Biography Analysis The Heavenly Man
As someone with Chinese origin, Christianity is somewhat a peculiar and unfamiliar ground that I would like to unearth and uncover. My family, specifically my father surprisingly know very little about Christianity and with our political background, we are viewed as the doubters, counter -religious or as Marxist atheists. I was surprised at how well I accepted Christianity when I was first exposed to it and I found myself amazed and enthralled in the stories I heard. This was how I felt as I read Brother Yun s story.
Brother Yun was born in Liu LaoZhuang in 1958. He was named Liu Zhenying. His mother was a baptized as a Christian before Christianity became illegal during the Communist regime. She was the one who opened the eyes of Brother Yun to Christian faith.
Brother Yuns journey in Christianity started at the age of 16 when his father was diagnosed with cancer and he underwent a conversion with God. He prayed faithfully for his fathers health and his pleas were answered after a few days. This miraculous event has converted him, his family and friends to Christianity. They began a movement which was lead by his mother who tried to recall the Christian teachings and gospels and preached them to all the members. However, Brother Yun wanted to know more about his faith and about Christianity. He then learned about the existence of bible through his mother. They went to see an old priest to have a look on the bible. However, the old priest refused to do so because of the illegality of Christianity in China. Later on, the old priest gave the bible to him because he had a vision that God instructed him to give it to Yun.
From then on, Yun devoted all his time preaching and spreading the words of God despite the difficulties and implications. He secretely baptized people behind the governments back by cutting holes in the frozen river in the middle of the night . He was later on recognized as a religious leader and was invited to join the Three-Self Church, a government sanctioned effort to assist the establishment of local churches but he knew that it was a trap set up by the government to control believers while promoting political causes.
The government arrested Yun without pity in 1983. Like Jesus, he was forced to carry a cross in his back while walking in the street to adhere fear among people but to him, that incident happened to honor Jesus Christ who carries his own cross.
The affliction of the government towards Christianity got worse and Christians began to get scared. Despite the persecution, Brother Yun and his wife, Deling, continued their journey. Because of his refusal to participate in the Three-Self Church, Yun was listed as a rebel and arrested by the authorities. During one interrogation, Yun refuses to give away his people by giving his name and said simple that he is the heavenly man . It took four weeks for the Public Security Bureau to find out his true identity
He was tortured and imprisoned multiple times but his faith in God and his passion for evangelism did not cease but there were times that he seemed to have lost hope in face of brutality of life and the persecution. He preached the bible in prisons where he was contained. He was able to convert a convicted murderer, Huang, to Christianity. On the eve of his execution, Huang wrote a letter in blood to his parents, urging them to accept Christ. During another imprisonment, Yun met an eight-year-old boy who had lived in a Buddhist monastery and brought Shi to become a believer in Christ. The young Buddhist monk asked him to destroy the relics of his religion.
He continued his quest for evangelism and he realized that his love for God must come first before anything else when he was released from prison. He founded the Prophet Samuel Training Centre where students are educated to become future missionaries. Yun also sought to lessen the division among house churches which grew apart due to the division of foreign aid and gifts.
In 1997, Yun was again arrest, together with Deling, his wife. The cruelty of the government increased and they wanted to ensure that he will not escape by putting tormentors on his legs. He had a vision of escaping the prison and unbelievably, he did He miraculously walked past prison doors and prison guards However, his adversity did not end there. He was hunted by the authorities but he was able to elope to Germany with a forged passport and prayers. Moreover, Yun, Deling and their children did not reunite until they met in Frankfurt after Yun s arrestment in Burma.
Brother Yuns story has captivated and inspired me by the faith and determination that he demonstrated. His ignorance about Jesus Christ, Christianity and its teachings did not hinder him from trusting God with all his heart. His faith is remarkable despite his young age and innocence which can be noticed when he wanted to see the bible. Yuns determination to learn more about God grows so he is willing to do whatever it takes to expand that faith. He has suffered pain, humiliation and torment because of his passion and faith but it is also what motivated him to continue with his mission. His extraordinary love for God had led him to believe and hold on to his unwavering faith. He sincerely believed that all his pain and affliction happened with Gods intentions. He was so passionate about God, faith, salvation and evangelism.
Deling also demonstrated this kind of faith zealously. Aside from the hardships she faces as a Christian under persecution and the wife of a Christian leader who was hunted by the government, Deling also faces the struggles of a wife and a mother without a husband. Her struggles and hardships have molded and shaped her faith rigidly. I deeply salute a wife and a mother who stood by her husbands side in times of grief and sorrow.
The determination and faith of Brother Yun are admirable. He never ceased to believe and doubt God. He never looked away from his goal. He was set out to accomplish his ambition all along. These are the traits that I would like to grasp with my daily life.
However, I do not entirely concur with everything that was written and stated in The Heavenly Man . I am entirely skeptical about the miracles that he witnessed or performed. His unconvincing tale of escape from the prison with broken legs and unlocked doors was really unbelievable. It was literally far-fetched from the truth. What was more dubious is the statement that a taxi was waiting for him outside. The miraculous tale was too convenient to be believable and credible. As a non-conformist, it is fairly acceptable that such miracles can happen to believers of Jesus Christ but how could anyone explain the fact that these miracles do not happen to everyone who have steadfast faith in God and Jesus Christ. If we are all true believers of God and his power, can we safely affirm that we are all privileged to witness and to perform miracles through God I find this very surreal.
When he converted a Buddhist monk to Christianity, he was asked by the monk to destroy the relics of his Buddhist religion. This is something that I find impertinent. It was disrespectful to other religions and faith. I sincerely believe that this part should have been removed or abolished because it was somewhat offensive to other religions.
Despite being considered as radical by the Chinese government, it can be observed that his Chinese traditions and cultural values are still very evident in his actions. This can be seen in the beginning of the book when Brother Yun told us about finding the tomb of Marie Monsen, the missionary who came to China in 1901, to be an empty lot with no headstone. Brother Yun was angry and devastated by the fact that she had not been properly remembered and respected. I was deeply grieved. With a heavy heart I sternly told the Norwegian Christians who were with me, You must honor this women of God. I will give you two years to construct a new grave and headstone in memory of Marie Monsen. If you fail to do this, I will personally arrange for some Christian Brothers to walk all the way from China to Norway to build one This point reflected the traditional Chinese ideology that one must look back at one s root where one has came from.
Nonetheless, the story of Brother Yun is very inspiring. It is a great tale of determination, faith and perseverance. It showcased the power of faith and the strength of determination to achieve ones aspiration and hopes. His passion for evangelism was written all over the pages and his remarkable love for God was almost heartbreaking. It is a wonderful illustration on how far people can go to fulfill their mission. Brother Yuns mission to spread the words of God and to promote salvation was very palpable.
The beauty of the book is not on the miracles that were narrated by the authors. It was the depiction of courage, determination and faith beyond all the cruelty, difficulties and oppression. It flaunted the power of faith and determination that we should practice in our everyday life. The amazing tale of Brother Yun was not all about religion alone, it was also directed at the perplexing efficacy of faith.
The Heavenly Man is overall a very interesting, easy-to-read, and eye opening biography. It was written is a simple language but very graphic. Brother Yun s story itself was able to bring about the emotional climax in readers without the use of over-redundant language. I particularly enjoyed Deling s paragraphcomment at the end of some chapters as it offered a different perspective to look at the events. Brother Yun is an exemplary figure in Christianity in China. Despite coming from an agnosticatheist background, I have gained deep respects for Brother Yun s faith and determination.
As the society progresses, I only wish that Christianity and the Chinese government will grow to tolerate and compromise with each other that Christianity, when rightly guided, only seeks to love God and the people and that the government too, when rightly guided, only seeks to make the country a better place for all.
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