Editor's note: This is part two of the Christian testimony series: the stories of two believers who remain faithful to God amid actual difficulties. (To see part one)
1. He did not compromise even if they wanted to kill him
During the Cultural Revolution, I was only in my teens, but still to this day, I have never forgotten the story of a believer.
That brother was about 30 years old that year. At that time there were few believers, and he was criticized by the rebels as one of "cow demons and snake spirits". Because he had no major mistakes before and performed well in the workplace, the rebels asked him to do two things. First, he had to admit that believing in Christianity was a crime of worshiping things foreign and fawning on foreign countries and that he was one of “cow demons and snake spirits”. Second, he had to hand over his Bible.
I still remember the scene where he was pushed on a high stage by the rebels with a sign around his neck that read "Monster and Demon XXX". Some punched and kicked him until his nose bled. Saying nothing, he was knocked to the ground and then got up, saying, "Thank God!” Like many of the onlookers, I did not understand. He was criticized and beaten, but why did he thank God?
Some rebels laughed at him from the stage, “Don't you believe in God? Can God do anything? Then ask your God to save you!” The brother repeated the same thing, "Thank God!" He just refused to admit and say that believing in God is wrong and sinful, and refused to admit that he was one of "demonized perceived enemies”.
The rebels forced him many times to hand over his Bible, but he just refused to do so. The rebels asked him, "Where have you hidden the Bible?" No matter how many times he was beaten and criticized, he still said, "Thank God!”
In the end, they couldn't do anything about him because they didn't find out anything else about him except that he believed in the Lord. Instead, they just gave him a white armband with the words "cow demons and snake spirits" written on it and told him to "reform through labor".
More than sixty years have passed. I don't know if this old brother, who is about ninety years old, is still alive. But his faith in God and his strength to not say anything that would offend God has always influenced and inspired me.
2. Involved in the writing ministry despite having a disability
I know a brother and a sister. They have something in common: they are physically disabled, but they are firm believers, and very good at writing.
Many years ago, the brother suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and was sent to the hospital. During the procedure, the doctor told his family that even if he was brought back to life, he would likely remain in a vegetative state. The best possible outcome would be if he was able to be awake despite not being able to take care of himself.
Faced with this situation, his family cried and informed the church. The pastor of the church visited him in the hospital, and other Christians prayed for him. After a period of time, after the doctor's surgery and treatment, he was miraculously awake.
After another period of treatment, he was able to waddle with the help of others. Although his hands and feet were not very flexible, his condition wasn’t to the extent where he could not take care of himself. He thanked the Lord. He listened to an audio Bible every day and prayed constantly.
Later, he walked with crutches without the help of his family. Then later he threw away the crutches and could walk slowly by himself. After the initial cure of his illness, he wrote some poems with his own pen, praising the grace of the Lord, in addition to being grateful. He didn't own a smartphone or couldn’t use a computer, relying only on a shaky hand.
The previously mentioned sister was born with polio and had difficulty walking. She usually relied on a wheelchair.
She grew up believing in God under the influence of her Christian mother. After becoming a Christian, she was very determined. Although she has little education, she is very intelligent and has writing talents. Over the years, she has written many poems, essays, and spiritual articles, which have been published on the main network media and shown in WeChat moments and QQ space, in combination with her spiritual practices and her own actual situation. She also took an active part in church activities, sharing testimonies and about what she had learned from reading the Bible with other Christians at a meeting point.
Her hometown is in a suburban county, and she has started some small businesses, including online e-commerce, to support herself and always remembers to offer things to others.
(The writer is a staff writer for the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Stephen Huang
