This content is excerpted from China Source, which frequently gives great insight into the realities of Christianity in China. May it remind us that there are very likely over 100 million who are our brothers and sisters in Christ in this nation, and that as part of a global body, we need and are able to bless and be blessed by one another:
Over the last couple of months ChinaSource has been sharing information about how Christians in China are responding to COVID-19. As the virus continues to worsen in severity outside China, these stories take on new significance. They are no longer merely interesting accounts of how the church in China is adapting in extreme circumstances; today they are instructive for believers everywhere who find themselves in the same situation. As such, these stories transcend our traditional China narratives. The story is no longer just about China; it’s about all of us.
The China church narratives of the past 40 years have tended to objectify China’s church. It is viewed from a distance, and, while we might be interested, concerned, or even inspired by China’s church, it is quite distinct from our own experience. To the extent we choose to engage, it is on our terms. Implicit in our narratives is our ability to do something for the church in China. They say little, if anything, about what believers in China might have to offer the global church.
Until now.
For Christians inside and outside China the coronavirus provides, for the first time, a shared experience that has the potential to birth a new narrative, the story of how believers globally are working together to find God’s purposes in the midst of tragedy.