God’s economy is God’s administration, and God’s administration is God’s plan, arrangement, intention, and work. The goal of God’s economy is the Body of Christ. Some would say, “God wants sinners like me. God loves me, and God wants me.” This is not wrong, but this is a near-sighted view. Not only does God want you and me; God wants every one. God wants the Chinese; He also wants the Japanese. God loves all the people in the world.
In the universe God did something extremely unusual. He scattered those whom He had chosen and predestinated before the ages among different tongues, tribes, peoples, and nations. Every one of them has an unusual temperament, a peculiar character. There is no need to speak of the problems between nations or between classes, problems that make it difficult for people to live together; even between next-door neighbors or husbands and wives, there are many problems that make it difficult for them to live together. However, the wonderful thing is that God also sent the Holy Spirit to gather us one by one and put us together, so that we have no way to escape being mingled and built together.
Due to today’s advancement of world civilization, the development of science and technology, and the convenience in communication, the distance between peoples has been shortened. Formerly, it was very difficult for the Chinese to go to the United States. The United States government allotted an annual quota of only one hundred five for the Chinese immigrants. Even those who were able to come to the United States were looked down upon. It was very difficult for the Americans and Chinese to mingle together. There was an impression toward the Chinese that they were like the Cantonese that came to the United States in the early days who worked as coolies and smoked opium. In addition, the official papers put out by the China Inland Mission reported only negative aspects. Therefore, for the most part the Americans despised the Chinese people and looked down on them. However, due to World War II, the entire situation was changed. President Roosevelt proposed the rebuilding of the international order, completely eliminating all the unequal treaties among nations. He also recommended self-rule, equality, and freedom for every nation. Based on this concept, in 1967 the immigration law of the United States was changed so that there is no longer any racial discrimination, and equal treatment is given to each nation. Then, in addition, there is the convenience of transportation shortening the distance between the United States and China. The whole situation has been completely opened. In the last two or three years, the brothers and sisters among us have traveled back and forth between the United States and Taiwan frequently. People have come here to Taiwan from all six major continents of the earth that we may all be mingled together.
Formerly, there was discrimination even among those of the same country, not to say among those of different nations. When I was young, I saw that those in my home town would despise those who were merely one hundred fifty miles west of us, even though we were still in the same province. When I first arrived in Shanghai fifty years ago, as soon as those in the stores heard me speaking the northern dialect, they looked down on me. Those who lived in neighboring provinces like Shantung and Kiangsu looked down on one another; how much more was this the case with those who lived in other provinces. Since we left our country in 1948 to come to Taiwan, we had no choice but to come to meet together. When we prayed and fellowshipped together in the meeting, there were different kinds of accents. In the beginning, when brothers and sisters were considering marriage, it would make a difference where each one came from. The northerners were not entirely willing to marry the southerners. Those in one province were not willing to marry the ones from outside their province. But gradually, after more than ten years, everyone was blended together. In these years when I came back, I saw that no one cares for this matter any longer. This is God’s doing. He brought us together and blended us together so that in this universe He could obtain the Body of Christ.