Fireworks & Freedom

Fourth of July means fireworks & freedom for those of us who happen to be from the United States.

Though I know the holiday is over now, I've heard fireworks the past few nights, which just makes me think of China. It seems as if there is at least one holiday a month in China that calls for a celebration filled with fireworks and firecrackers. Fourth of July pyrotechnics pale in comparison to Chinese New Year's; I suppose that's only natural, considering China invented the smoking fires (烟火, yānhuǒ, is the term for fireworks, and it literally means "smoke fire").

At recent family gatherings, we've had numerous conversations about freedom in China. Most people bring up religious persecution, especially the persecution of Christians. Unfortunately, we can never give a straight, one-size-fits-all answer. What proves true in our province may be completely different in another. Joann Pittman, an American who has lived in China since the 1980s, confirms this in a talk titled "Misconceptions about the Chinese Church." (If you follow the link, you can listen to/download the audio. It's around 50 minutes long, but well worth the time!) She argues that persecution is not the biggest problem facing Chinese Christians, unlike what most Westerners think.  While the government still has strict regulations, they are a bit lax about enforcing them, producing a freedom of sorts.

Unlike fireworks, Christianity does not originate from China. However, Chinese history is not void of Christianity. The proof is in the way they write some of their characters, which date back to over 4,500 years ago. In some ways, China had fireworks & freedom long before the United States was even a twinkle in our forefathers' eyes.

Our First Chinese New Year