Speaking of Christmas songs, many people think of western songs like Jingle Bells and Silent Night. Well, Chinese Christians have written Christmas songs in Chinese style, for instance, this hymn God so loved His world by Rev. Lin Shengben and Ren Daling.
In the autumn of 1981, the Chinese New Hymnal was begun being edited with the intention to collect both domestic and overseas hymns. Rev. Lin Shengben encouraged Ren Daling who engaged in document work to make a hymn which could present thanks together considering that most of the Christmas songs concerned singing and praise. Ren agreed it and wrote the lyrics. He pondered over this point during the creation: "Jesus the Lord came to the world to save us, save our entire life, that is to say, the spiritual life and material life. In the past some people emphasized that it was enough for Christians to pursue the Kingdom of God on the basis that the world was full of pain. Actually God gives us joy in the heaven and also happy and beautiful life on earth, which are integral."
Lin, who was responsible to compose music, gained no inspiration yet for a period of time. One evening, sitting near the piano Lin read the lyrics and meditated on it over and over, an inspiration struck him. He played the whole melody at once (four paragraphs and five musical scales). The hymn is to stress on the understanding of and thanks to God's grace, besides describing the scenes of the birth of Jesus, the shepherds hearing the news and the Magi presenting gifts.
Later the choir director Gu Hongsi of Shanghai Community Church changed it into a hymn suitable for chorus added with a organ part to make it more beautiful.
About the composer: Rev. Lin Shengben began to study in Alliance Bible Seminary, Guangxi at the age of 18 and advanced in Guangzhou Baptist Theological Seminary, the former of Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary for 3 years. He studied church music from the professor Ma Geshun, the deceased top director in China in 1950. After two year, Lin continued further education in Nanjing Union Theological Seminary for another two years. Lin has been shepherding believers, teaching theology and engaging in the sacred music training ministry in churches.
