Last Sunday at a church in San Diego someone asked, “Do they have Christmas in China?” Indeed they do! In fact, as I write they are having it right now. In a country as big as China, Christmas means many things.
Commerce
Like I have seen here in California, there are more people in the malls than in the churches! Chinese were businessmen long before the King of the Jews was born. Today is a work day in China – it is not an official holiday. Their economic engine runs at full throttle on Christmas day. Strolling through the lavish shopping malls in China’s cities you might easily think you are in Anytown, USA. Yet the malls are filled with Christmas decorations, English language carols, and even Santa.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-santa-20101224,0,1188901,full.story
Couples
Many of China’s huge malls will be open all night. Young couples stroll arm in arm wearing the latest fashions. Many girls proudly carry bouquets of flowers. From the malls they’ll head to night clubs, restaurants, and movie theaters. Christmas has become a ‘must’ date night in China. Hotel ballrooms will be filled with parties – dancing and drinking through the night for all who can afford it. I am borrowing heavily from a great article, “Through the Narrow Gate: Celebrating Christmas in China” by Kurt Selles, written last year:
http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=1328
Confusion
This afternoon on my walk through beautiful La Canada I enjoyed the Christmas decorations in the manicured yards. If I were visiting from another planet, what would I think Christmas means to these alien Californians? The huge electronically inflated snowman stands on warm green grass. His shadow falls across the manger scene, located right next to Santa, elves, reindeer and a present-filled sleigh. What does it all mean? Can we blame the Chinese – for whom Christmas is a foreign holiday – for getting their holiday symbols confused? They learned it from us. Americans don’t know whether to say, “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” But the only reason it is a HOLY-day is because the Holy Child has come. Yet, no matter what you call this day, Christmas in China is a time of great opportunity. There is a magnetic attraction to the Christ of Christmas.
Curiosity
Our Beijing International Christian Fellowship worships in a large, modern, office complex. Every year the management asks us to sing Christmas carols in their lobby. They did so this week:
Among the dozens of people that passed by to listen was the staff of the complex. Their interesting mix of costumes shows they do not yet have the Christmas story straight, but they are intently listening!!! This sincere interest thrills us as we serve in China.
Concern
A few months ago I was visited in our Beijing International Christian Fellowship office by four Chinese police officers. These two men and two women, were very polite and friendly. But they were concerned. Four police officers don’t make two hour long office calls for nothing. Their main cause of concern was the babe from Bethlehem. The hottest ticket item on Christmas Eve has become entrance to church. They asked many questions about our Christmas plans at BICF and wanted us to know there would be police at our services. There was. I just got an email from one member who attended….
Dear Pastor Mark and Dayna,
I wish you a very very merry Christmas, too! I have just come back from the Christmas service in BICF ZGC. It was so good! We are so thankful to have Jesus, the best gift ever!
Last Christmas Kurt Selles observed: Christmas as a Curiosity
Not all Chinese go to a nightclub or party on Christmas Eve, however. Thousands flock to church, as clearly evidenced by the large crowd gathered outside Beijing’s Gangwashi (pronounced gahng wah shur) church on this bitter cold night. Though young couples dot the crowd, there are many others too: older couples wearing dull blue “Mao suits” and children in bright red “Hello Kitty” parkas, Beijing’s urban professionals, peasants from the countryside, men and women of all ages and walks of life. All are waiting to pass through the narrow gate into the church.
Considering the long wait ahead, the crowd outside is remarkably orderly and patient. It’s not quite six-thirty, but every seat inside the church is already taken for the seven o’clock service. That means around eight hundred people are seated in the main sanctuary, with more than a thousand others packed into several adjacent halls and rooms to watch closed-circuit television. Those waiting outside hope to squeeze through the narrow gate for the nine o’clock or even the ten-thirty service. If they don’t get in tonight, there may be room at one of the two services scheduled for Christmas Day. Altogether, as many as ten thousand people will pass through Beijing’s Gangwashi church during the Christmas holiday.
According to Zhang Yongqiang, an evangelist in his early thirties who is helping to lead the services this evening, “Probably less than half of those who come are Christians celebrating this holy night. The rest come for a wide variety of reasons, but mostly out of curiosity. They want to know the meaning of Christmas.”
Here are pictures from services in a Beijing church this Christmas night…from a web site in India!
http://iplextra.indiatimes.com/photo/0eUscvVeeSciu?q=Beijing
Today I received an e-card from one of the 12 pastors who serve the 7000 member Chinese Protestant church near our BICF location. I am sure they had a full house for their many Christmas services also.
Christ
Yes, they have Christmas in China. And just as when Joseph took his young wife to Bethlehem people today worry about many things – wealth, weather, and weariness of body and soul. And just as on that Holy Night, many people around still have no clue about the significance of that Child. Lots of people are mixed up, some get it totally wrong. Christmas has become a season for decadence, drunkenness, and death by suicide for many.
But it all comes back to Him. All the celebrating, commerce, and curiosity that spans the whole world this night has been sparked by the fact that God has come in Christ. He has stepped into time and history will never be the same. At the end of time the whole world will stand before the Christ of Christmas. Some will only meet Him as Judge, but we have the privilege of knowing Him as Savior now.
Dayna and I look forward to celebrating more Christmases in China. This is the first Christmas in 30 years that we have not been together. I am at my sisters in California and Dayna is back in Hawaii with her family. Please continue to keep her elder sister, Gaylyn, in your prayers. Dayna will be here Monday night, along with our 2 sons from Oregon for a few days visit.
I pray you will know the love of family and friends this Christmas. But most of all my prayer is you will know Jesus who has come to bring you the fullness of joy – now and forever. Like Taylor Swift sings, “Christmas Must be Something More.”
Thank you so much for your support and prayers for our ministry to China. Maybe next Christmas you can come and see His work there!
Our Schedule
December 26 First Baptist Church of El Segundo, El Segundo, California
January 2, 2011 Montrose Community Church, Montrose, California
January 9 Valley Presbyterian Church, North Hills, California
January 16 La Canada Presbyterian Church, La Canada, California
January 23 Kalihi Union Church – Honolulu, Hawaii
January 30 Hawaii Kai United Church of Christ, Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Hawaii
February 6 North Shore Christian Church, Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii
February 11 – Return to Beijing
Rejoicing in His Advent! Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mobile (until February 11) 808 315 5364
Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com
or markblair@bicf.org or blairstan@psmail.net (secure)
Our Mission
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Our Ministry
Beijing International Christian Fellowship - www.bicf.org
Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/sermon-zgc
Our Mailing Address
Beijing International Christian Fellowship / Zhong Guan Cun
Raycom Infotech Park, Tower C, Room B115,
2 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Haidian District, Beijing, China 100190
