tumbling after You

Changed Hearts.

Today was the last lecture of ANS361 - Modernization of East Asia. I can’t really say it was fun class… but it was definitely interesting. The course was focused entirely on comparing and contrasting Taiwan, who followed the Western model, and China, who followed the East Asian model, in the ways they achieved modernization. I enrolled in this class purely out of interest, and I was just about to drop and replace it at the beginning of the semester. But I figured it’s not everyday that an engineering student gets to take an upper-division, discussion-based history class covering a genuinely interesting topic with only 20 or so other students. Stepping out of my comfort zone, right?

So I stuck with it, having faith that perhaps my presence and contributions to discussion would somehow represent Christ to others. And I saw my first opportunity to do so pretty quickly. Each student was responsible for giving a presentation on the assigned topic/reading at the beginning of each lecture. As I scanned the list of topics, my eyes fixated on the topic for April 12 - “Religion in China.” OHOHO i c wut ur doin, God. So come topic sign-up day, I prayed really hard, sat really close to the front (which I never do!), and penned my name on the clipboard in anticipation that God would meet my step of faith halfway.

I wish I could say that my presentation later in the semester was mind-numbingly awesome. But it was just alright. The day prior, I emailed my professor asking if it would be appropriate to share about my own experience on a missions trip to China, and I got the go-ahead. So it was a great blessing to share, brief as it was, about God’s work in China and the tidbits I learned that was unknown even to my professor (which, if you know Prof. Li, is cray cray… the man is a genius). 

Finally, for the short essay that was due today, we were allowed to choose a previously discussed topic to research and go more in-depth in. I chose to further discuss religion in China, more specifically highlighting Christianity. Here’s the conclusion of my paper, titled The Spread of Christianity and Its Implications on Chinese Society. (bolded for emphasis)

“From my personal experience conversing with the people of China, it is evident that Christianity is unanimously labeled as a foreign religion and a product of western modernization. However, its embrace by the masses in both rural and urban China is undeniable. While some believe that the introduction of the Christian faith is merely a byproduct of China’s adoption of market capitalism and western culture, I believe that the opposite is true. The change that Christianity can bring to a nation first begins with the change that Christ brings to the hearts of individuals. But regardless of whether Christianity is assigned as the cause or effect of social change, one can be sure that this faith will play an ever-increasing role in redefining the Middle Kingdom.”

Maybe it’s because I procrastinated a little too hard and had to rush to finish the conclusion, thus losing all inhibition to suppress the churchy language from spilling out into my writing. Or maybe it was divine inspiration. Whatever the catalyst, I decided to just go with it. 

I can’t see any spiritual fruit right now from being in this class this past semester. But if I can just leave stones in peoples’ shoes, maybe God will inspire further thought sometime in the future. Praying for stirring souls and wrestling hearts.