Thursday, August 17, 2006
God Speaks Chinese
Never had I felt so much like an infant. An announcement sounded over the airplane speakers, an unintelligible string of Chinese. I understood two words from the entire broadcast, and it was a discomforting reminder of how little of my surroundings I understood. If the sky was falling, I wouldn't know.I shifted in my seat as the rest of the passengers continued boarding the plane, fully conscious of the hundred eyes watching me. I could hardly blame them. Foreigners were rare in that part of
The last time I boarded a Chinese domestic flight, there had been a delay and a problem with the airplane’s air conditioning. Several passengers had stood in their seats, waving their hands in frustration and engaging themselves in a energetic yelling contest with the flight attendant. It was chaos and anarchy. And worst of all, since I have little knowledge of the Chinese language, there was nothing I could do. I felt helpless.
I desperately wished to shrink to the size of an insect or even a bacterium. Could I ever feel comfortable in these alien surroundings? Could I depend on God to take care of every detail?
In Proverbs 30: 2-5, Agur mourned over his ignorance and vulnerability as well:
“‘I am the most ignorant of men;
I do not have a man's understanding.I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of His hands?
Who has wrapped up the waters in His cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and the name of His Son?
Tell me if you know!‘Every word of God is flawless;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”
God’s competence in controlling situations is a great deal more than our own; yet maybe you are like me, and still tremble at the thought of handing Him the reins. We gave Him our life, but we struggle to handle individual, daily situations alone.
One of my favorite authors and speakers, John Piper, wrote, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” When we satisfy ourselves with the knowledge that He is in control, He is glorified. His strength is most visible when we have no chance to succeed on our own. When we are incapable, and feel like infants, we should rejoice at the opportunity to lean on Him and make His power known. Paul explained this in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
As I waited for take off, I heard a soft, familiar melody. Strangely out of place, it sounded like Heaven playing over the airplane speaker. The song was instrumental, but I knew the words from church:
Mercy, mercy
Goodness and kindness,
Love and forgiveness.
Mercy, mercy.
It’s been mercy all the way.
A comforting song in the middle of China? Yes, God does speak Chinese.
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