As someone who has long been interested in religion, I found it fascinating to read about Christianity’s role in Fuzhou. Christianity, among the Chinese, is so much more than just spiritual enlightenment. Members of both Catholicism and Protestantism, since 1949, have often openly defied the state’s requirements for orthodox, religious activities. Involvement in religion has been a way to expand gender roles. It has been a way to fight the harsh social structure of Chinese society. It has also been a way to network and transcend regional boundaries.
Religion allows the Fuzhounese to take control over their lives in an otherwise heavily governmentally regulated society which does not offer them this freedom.
The times of suffering of Chinese during the Cultural Revolution in 1966 were times of tremendous spiritual and numerical growth. It is so encouraging and beautiful that faith was able to persevere, and even grow, in such unbelievably harsh and repressive times. Fuzhounese Christians refused to succumb to governmental pressures and were determined to hold onto the beliefs in which they found comfort and community.
Reverend Liu’s words in speaking about this time, “We were like roots of bamboo buried in the earth, not dead, but awaiting our time to spring back to life”, are so poignant and inspiring.
This past weekend, I played a concert commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day and the millions who lost their lives in the terrors of the Nazis during World War II. During this ceremony, we honored those who refused to succumb to the Nazis. We honored those who continued crying out to God with their last breaths and those who escaped and hid in woods and in basements.
While reading about the Fuzhounese and their religious affiliations, I was reminded of this ceremony. The Christians of Fuzhou, and leaders like Reverend Liu, used their faith to fight persecution. It was through faith that they were able to create a community that persevered and this faith, and the sense of community that it fostered, has made them a stronger group of individuals today.
