Serving the City in Weakness (English)
by Brother Ah Mi
A house church pastor recounts his move from the countryside to the city in the 1990s, a time of massive urbanization and change in China. From reuniting families to ministering to beggars, he shares his struggle to develop a theology and practice of loving the city, despite seeing it at its worst and experiencing increasing persecution.
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Thankfully, before the 2018 Religious Affairs Regulations were enacted, I was influenced by Timothy Keller’s book The Prodigal God. As I reflected on the parables in that passage—the one lost sheep out of a hundred, the one lost coin out of ten, the one lost son out of two—I gained two key insights.
First, from a gospel perspective, we shouldn’t think about accomplishing great things for the Lord, but rather start with the person beside us. I encouraged our brothers and sisters: “Can you truly pay attention to your colleagues, classmates, friends, and clients? Love them wholeheartedly—not merely as colleagues or clients. Don’t just look at them wondering how many orders you can get or how much money you can make from them. Instead, can you see them as recipients of your gospel outreach?” When you’re in a taxi, is this driver someone you can share the gospel with? Consider every real person you encounter. God has given us this environment, and we can still do what we’re called to do.
Second, is the church mine or Christ’s? Should I use what I consider safe methods to preserve the church, or should I trust in the Lord’s protection? The church’s outcome is his responsibility, not mine. Is my Lord still buried in the tomb? Am I still in the pre-Pentecost state of the disciples, praying behind locked doors? Do I truly believe that he is risen, that he reigns victoriously?
I have often told our brothers and sisters: “Be mentally prepared every Sunday—it might be our last.” In 2017 and 2018, because we were part of a Christian education ministry, the authorities kept targeting us, forcing us to move. In that year, our church moved nearly 80 times. As soon as we moved to a new location, they would find us. We would move again, and they would find us again. Church gatherings were also declared illegal, but they did not arrest or formally charge us; they simply maintained constant pressure on us. I told our brothers and sisters, “As long as the door of the gospel hasn’t been completely shut, let us fulfill our duty today and not worry about tomorrow. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?” God showed us mercy.
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Brother Ah Mi is a house church pastor in a megacity in China. He moved to that city from the countryside in the early 2000s to minister to the migrant workers of that city.
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Category: Pastoral
Date created: 2024
Scripture: Matthew 5:45, Matthew 25:40, Mark 2:17, John 10:16, Acts 18:10
Key terms: urbanization, theology of the city, mercy and justice
