On 08/08/08 at eight minutes past 8 p.m., the summer Olympics began in Beijing, China, fully in tune with Chinese tradition down to the tiniest detail, even to its kickoff time.
Tibetan performers rehearse for the Beijing Olympic Games in front of the National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest.”Eight is the number of prosperity and fortune in China. And in a lot of ways, the Olympics have brought just that.
“It’s a matter of national pride that they are able to host this worldwide event. To them, in many ways, it is a ‘coming out’ party,” says Joyce Glover, a representative of the International Mission Board’s East Asia region. “It’s showing the world they can do it, that they can meet global standards.”
China’s “coming out” is from a 20th century rocked with turbulence.
During that time, China staggered backward, beset by 40 years of war and political turmoil. And after the communists seized power in 1949, the country groaned under another 40 years of calamitous government policies and crushing brutality, according to U.S. News & World Report.
On the heels of that unrest, some have dubbed the current era “China’s century,” a title the communist nation is aiming to solidify.
“This is not a simple sports event at all. Its meaning surpasses the importance of sports itself,” Tu Mingde of the Chinese Olympic Committee told CNN.
Yasuo Fukuda, the prime minister of Japan, agrees. “The Olympics must succeed,” he told CNN. He said Beijing’s hosting of the Olympics is much like Tokyo’s hosting of the 1964 games, which he said marked Japan’s emergence on the world stage after its defeat in World War II. “The world is watching.”
Anticipating that additional scrutiny, China is putting some elbow grease into its image.
After two decades of reform, the government is setting the stage for the games, spending $40 billion to remake its subways, roads and image, in addition to building new stadiums for the 500,000-plus foreign visitors Beijing expects to see.
The games, however, also shine a spotlight on issues that have troubled China for some time – namely, human rights and religious freedom.
Members of the U.S. Congress said May 1 that China had disgraced itself in advance of the Olympics. The comments were made at a press conference the day before the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom included China on a list of the world’s worst persecutors of religious adherents.
USCIRF Commissioner Nina Shea said the Chinese government still harasses and detains Christians, Muslims, Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan Buddhists. In previous months, Olympic torch relays around the world have been met with protests mainly centering on China’s treatment of Tibet.
These issues, in addition to drawing protests, set an interesting stage for Christians hoping to use the games as a ministry opportunity.
“There is nothing illegal about being a Christian in China. You’re not breaking any law by being able to share the gospel with someone,” Glover said. “But they do not want you to stand on a street corner and evangelize.”
Conflicting reports have circulated regarding how many Bibles travelers will be allowed to bring into China. “Bringing your own Bible shouldn’t be a problem. Bringing two Bibles shouldn’t be a problem. But bringing a whole box of Bibles would be a different story,” said Lynn Yarbrough, an Alabama native who teaches in China.
Bibles are available in China through bookstores that are part of government-registered churches, but standing on the street corner handing them is not allowed, Yarbrough said. At this point, there is an uncertainty among Christian organizations about exactly is allowed.
In spite of this uncertainty, efforts to show God’s love during the Olympics are going strong. The Web site waytotheworld.com has provided Christians a number of ways to volunteer.
Woman’s Missionary Union-SBC also is coordinating volunteer efforts using approved materials that include topics such as athletes’ stories of faith. The volunteers will be engaging people in the city through acts of service, clowning and traditional Olympics activities such as pin trading.
Editor’s note: Some names have been changed for security reasons.
Letter From Bertha Smith: ‘Thanking you in advance’
Bertha Smith, who was born in 1888 in a farm near Cowpens, was a Southern Baptist missionary who served in China during the years before The People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949. Her letter reveals her great love for the people of China and provides a glimpse of what life was like for an American living abroad in the 19th century.
Chefoo, China
August 5, 1920
My dear Dr. Ray,
May I trouble you to send me a typewriter? I want an Underwood. Hope you still get the missionary discount on Underwoods. I am sorry to ask you to do this but I understand that you are in the habit of such for missionaries and can get a better discount than we can.
A party of the “Old Maids” from Pingtu and Laichowfu are camping in the Girls’ School building here, having a few weeks of recreation. It is reported to be the hottest summer in 40 years and we trust not to have another like it till our stay in China is ended.
Mr. Turnbull of the “Sunday School Times” has just closed a most helpful conference here, for which we are most grateful.
We are enjoying Dr. Beall and anxiously looking forward to the coming of our other new recruits in September. I am not expecting to have to wait more than one more year for the girl who is to help me in my school work.
I hope the board will be able to grant the funds asked for by the mission this year for additional buildings and equipment for the school. Our one dormitory, which was built last year, holds only 40, including teachers, and had 65 girls last year – and we are expecting more this autumn. We have no dining room, kitchen or bathrooms yet, but we are getting along in a way. The board has been so liberal in providing the lovely main building and one dormitory that we hesitate to ask for more now, but we feel the necessity for them so strongly that we can’t refrain from making the request. We feel sure, however, that they will be granted if possible.
Thanking you in advance for sending the typewriter and for your prayerful interest in my work, I am
Faithfully yours,
Bertha Smith
China fast facts
? Capital city: Beijing
? Size: About 3.7 million square miles
? Population: 1.3 billion
? Government: Communist
? 24 people added to population every minute
? 223 cities with more than 1 million people
? Ethnic groups:
Han Chinese 91.9 percent; other 8.1 percent
? Language: 70 percent speak Mandarin
? Literacy: 90.9 percent
? Religion: Officially atheist; Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, ancestor worship, shamanism
? 7.4 million will die in China this year without hearing about Jesus