The Tiananmen Generation
June 10, 2009 – 3:29 pmFollowing the trend of posts on Christianity in China this week, here’s a World Magazine article on the effect of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre on the explosive growth of Christianity in China. The subtitle reads:
Out of post-massacre despair, Chinese demonstrators learned not only that communism is crushing but that democracy alone cannot save.
This sentence, found midway through the article, offers an excellent summary:
For Chinese Christians present at the Tiananmen Square massacre, the anniversary carries an added meaning: They remember one of the worst days in modern Chinese history as the turning point for the one of the most exciting trends in China: the unexpected growth of Christianity.
Author Jamie Dean ends the excellent piece with this wrap-up:
Former student leaders say the wounds remain raw after two decades, but Fu [converted to Christianity shortly after Tiananmen massacre; now president of the Texas-based ChinaAid, an advocacy organization for Chinese Christians] says God has used the evil for good: “We call ourselves the Tiananmen generation.”
I highly recommend this penetrating article. It’s important for us to reflect on historical events in light of the big picture of what God is doing in this world for His purposes and ultimate glory.
Read entire article.
HT: WORLDMag blog & @NationsBeGlad
