If someone had told me that I would have the good fortune to visit both China and Turkey during 2007, my reaction would have been one of unbelief. However, I surprisingly took a trip to the Orient in the spring with Jack Rhea, the missionary in Hong Kong that our church supports, and I just returned from leading a group of church members to Greece and Turkey to visit the sites where Paul ministered.
Since both of these trips were not part of my long-range planning, I have reflected on the lessons that God had for me to discover and to learn and it seems to me that the ancient Silk Road may be part of what God wants me to see. In Xian, the ancient capital of China, our group stopped for a group picture at a sculpture depicting the origin of the Silk Road which started in Xian and led westward. Then, in Istanbul, our knowledgeable guide showed us the bazaar which was, in all practicalities, the end of the Silk Road. Here, when Istanbul was known as Constantinople, the goods that traveled from the Orient along the Silk Road were purchased to be shipped to the markets throughout Europe.
Leaving the ancient bazaar, I understood in a new and profound way the passion of the new converts and leaders of the church in China who are committed to taking the saving gospel of Jesus Christ "back to Jerusalem." This rally cry, "Back to Jerusalem," is lifted in prayer, taught from the pulpit and believed in the congregations throughout China and it is the conviction of these Christians that the church, as it grows in China, will take the gospel westward into the lands from India, Iran, Iraq and further. God has placed a calling on the Chinese to take the gospel into the lands of Asia, along the paths and highways of the old Silk Road, and offer redemption and forgiveness through the name of Jesus.
Watching the busy crowds in Istanbul, I was struck by the sense of alienation and confusion in that important city. Even though the country of Turkey reportedly is 99% Islamic, it appeared that any religious expression was largely cultural and that people, especially the youth and young adults, followed a secular lifestyle. I also had an impression that Christianity was not welcomed, at least from a westerner like myself. Each night, late into the hours, as the streets filled with pedestrians, it became clear why God has placed upon the hearts of the emerging church in China a passion to take the love of Jesus west into the Islamic world.
Pray for the church in China. Pray for the gospel to penetrate the lands from China back to Jerusalem. Pray that the Silk Road, once the avenue for spices, silk and porcelain, now will become the passageway for the church to send missionaries with the message of hope that only Christ can give to a lost and confused part of the world
Since both of these trips were not part of my long-range planning, I have reflected on the lessons that God had for me to discover and to learn and it seems to me that the ancient Silk Road may be part of what God wants me to see. In Xian, the ancient capital of China, our group stopped for a group picture at a sculpture depicting the origin of the Silk Road which started in Xian and led westward. Then, in Istanbul, our knowledgeable guide showed us the bazaar which was, in all practicalities, the end of the Silk Road. Here, when Istanbul was known as Constantinople, the goods that traveled from the Orient along the Silk Road were purchased to be shipped to the markets throughout Europe.
Leaving the ancient bazaar, I understood in a new and profound way the passion of the new converts and leaders of the church in China who are committed to taking the saving gospel of Jesus Christ "back to Jerusalem." This rally cry, "Back to Jerusalem," is lifted in prayer, taught from the pulpit and believed in the congregations throughout China and it is the conviction of these Christians that the church, as it grows in China, will take the gospel westward into the lands from India, Iran, Iraq and further. God has placed a calling on the Chinese to take the gospel into the lands of Asia, along the paths and highways of the old Silk Road, and offer redemption and forgiveness through the name of Jesus.
Watching the busy crowds in Istanbul, I was struck by the sense of alienation and confusion in that important city. Even though the country of Turkey reportedly is 99% Islamic, it appeared that any religious expression was largely cultural and that people, especially the youth and young adults, followed a secular lifestyle. I also had an impression that Christianity was not welcomed, at least from a westerner like myself. Each night, late into the hours, as the streets filled with pedestrians, it became clear why God has placed upon the hearts of the emerging church in China a passion to take the love of Jesus west into the Islamic world.
Pray for the church in China. Pray for the gospel to penetrate the lands from China back to Jerusalem. Pray that the Silk Road, once the avenue for spices, silk and porcelain, now will become the passageway for the church to send missionaries with the message of hope that only Christ can give to a lost and confused part of the world
0 Responses to “The Silk Road”
Post a CommentLinks to this post
Create a Link