Kidnapped and killed in Pakistan, two Chinese Missionaries have aroused great public concern. Many Christian social media platforms played up martyrdom, among which were many poor apologies within great religious circles.
In my opinion, the chaos in Christian social media on martyrdom has revealed the sickness of spiritual ecology among Chinese Christians.
Below are some unhealthy phenomena in the Christian social media chaos, with my analysis.
#1 Blindly advocate martyrdom, misuse the parable of the wheat.
There are some articles advocating martyrdom blindly, wrongly teaching the audience that churches or mission agencies deliberately ‘make’ martyrs. This misunderstanding makes people think that Christianity is irrational and irresponsible for people, which also blocks the spread of the Gospel.
#2 Take advantage of the victim in order to make money.
Some social media lament the missionaries’ death in their posts while their intrinsic motivation is to make money since more attention brings more profit for their own platforms.
#3 Some posts only create religious bubbles, without the level head which is so much needed in foreign missions.
Historically speaking, foreign missionaries were all erudite person who were well educated and equipped before they came to China. To China they introduced not only the Gospel but also modern science, medicine, and education, making great contributions to China. One could never become a qualified missionary only by shouting slogans; an objective analysis is necessary before going out.
#4 Right of Life and reverence for life take priority over martyrdom.
When relishing martyrdom, who is comforting the martyrs’ parents? Who weeps together with the grieving families? Isn’t the cost of being a hero too much? If the halo of martyrdom takes priority over reverence for life, the only explanation is that we are indifferent.
It’s time to analyze the chaos in the Christian social media and learn our lessons.
-Translated and Edited by Alice Wang
