A reader with a university background sent me an email sharing his story. He met a Christian woman online, and they developed mutual feelings, often chatting and pouring out their hearts. The boy confessed his feelings, but the girl rejected him because he wasn't a Christian and didn't believe in Jesus. While the boy continued to pursue the girl, she wanted him to join the church and become a believer, but the boy didn't want to deceive her and could only say he couldn't immediately accept the Christian faith. The girl rejected him again, leaving the boy puzzled about why someone willing to understand the gospel couldn't be accepted without Christian beliefs.
Another female believer, pressured by her parents and hastily introduced to a man, entered into marriage. The mismatch in their marriage made it difficult for both of them to adapt, leading to an eventual divorce. However, her church, upon learning about her divorce, continuously pressured her to remarry, arguing that marriage was divinely ordained and should not be easily dissolved.
On public transportation, elderly Christians sometimes discreetly handed out gospel pamphlets, with the content remaining largely unchanged. The message conveyed is the judgment that people will face if they don't believe in God.
In a university Christian group consisting of doctoral and master's degree holders or associate professors, discussions were still confined to topics like the devil and Jesus, with societal issues being attributed to Satan's influence.
While attention is given to the challenges facing the church, anxiety about its current state persists, yet people tend to seek comfort during difficult times.
Despite Christianity having a history of over two thousand years since its inception, Chinese Christianity seems to remain stagnant, shutting itself off from the outside world. It neither seeks nor finds a way out.
Throughout history, Christianity has faced hardships and persecutions, yet it has entered people's hearts by providing faith and hope. However, Chinese Christianity seems stuck in dreams of controlling hearts and establishing a religious empire.
A portion of today's Chinese Christians often view themselves as adversaries of society, believing that society will deteriorate without the presence of Christianity but standing by in observation of this decline. They possess a sense of superiority and look down upon society, yet deep within, they feel timid and lonely facing society.
Christians in China today still frequently blame societal pressure for their problems, much like a child who trips over a chair. Instead of teaching the child to be careful next time and taking responsibility for the fall, the grandmother angrily lifts her hands to strike the chair, placing the blame for the child's fall on the chair. This is what we are doing today.
Where is the way out of Christianity? An olive that doesn't break itself is obviously of little use; it is only through breaking that oil can be extracted. A grain of wheat, if not sown in fertile soil, remains just a grain; it is only when planted in the land that it can sprout, grow, and yield a greater harvest. The church is no different; if it closes itself off and doesn't break itself, it cannot escape from the walled city and its predicaments.
When the Roman Empire brutally persecuted Christians, they continued to develop and provide comfort and hope in times of societal crisis. The gospel is needed in any society, and if it is deemed unnecessary, it's a problem with how we are spreading the gospel rather than a societal problem.
The church should re-embrace the new commandment of Jesus, which emphasizes the importance of loving one another and applies to fellow believers and non-believers. Thus, others feel that Christians are an open group.
The church is a gathering of believers who support each other in faith. No one has the authority to command others; instead, those in higher positions should serve those below them.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
一位大学生读者发邮件过来，讲述了他的故事。他在网上认识一个基督徒姐妹，并互生好感，常常聊天倾诉衷肠。男孩主动表白，却遭到女孩的拒绝。原因是这个男生不是基督徒，家里也没有信耶稣的。女孩希望男孩子加入教会，成为信徒，但是男孩子不想欺骗女孩，只能说自己不能一下子接受基督教信仰，成为信徒。女孩再次拒绝这个男孩，让男孩困惑，为什么不能接受没有基督信仰但愿意了解福音的人。
一位姐妹，因介绍和一个男的认识，加上父母催促，仓促进入婚姻。婚姻的不合适，让他们都无法适应，最终离婚了。但是她的教会在得知她离婚之后，不断要求她复婚，理由是婚姻是神配合的，人不能随意分开。
在公交上，还是偶尔会收到年老基督徒偷偷塞到手里的福音单张，单张上的内容并没有太多变化。信息是人如果不信上帝将会受怎样的审判。
在一个大学基督徒群里，群成员都是博士和硕士，也有副教授级别的人，但是交流的内容依然限定在魔鬼与耶稣，现在社会的问题同样会归结为撒旦的作祟。
大家关注教会的困境，也焦虑着教会的现状，却总是喜欢在困境里寻求安慰。
尽管基督教自诞生开始已经有了两千多年的历史，但是中国基督教彷佛停留在原地，关起门来。既不愿寻找出路，也找不到出路。
基督教的发展历程，经历过艰难，经历过逼迫；但他都凭借着为人们提供信心和盼望而走进人的内心。但是中国基督教仍然停留在想掌控人心、社会的宗教帝国梦想中。
今天的中国基督教仍然常常把自己看成社会的对立面，即认为社会没有基督教会走向堕落，也袖手旁观这种堕落，而无从插手。他们既有着优越的心态，也有着鄙视社会的眼光，但是内心深处却是面对社会的胆怯和孤独。
今天的中国基督教依然常常把自身的困境，归结为社会空间的挤压。这正如一个孩子被凳子绊倒，奶奶不是教育孩子下次小心，让孩子承担责任，而是举起双手恨恨地打起了凳子，把孩子跌倒的责任归结在凳子身上。我们今天正在做这样的事。
基督教的出路在哪里？笔者曾在文章中已经多次提到：一个橄榄不破碎自己，显然还是一颗没什么用的橄榄，只有破碎了才能榨出油来。一粒麦子，不放到沃土里，仍然是一粒麦子，只有放到土地里发芽长大，才能收获更多粒；教会同样如此，关起门来，不破碎自己，当然无法走出围城、困境。
当年罗马帝国用如此残忍的手段逼迫基督徒，基督徒仍然能不断发展自己，能在社会危机中提供安慰和盼望。福音是任何社会都需要的，如果社会不需要了，那不是社会问题，一定是我们传福音的问题。
教会需要回归耶稣的新命令，那就是彼此相爱。这不仅是对本教会的教友，还在于对非信徒。让大家感受到基督徒不是一个不可接近的群体。
教会是信徒们聚在一起，彼此获得信仰支持的团体。这里没有谁的权力能高人一等，可以命令这个命令那个，而是在上的要服侍在下的。
角声|围城里的基督教困境与出路探讨
A reader with a university background sent me an email sharing his story. He met a Christian woman online, and they developed mutual feelings, often chatting and pouring out their hearts. The boy confessed his feelings, but the girl rejected him because he wasn't a Christian and didn't believe in Jesus. While the boy continued to pursue the girl, she wanted him to join the church and become a believer, but the boy didn't want to deceive her and could only say he couldn't immediately accept the Christian faith. The girl rejected him again, leaving the boy puzzled about why someone willing to understand the gospel couldn't be accepted without Christian beliefs.
Another female believer, pressured by her parents and hastily introduced to a man, entered into marriage. The mismatch in their marriage made it difficult for both of them to adapt, leading to an eventual divorce. However, her church, upon learning about her divorce, continuously pressured her to remarry, arguing that marriage was divinely ordained and should not be easily dissolved.
On public transportation, elderly Christians sometimes discreetly handed out gospel pamphlets, with the content remaining largely unchanged. The message conveyed is the judgment that people will face if they don't believe in God.
In a university Christian group consisting of doctoral and master's degree holders or associate professors, discussions were still confined to topics like the devil and Jesus, with societal issues being attributed to Satan's influence.
While attention is given to the challenges facing the church, anxiety about its current state persists, yet people tend to seek comfort during difficult times.
Despite Christianity having a history of over two thousand years since its inception, Chinese Christianity seems to remain stagnant, shutting itself off from the outside world. It neither seeks nor finds a way out.
Throughout history, Christianity has faced hardships and persecutions, yet it has entered people's hearts by providing faith and hope. However, Chinese Christianity seems stuck in dreams of controlling hearts and establishing a religious empire.
A portion of today's Chinese Christians often view themselves as adversaries of society, believing that society will deteriorate without the presence of Christianity but standing by in observation of this decline. They possess a sense of superiority and look down upon society, yet deep within, they feel timid and lonely facing society.
Christians in China today still frequently blame societal pressure for their problems, much like a child who trips over a chair. Instead of teaching the child to be careful next time and taking responsibility for the fall, the grandmother angrily lifts her hands to strike the chair, placing the blame for the child's fall on the chair. This is what we are doing today.
Where is the way out of Christianity? An olive that doesn't break itself is obviously of little use; it is only through breaking that oil can be extracted. A grain of wheat, if not sown in fertile soil, remains just a grain; it is only when planted in the land that it can sprout, grow, and yield a greater harvest. The church is no different; if it closes itself off and doesn't break itself, it cannot escape from the walled city and its predicaments.
When the Roman Empire brutally persecuted Christians, they continued to develop and provide comfort and hope in times of societal crisis. The gospel is needed in any society, and if it is deemed unnecessary, it's a problem with how we are spreading the gospel rather than a societal problem.
The church should re-embrace the new commandment of Jesus, which emphasizes the importance of loving one another and applies to fellow believers and non-believers. Thus, others feel that Christians are an open group.
The church is a gathering of believers who support each other in faith. No one has the authority to command others; instead, those in higher positions should serve those below them.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Voice: 'Besieged' Christianity in China May Become Grain of Wheat to Break Walls
