country?
I had this conversation with someone inside. When he said Christianity is a Western religion, I told him that some Chinese families have believed in Jesus for generations, living and dying for this faith. Out of love for China, many Christians have sacrificed their lives and shed their blood as martyrs. This has already happened – how can one still not consider Christianity to be Chinese? If a faith that has influenced so many Chinese people is not Chinese, then what can be called Chinese?
God is declaring that China is his. The most hidden places in China, the places people are most unwilling to go, belong to him. The essence of the matter is that China belongs to Christ – not whether Christ is Chinese.
Many Western missionaries were killed 125 years ago in the Boxer Rebellion – but it is little known that even more Chinese Christians died in that uprising. More than a century has passed, but the love for this land showed by the martyrs’ blood has only increased.
Over the last few years, our church has been praying for our province and our city. We prayed so fervently that God gave us the very place in this country and city where people are most unwilling to go: the detention center. God used us to draw near to marginalized people and groups, people and groups that others regard as failures.
Through this, God is declaring that China is his. The most hidden places in China, the places people are most unwilling to go, belong to him. The essence of the matter is that China belongs to Christ – not whether Christ is Chinese.
Tan Jian is a pseudonym for a house church pastor in northern China.
Pray for Chinese Christians to show their neighbors how Christ helps them love their country more deeply.
