Sitting in this old church in China
led me to contemplate
about the lives of men and their spouses
who lived decades ago,
when they traveled to this distant land
in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Many of these Christian ministers and laymen
left their comfortable churches,
even cathedrals to preach their ideology to foreigners.
They established small chapels
where people could join in Christian fellowship
and where some Chinese people
accepted conversion to a new faith.
They came to a land
where the predominate faith was Buddhism.
Even though their words were eloquent
the message at times
must have seemed formidable and gloomy.
Even the foreignersclothing styles
would have appeared queer.
During this colonial time period
missionaries emigrated to all areas of China,
visiting small villages, distributing Bibles,
offering divine salvation
and preaching the word of God.
A unanimous decision was made
by many faiths to attempt
to enrich the lives of others
and to present the eloquent message of Christianity.
Some missionaries worked in the medical field
as doctors, surgeons, nurses and dentists.
Agriculture specialists helped the farmers
elevate their crop performance
to provide better nutrition for the people.
Finally there were teachers
who ran the mission schools.
All had to be very versatile at their work.
These people proved to be an inspiration
for others to follow in their footsteps.
Earnings from all these areas
would go back into further mission work
to fulfill their mandate.
In retrospect, my fascination with this historical era
may have been kindled in childhood.
While visiting my grandparents home
every Thanksgiving, I was allowed to examine
the fascinating ornaments from the Orient.
There were delicate elephant sculptures
carved from ivory, lacy sandalwood fans
and an imposing brass Buddha.
Best of all, I was allowed
to don an exquisite silk embroidered jacket
and play with a blue and tan parasol
which was adorned with
sprays of plum blossoms and tiny buds.
It was then I was introduced
to an exotic new world.
Maybe this too,
is partly what lured me to this country.
Under a new regime in China,
government statesmen questioned
what justification these foreign ministers
had in their country.
Subsequently, the morality of the instruction was questioned.
The pendulum swung the other way
and church people would no longer be welcome
to impart their message.
A plea to reconsider the decision was unsuccessful.
Diplomats also would be required to leave the country.
It would be a long time
before visas would be issued to foreign people,
to again live in China.
And so here I am!
The clearance for my visitors visa
had been administered swiftly.
My surroundings aroused in me a sense of heritage.
Today, sitting here pondering,
allowed me to be a participant
rather than just a spectator
in a new chapter of Chinas history.
体坛资讯:Yi among few global prospects to stay in NBA Draft pool
英文歌曲之Yankee Doodle
托福口语真题:描述物品
China beat Ghana to enter semifinals in Toulon
与烘焙相关的俚语
托福口语中的20个否定句例子
过去时还可以表示将来时间
生活中的美 Beauty in Life
Unlucky 13 as Mauresmo fails again
英文歌曲之I'm not the only one
Nadal beats Hewitt to reach French final
体坛资讯:Real blundered over treatment of Beckham, says Capello
体坛资讯:Yang wins all-around at Chinas gym championship
体坛资讯:China storm into semis, S. Korea pose strong in Sudirman Cup
2017雅思考试时间
体坛资讯:Runners get compensation from coach
托福3个月养成计划
英语六级作文三大定律
英文歌之Happy
TT Worlds: Guo Yue crowned, top three vying for mens title
六级阅读“三遍法”
体坛资讯:Henin wins 3rd consecutive French Open title
体坛资讯:Dynasty! Spurs win 4th NBA title
China name Sudirman cup squad
国际英语资讯:EU postpones release of 600-mln-euro aid for Ukraine
托福备考之如何练习听写
培养兴趣爱好 Develop Interest
2016大学英语六级新题型听力解读
China nails second gold in table tennis championships
Henin extends win streak at French Open
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |