Three years ago, the publishing company of the People's Daily published a book entitled "Bringing Love to China". The editor wrote the following in the preface: "This is a masterpiece written a century ago. Rev. Hudson Taylor, a British doctor, came and brought Christianity to China. It is where the eastern and western cultures meet.
In fact, you and I know the secret of how Hudson Taylor brought love to China. Just as Paul said, "the love of Christianity compels us." This is a love that never fails.
Even many years before Rev. Hudson Taylor arrived at China, the 25-year-old Hudson Taylor left the United Kingdom and came to this great country because of the commission of love. Next month will mark the 200th anniversary of Robert Morrison's arrival to China. At the time, Robert Morrison needed to overcome countless barriers, including opposition from the East India Company, religious discrimination in Macau, the Qing Dynasty law prohibiting Chinese from teaching the Chinese language to foreigners which could result in death penalty if committed. There were also the long-term threats posed by the white ants against the wood. Morrison overcame these obstacles because love is patient and kind.
Although difficulties came one after another, Robert Morrison became an expert in the Chinese language within only 12 years. He also edited the first English and Chinese dictionary and completed the Chinese translation of the entire Bible. During this pioneering period, he laid the foundation of sharing God's love and the benefits of the gospel with the most populated country in the world. Robert Morrison also established a cultural exchange channel between China and the English-speaking world of the West.
Back in the 20th century, the language centers with locations around the world, the Chinese government has opened up the Schools of Confucius in various places. Robert Morrison foresaw the urgent need to establish a Chinese language school in London.
He also encouraged his colleagues to improve the printing procedures and developed an entirely new printing method, which greatly influenced the Chinese printing and publication industry.
Robert Morrison also saw the importance of education and founded Ying Wa College. He taught about the western culture, Christian values and developed leaders for the local Chinese churches. This tradition has continued to this day and can be seen in Hong Kong.
Before Robert Morrison came to China, he also mastered the basics of medical knowledge, which helped pave the path in the setting up of Christian hospitals and clinics in the days to come.
Through these various means, Robert Morrison played a pioneering role during this period of the arrival of Christianity to China, which enabled those in the following generations to inherit and develop this service of love to China. Robert Morrison not only brought love to China, he also offered his life of 26 years for the Chinese people.
Hudson Taylor and other missionaries brought love to China during the remaining pioneering period in mainland China. Hudson Taylor's ancestors have been fervently serving the Lord during the great revival period of John Wesley. This movement of great revival helped the United Kingdom to peacefully experience the tremendous changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution, unlike the Revolution that occurred in France. Before Hudson Taylor departed for China, he used to serve the sick and the needy in downtown London.
When he arrived in Shanghai at the age of 21, his vision was to share the love of God with the 300 million Chinese people. He understood that he must speak the Chinese language if he wanted to effectively share the gospel with the Chinese. His clothing, food intake, living and transportation needed to be recognized by the Chinese.
In the 50 years of James Hudson Taylor's service to China, he mobilized a total of 600 staff from the west and 1,000 staff from China to station across 12 provinces to share the gospel with the Chinese people. These people included men, women, wealthy, poor, both the literate and the illiterate. The work of James Hudson Taylor and his team included medical work, campaign for literacy and education. They also criticized the evil in the society, such as opium trade, drug abuse and the custom of abandoning baby girls. They also brought hope, dignity and the meaning of life to the minority people groups. All these bore the fruit of love.
When James Hudson Taylor was 27, he wrote a letter to his sister encouraging her to come to China and serve with him. The letter said, "if I have a thousand pounds, China can have it all; if I have a thousand lives, I will not keep one of them from China. No! Not China but Christ. Would God think we did too much for Him?"
At the beginning of the 21st century, which was also the early development of the local pioneering period, many loyal and talented workers began to demonstrate their extraordinary ability. Their work led the Chinese church and Christian organization to improve a great deal in the areas of evangelism, education, literacy ministry and social services.
When our Lord opens a door, He also closes one. After 145 years of Christianity's arrival in China, God closed the door to the missionaries from the West. Some thought that this signified the end of the Chinese church. Not at all! "For His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways." (Isa. 55:8-9)
In fact, He is raising up a new vessel to share His love – a church that is truly Chinese - which is made up of two beautiful parts:
The churches of Hong Kong bear a shining testimony of the amazing work of love of God in the past 200 years. Come and see for yourself the flourishing church-planting ministry: the depth and extensiveness of the theological education; creative writing, publication, mass media, from Christian kindergartens to Christian universities, youth ministry, hospitals, nursing homes, drug treatments and commitment to social outreach, mission and global mission.
Since we have received this kind of love, should we not share this love to our neighbors and the entire world?
We love because God first loved us. "Bringing love to China" that began 200 years ago has metamorphosed into "Bringing Love from China"