I feel burdened to release some messages in the Chinese language that can be sent out to every part of the earth where Chinese saints meet. As to whether the Chinese-speaking saints in southern California come to these meetings, it is up to the churches. I would like to say a word both to the churches and to the Chinese-speaking saints.
As for the churches, surely something should be done, based upon the principle of shepherding, for the Chinese-speaking saints. Whether your church agrees for them to participate in these meetings where the message will be given in Chinese, you must still consider how to take care of them. The number of Chinese immigrants to this country is steadily increasing, every year by at least forty thousand, with most of them settling in southern California. There is a great need. This meeting could be of help to all the churches taking care of this need. The churches need to consider what to do about this.
As for the Chinese-speaking saints, if your English is sufficient, you are not qualified to come to the Chinese-speaking meeting. If you can understand the messages and testimonies in English and can express yourself in English in prayer, there is no need for you to come to the Chinese-speaking meeting. If, however, in spite of being able to manage well in English, you have a burden to care for some younger ones, or newer ones, or some of your relatives, you may still come to the Chinese-speaking meeting. We are not talking about a Chinese meeting, only a Chinese-speaking meeting. It is not based upon race, but upon the management of language. This meeting is set up only for those who cannot manage the English in the meetings. If we had another reason, it would be wrong to set up such a meeting. It would be a division. Just because of the language problem, we need for a time to have a bridge. Thus, if you do not have this language difficulty, even if you are Chinese, you are not qualified to attend; that is, unless you have a burden for some Chinese-speaking ones.
No matter what we do, there is always some trouble. Don’t say, “Brother Lee, this practice will increase the trouble in the church.” It is true, but if you do not want to have trouble, it is better to die and be buried! As long as you live, you will have trouble. If you want to eat, there is the trouble of getting the groceries, then of cooking them, then of setting the table, and then of cleaning up afterwards. Even sleeping is a trouble. What shall we do? We have to overcome the trouble.
Probably nothing is as troublesome as the church life. If I were not a Christian called and burdened by the Lord, I would not touch this matter; I would rather do something else. Just one meeting in one language is trouble enough. Now to have two meetings with two languages will not only double but even triple the problems. For one thing, the leadership has to be increased. One set of meetings will be in Chinese, needing some to take care of it; another will be in English, also needing some to take care of it. Be assured that your burden will be much heavier. Then there will be the need for coordination. With only one kind of meeting, you might not realize how important the coordination is. Two kinds of meetings will put you on the spot, testing how elastic is your ability to coordinate. I am afraid your elasticity will not stretch very far; after two weeks it will break! This is a warning, not a prediction; I hope it will not turn out to have been a prediction. Coordination is most necessary.
Even in the first century the apostles met this problem. In Paul’s Epistles at least twice he says there can be neither Greek nor Jew (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). Suppose the Jews had not gone into dispersion; they all lived in the good land. In Corinth, in Macedonia, in Ephesus and the other cities of Asia Minor, there would have been no Jews. How much simpler it would have been!
Why did Columbus discover America and open the way for so many people to come in? Last week (at our Chinese conference) we had about eleven hundred, all of the yellow race. Who would have thought that in America there could be over one thousand of them, all Christians? And more are coming. This means there will be more trouble!
The apostles had this trouble in their time; that’s why Paul had to write “no Greek, no Jew.” This must be practically applied to us: no white, no yellow. More than a hundred years ago there was a war in this country between the north and the south over the matter of race. I read that during the battles the soldiers on both sides prayed. They prayed to the same God and Savior Jesus, and sometimes they called each other brothers. What a shame! I would like to tell you that this fighting has never ceased. Still today in Christianity this shame is prevailing. To overcome this matter of race is probably possible only in the recovery. And it is only a possibility.
Just before the Chinese conference, I spoke to the serving ones at the Living Stream on the subject, “Grace Swallowing Up Race.” Do you know what the church life is? It is the grace that swallows up race. Race is short of a letter, G. If we add G to our race, there will be no more race, only grace. If there is still race, it indicates we are short of grace. In my whole Christian life I have never performed a wedding, but now I will marry the two meetings with the two languages. This ceremony will not last just an hour; it may take several years. To have two meetings in two languages in one locality means trouble. I have seen and experienced and suffered much regarding this matter. But we have no choice.