One of my book club's met last night to discuss The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun with Paul Hattaway. This is the true story of a man who suffered years of imprisonment in China for his Christian beliefs. It's a stunningly intense, detailed account, one I had to digest over several weeks. What shocks me most is that this man went through all this within the last three decades, and that he is still alive! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has become complacent in their faith or who needs to understand what Chinese Christians endure on a daily basis for their faith.

One of the accounts struck a personal chord with me. While preaching in Canada, Brother Yun received word that a Christian American journalist had printed an article claiming, basically, that all the events of Yun's life were fabrications. It also revealed the whereabouts of his family who were seeking refuge outside China. All this hurt Brother Yun terribly, and he didn't understand why the journalist didn't seek the truth about him by contacting him or reading documents from his organization. His translator told him, "'Brother Yun, these people don't want to know the truth. That's why they're not calling you or wanting to meet you. In China, Christians are persecuted with beatings and imprisonment. In the West, Christians are persecuted by the words of other Christians.'" (See pages 306-309) In other words, Chinese Christians are persecuted by their government who does not believe in Christ as Savior. American Christians are persecuted by the words of those who claim the same faith, who if asked would say they strive to be more Christ-like. What message are we sending to believers of other countries, visitors that walk into our own churches, members we sit next to and shakes hands with every week when we do not seek to know the truth about each other, spread vicious lies, and then claim piety and devotion to the cross? I have experienced both sides of this. The pain of hurting a fellow believer by speaking out of turn is no less painful than being verbally chastised by someone claiming to be my brother or sister in Christ. So for myself and those who love Christ I hope we will "encourage one another, as long as it is called Today, so that none of [us] may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13 NIV). "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (Hebrews 10:24 NIV) Lord, make it so!