A difficult lunar new year in perspective for Chinese Christians
In China, the celebration of Lunar New Year is an exciting time as people gather to reunite family members and wish each other well during visits. For the so-called Year of Ox, the celebration began on the 11th of February.
However, for many Christians, especially those currently incarcerated, it is a tough period to be in, since the loss of their freedom takes away their ability to dine with their loved ones. In addition, many have been missing since their arrests. Their family members have never received words of their whereabouts.
Examples range from the Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) Pastor Wang Yi, ERCC Elder Qin Derfu, Pastor John Cao, Pastor Zhang Shaojie, Elder Hu Shigen, to Christian activists Gao Zhisheng and Zhang Zhan— the list goes on and on for Christians who are enduring harsh situations in prison.
The mother of Pastor John Cao, who was imprisoned for trumped-up charges thanks to his work in Myanmar’s Wa state, even wrote a poem to remember her jailed son. Her pain is certainly shared by many Christian prisoners’ loved ones.
Source: persecution.org
