Around 20 years ago, while attending college, Caleb was introduced to the gospel by a girl. Influenced by the prevailing ideology of his generation, he held prejudice and resistance toward religious beliefs back then. Simply feeling she was a good girl, Caleb developed a close friendship with her, though they didn't become a couple.
On Christmas in 2001, the girl took Caleb to a foreigner's home, where many people gathered to sing hymns. Caleb was excited by the gathering as a young college student longing for novelty and knowledge.
The group sang hymns enthusiastically. Afterward, each person placed a carefully prepared gift under the Christmas tree, and everyone took turns selecting a gift. That night, Caleb was in great joy. Even now, he can still recall the smiles on everyone's faces. This was the beginning of his faith.
Such a Fascinating Book of the Bible
It was that Christmas night when a person named Qiu Ju gave Caleb a Bible. Although he knew it was the most circulated book in human history, he struggled to understand it. Yet he kept it by his bedside, repeatedly attempting to read it but never progressing past the first two pages. Later by graduation, Qiu Ju advised him that if he ever faced difficulties, he could read the Bible or visit a local church to listen to a pastor's sermon.
The young and ambitious Caleb started a business immediately after graduation, but it failed, leaving him jobless and even homeless. In his despair, he turned to Qiu when recalling her words. Qiu lent him all her savings and sincerely encouraged him, saying, "Caleb, don't be sad, because a crushed spirit dries up the bones, and a cheerful heart is good medicine. You should cheer up."
Although Caleb didn't fully understand Qiu's sentence, he found it impressive and marked it down. One day, while reading the Bible, he discovered its origin. Finally, he said to Qiu, "Alright, I’ll go find a church now."
One day, Caleb happened to notice someone handing out gospel flyers on the street. He took one, which led him to a local church. Although he couldn't understand the sermon when attending church, he felt the hymns were beautiful, like the sounds of nature, which baptized his soul and cleansed all the worldly dust on him.
Back then, the weekend carried most of Caleb's expectations in a week. He could go to the church to listen to hymns, which was like a free concert. To get the best result, he even sat in the front of the church.
After attending church for about six months, Caleb listened to a sermon by a female minister about the story of Jonah, which he found particularly intriguing. Later, he read the Book of Jonah as if it were a short story full of ups and downs. From then on, he began to seriously read the Bible, discovering it features many fascinating stories rather than the Buddhist scriptures, which focus on ethics, morality, enlightenment, and good deeds.
The Encounter of "Peter" and "Cornelius"
After Caleb's faith sprouted, God continued to pave the way for him, using the people around him to build him up.
At that time, Caleb joined a financial company, where he met two Christian colleagues within a month or two. One of them attended an English-speaking church on Sundays. Out of his desire to improve his English, Caleb decided to follow his colleague. He found joy and peace in chatting with people his age while enjoying coffee.
One day, a sister suggested Caleb read the Bible starting from the Gospel of Matthew. He took her advice and found the Bible to be fascinating. He was deeply impressed by the parables told by Jesus, such as the parable of the birds and lilies (Matthew 6:25–29).
The Conflict and Exploration of Reason and Spirituality
However, during the process of reading the Bible, Caleb not only discovered its brilliance but also encountered many questions. For example, he noticed that the Gospels of Mark and Luke contained many repeated stories, leading him to suspect that there might have been a printing error in the Bible. Later, someone explained to him that the four Gospels were written by four witnesses of Jesus, each describing his works from a different perspective. By continuously discovering more questions while reading the Bible and asking others for answers, Caleb gradually gained a deeper understanding of it.
At the same time, because the church he attended had many young people, he found that discussing the gospel with peers was quite effective, as they shared many common concerns and topics. In this way, he slowly became more immersed in reading the Bible, and Caleb gradually spent more time deeply reflecting on his faith.
Time passed, and it was 2008—the year Beijing was set to host the Olympic Games. Caleb had just started university in 2001 when Beijing celebrated its successful bid for the 2008 Olympics. During his studies, he developed a strong desire: "After graduation, I must earn enough money to go to Beijing to watch the Olympics." He eventually spent a month in Beijing, attending several Olympic events while exploring the city from early morning until late at night. While in Beijing, he also sought out churches and discovered one near Peking University and Tsinghua University. One Sunday morning, Caleb entered this church and was surprised to find that many of the congregants were professors, top students, and even national college entrance exam champions from all over China.
After returning from Beijing, Caleb downloaded a vast amount of materials to study, determined to thoroughly understand what faith truly meant. Three books published by Peking University Press—The Influence of Christianity on World Civilization, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, and The Case for Christ—provided him with what seemed to be the perfect, comprehensive answers he was seeking. Over time, Caleb also realized that many of his own experiences and perceptions aligned with the Christian faith. The books Song of a Wanderer and The Lord of the Universe deeply inspired his spiritual journey.
On April 3, 2011, Caleb was baptized, officially becoming a Christian.
A Turning Point in Life—Baptism and Rebirth
A few months after his baptism, Caleb realized that he still had many sins to confront, especially in the area of relationships between men and women.
At that time, Caleb had a female friend (though not a girlfriend) with whom he shared an extremely close relationship. Previously, he did not consider this to be sinful, but after baptism, the Holy Spirit illuminated his heart, and he realized that their relationship was, in fact, improper. Caleb attempted multiple times to end it, but each attempt failed. He remained deeply entangled in sin, feeling utterly tormented.
One day, Caleb and the girl were alone in a room. He told her that he was determined to completely cut off this sinful relationship, no matter the cost. Upon hearing this, she became extremely emotional. She rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and pressed it against Caleb’s neck. She threatened, "If you leave me, I will kill you first and then take my own life."
Even in this terrifying moment, Caleb remained resolute in his decision to break away from this sinful bond. He pleaded with her, "You may kill me, but before you do, please allow me to pray." She agreed, and Caleb kneeled down to pray, "Lord, please forgive my sins. Help me break away from this sinful life and free me from the bondage of sin. I am willing to die, but before I do, I hope to be a true Christian, worthy of being called one of Your people."
After praying, Caleb felt a sense of liberation, and his fear of death diminished. He had no idea how much time had passed when suddenly, he heard a clang—the knife fell to the floor. His life did not end that day, but the sinful relationship did. Caleb was reborn.
New Life and Heading With Faith
After dealing with these sinful entanglements, Caleb met his future wife—a virtuous woman with a pure heart devoted to God. She had been standing beside the pastor, assisting with translation, on the day of Caleb’s baptism.
From marriage to career to ministry, Caleb felt overwhelmingly blessed. The three years after his wedding felt as fulfilling as an entire decade. In terms of inner peace and joy, his ten years as a believer far surpassed the thirty years he had lived before knowing Christ.
However, the journey of faith was not without its trials. In the past five years, Caleb experienced a personal financial crisis, but God once again intervened, rescuing him from a pit of debt. From that moment on, Caleb and his wife made a firm decision never to take on loans again. God indeed watched over them. In the years that followed, as the pandemic and global economic downturn caused many to struggle under the weight of mortgages and car loans, Caleb’s family, resting in the arms of their Heavenly Father, experienced what could be described as the most peaceful and stable years of their lives.
