In today's materialistic and bustling society, not only do we lose direction, but we also lose ourselves. However, when I revisited the book God's Sculpture (《神的雕刻》), I felt like seeing a signpost in the wilderness after getting lost; I gained a deeper understanding of faith and found renewed strength to continue on my path.
I remember reading this book for the first time in my youth. My deepest impression was that Simon Zhao and his wife Muling were imprisoned for the sake of the Lord's name. When Muling passed away, Zhao wasn’t by her side, and her body was never found.
From a worldly perspective, this is a tragedy. But from a spiritual angle, it is an immense blessing. The experiences of these servants of God deeply shook my young heart. I wondered what kind of strength could help them face such humiliation and death.
Now, as my youth has passed and I’ve entered middle age, I’m still filled with awe revisiting the book.
For Simon and Muling, it was not difficult to find a decent job and live a comfortable life in their time. But they chose to focus solely on God as the center of their marriage and lives. So when they were clear about God’s calling, they were able to leave their comfortable surroundings and head toward where God had called them.
The journey to Xinjiang was not smooth. War, poverty, and disease surrounded them; death and imprisonment loomed nearby. Yet they never stopped. I also saw that besides Simon and Muling, many others, called by God, were embarking on this land of Xinjiang from different corners of the country.
They shared the same determination to endure hardship, the same heart of a martyr, and the same resolve to never retreat in fulfilling their mission. They worked while preaching the gospel, enduring persecution along the way. Not long after Simon arrived in Xinjiang, he was imprisoned for the Lord's name.
When I saw him imprisoned, I wondered, “His work hadn’t even started, his influence hadn’t yet been realized, but he was imprisoned. What was the value of his service?” But as I thought about this, I realized how shallow and ignorant I was.
The impact of one’s service is not measured by what they have specifically done for God. It is the best form of service if they submit to God's will and allow Him to use them as He pleases.
During his twenty years in prison, suffering and deprivation did not change Simon’s faith; humiliation and scorn did not make him abandon his mission.
When a person honors God, God will surely honor them. When a person submits their sovereignty to God, God will be responsible for them. After Simon was beaten and humiliated, he was hung naked in the snow, but instead of dying, steam rose from his body in the snow. Isn't this evidence of God's presence? God will surely rescue His servants in moments of despair, even in the way of letting them enter His rest, just like Muling and the countless unnamed evangelists who have been martyred for the Lord.
The blood of these Christians became the foundation upon which the church was built. Such service is not born of human will but arises from obedience to Christ.
Plowing the field is hard because not only must one face the attacks of unbelievers, but also the opposition from staff workers. After Simon was released from prison, some believers who had once served with him harbored resentment, and some even misunderstood him.
Such misunderstanding, alienation, and coldness bring deep heartache. Yet God will be fully responsible for His servants. When a person works in obedience to God's will, no one can stop them.
As Teacher Yu once said, "God is responsible for those He calls; men are responsible for those they call." In God's grace, Simon in his later years was able to communicate with Christians and attend fellowship. God used him to minister to believers.
After reading God's Sculpture, I was deeply inspired and moved. Faith is not merely a verbal declaration or promise; it is an inner recognition and pursuit. Devotion is never just a simple word; it requires a lifetime of sweat, blood, and effort.
(Originally published by the China Christian Times, the article has been edited under permission.)
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
在如今这个物欲横流、繁忙喧嚣的社会中，我们不仅仅会迷失方向，更会迷失自我。但是当我再一次看《神的雕刻》这本书的时候，如同在荒野迷路中，看见了路标；我也更深地认识了信仰，重新有力量奔走前面的道路。
我记得第一次读这本书是在少年时期。当时给我印象最深刻的，就是这夫妻二人都共同为了主名的缘故被囚禁；而沐灵姊妹去世时，赵西门也没在身边，甚至最后她的遗体也不知所踪。
从世俗的眼光看，这是人世间的悲剧；但从属灵的角度看，这又是极大的祝福。这些神仆人的经历给我年幼的心灵带来非常大的震撼。我就在想，究竟是怎样的力量给他们勇气去面对这些羞辱和死亡。
少年已过，青年已往，不自觉地步入中年的阶段。当再一次翻阅《神的雕刻》这本书的时候，内心中依然充满了震撼。
对于赵西门和沐灵来说，在当时的社会中，找一份体面的工作，过温饱余的生活并不困难。但是他们夫妻二人却专心以神的旨意为婚姻、生命的中心。所以，当他们清楚上帝呼召的时候，就能脱离温暖的环境，向着上帝呼召之地出发。
在踏往新疆之路并不是一帆风顺的，战争、贫穷、疾病，这些都萦绕在他们的周围；甚至死亡与囚禁的危险也常常靠近。但是，他们却没有停止自己的脚步。同时，让我看见的乃是除了赵西门和沐灵姊妹外，还有很多在祖国不同角落被上帝呼召踏上新疆这片土地的同工们。
他们同样有吃苦的心志、他们同样有殉道者的心肠、他们同样为了使命没有退后。他们一面工作、一面传福音，同时在会经历逼迫。而赵西门也正是在踏上新疆这片土地之后不久，就为主的名被囚禁了。
当看见他被囚禁的时候，我就在想：“一个人的工作还没有开始、影响力还没有发挥，然后就被囚禁了。这样的服事有什么价值呢？”但是当我这样思想的时候，我转年间就看见了自己的浅薄和无知。
因为一个人的事奉的影响力，不在于为上帝做了哪些具体的工作。心甘乐意的顺服在上帝的手中，让上帝可以随意使用自己，这就是最好的事奉。
赵西门在监狱二十年的时间里，苦难、剥夺没有改变他的信仰；羞辱、藐视没有让他放弃使命。
人尊重上帝，上帝也必然尊重这个人；人将主权交给神，神也必然为这个人负责。当赵西门被责打、羞辱之后，然后被赤身悬挂在冰雪之中；他非但没有死，在冰雪中还热气上腾，这难道不是上帝同在的明证吗？神必然会在绝望时刻拯救他们，当然这种拯救也可能是借着死亡的方式。就如沐灵姊妹，以及千千万万个为主殉道的无名的传道人。
这些基督徒所流出的鲜血成为了教会建立的根基。而这样的服事却不是从人意来的，乃是从顺服基督产生的。
在禾场中开垦是艰难的，因为不仅仅要面对外邦人的攻击，同样也会面对同路人的攻击。赵西门从监狱出来之后，曾经一起服事的信徒心中对他有嫌隙，甚至一些人对他也充满误会。
这种误解、远离、冷漠，让人心里非常痛苦。但是，上帝会为祂的仆人负责到底。当一个人顺服上帝的心意去工作的时候，人是没有办法拦阻的。
正如于老师曾说：“神召的神负责，人召的人负责。”在上帝恩典中，赵西门晚年也和基督徒有沟通，过上团契的生活；并且上帝使用他服事信徒。
读完《神的雕刻》，我深受启发与感动。信仰不仅仅是口头上的宣告与承诺，更是心灵深处的认同与追随。奉献，永远不是简简单单的词语；乃是需要一生流汗、流血的付出和努力。
书评 | 《神的雕刻》：西北灵工团赵西门的一生
In today's materialistic and bustling society, not only do we lose direction, but we also lose ourselves. However, when I revisited the book God's Sculpture (《神的雕刻》), I felt like seeing a signpost in the wilderness after getting lost; I gained a deeper understanding of faith and found renewed strength to continue on my path.
I remember reading this book for the first time in my youth. My deepest impression was that Simon Zhao and his wife Muling were imprisoned for the sake of the Lord's name. When Muling passed away, Zhao wasn’t by her side, and her body was never found.
From a worldly perspective, this is a tragedy. But from a spiritual angle, it is an immense blessing. The experiences of these servants of God deeply shook my young heart. I wondered what kind of strength could help them face such humiliation and death.
Now, as my youth has passed and I’ve entered middle age, I’m still filled with awe revisiting the book.
For Simon and Muling, it was not difficult to find a decent job and live a comfortable life in their time. But they chose to focus solely on God as the center of their marriage and lives. So when they were clear about God’s calling, they were able to leave their comfortable surroundings and head toward where God had called them.
The journey to Xinjiang was not smooth. War, poverty, and disease surrounded them; death and imprisonment loomed nearby. Yet they never stopped. I also saw that besides Simon and Muling, many others, called by God, were embarking on this land of Xinjiang from different corners of the country.
They shared the same determination to endure hardship, the same heart of a martyr, and the same resolve to never retreat in fulfilling their mission. They worked while preaching the gospel, enduring persecution along the way. Not long after Simon arrived in Xinjiang, he was imprisoned for the Lord's name.
When I saw him imprisoned, I wondered, “His work hadn’t even started, his influence hadn’t yet been realized, but he was imprisoned. What was the value of his service?” But as I thought about this, I realized how shallow and ignorant I was.
The impact of one’s service is not measured by what they have specifically done for God. It is the best form of service if they submit to God's will and allow Him to use them as He pleases.
During his twenty years in prison, suffering and deprivation did not change Simon’s faith; humiliation and scorn did not make him abandon his mission.
When a person honors God, God will surely honor them. When a person submits their sovereignty to God, God will be responsible for them. After Simon was beaten and humiliated, he was hung naked in the snow, but instead of dying, steam rose from his body in the snow. Isn't this evidence of God's presence? God will surely rescue His servants in moments of despair, even in the way of letting them enter His rest, just like Muling and the countless unnamed evangelists who have been martyred for the Lord.
The blood of these Christians became the foundation upon which the church was built. Such service is not born of human will but arises from obedience to Christ.
Plowing the field is hard because not only must one face the attacks of unbelievers, but also the opposition from staff workers. After Simon was released from prison, some believers who had once served with him harbored resentment, and some even misunderstood him.
Such misunderstanding, alienation, and coldness bring deep heartache. Yet God will be fully responsible for His servants. When a person works in obedience to God's will, no one can stop them.
As Teacher Yu once said, "God is responsible for those He calls; men are responsible for those they call." In God's grace, Simon in his later years was able to communicate with Christians and attend fellowship. God used him to minister to believers.
After reading God's Sculpture, I was deeply inspired and moved. Faith is not merely a verbal declaration or promise; it is an inner recognition and pursuit. Devotion is never just a simple word; it requires a lifetime of sweat, blood, and effort.
(Originally published by the China Christian Times, the article has been edited under permission.)
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
Reflections on Book About an Evangelical Couple Persecuted in Xinjiang
