A professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recently discussed the multiple reasons for the growth of the Chinese church. Among a few other reasons, he said, “Christianity will finally shake off imperialist associations if churches are prepared to act as a servant to Chinese society.” I couldn’t agree more. Churches in China and America and Africa and all across the world should be looking to the society to see where they can step in as servants to the people. The professor went on to say, “Many Christians pay special attention to social work and social service. I think this is the correct way for Christianity to develop.” Yes. He’s absolutely correct.

A government official recently told a Chinese Catholic priest who runs a home for the elderly, “You have done for Chinese society what we cannot do. Without any political involvement the church is doing a good job, and we from the government appreciate it.”

The earliest Christians in history were highly influential in reshaping society and paying special attention to the immediate physical, cultural, and social needs of the people. I fear we’ve lost that and replaced it with… other stuff that i don’t want to talk about for fear of being overly critical.

Will the West soon be looking to the East to model the community involvement role of the church? Is this already happening? Should it be?

Yesterday i had the opportunity to hear my friend @jkpittman talk about 5 emerging trends in China. She is a brilliant China-watcher, writer, and communicator. She’s been doing various culture training sessions with our new teachers in China and i was finally able to catch a session yesterday that was geared more towards our long term teachers. As she watches China and does research for various China organizations she has identified five current trends that we should be paying attention to:

1. China’s involvement in Africa. This could be a novella in and of itself. Lots going on here!
2. The Internet and Social media. Many people gripe and complain about websites that are blocked in China, but yesterday’s point was clear and brilliant, “What’s allowed on the internet in China vastly exceeds what isn’t allowed.”
3. Tightening regulations for foreign NGO’s and NPO’s. The points made in this regard were excellent and made tons of sense.
4. Increasing difficulty in issuing work visas. As China raises it’s standards for foreign involvement and work in China then naturally it will become more difficult to get a work visa.
5. Developments in the church. If you’re behind on this trend, well, then you’re just behind. Unfortunately, most people think of the Chinese church as it was in the 70’s and 80’s. It’s 2010.

Hope she doesn’t mind me posting these snippets from her talk. I intentionally left out details of each point because it’s her research and her data, not mine.

I’m convinced that China’s favorite hobby is renovating stuff. They love to rip out the old and start again to create something new. Culturally, where does that come from? (I’m kind of being silly in this post, but that’s a real question)

Since i’ve been back in Beijing i’ve been constantly surprised by how much has changed. Let me give you a quick run down of all the renovations going on just since i was away for 8 weeks:

• Subway (the sandwich place) moved from the 2nd floor of the mall next to my apartment to the 4th. And they added beach umbrellas.
• A new japanese fusion restaurant moved into where subway used to be.
• TGI Fridays got a new menu.
• My apartment complex completely repaved all the roads inside the complex (this was highly annoying and smelly)
• My favorite Dai (ethnic minority) restaurant is closed for remodeling. I really miss that pineapple rice.
• Element Fresh in Qianmen is either closed for good or closed for renovation.
• My haircut place completely renovated.
• 2 or 3 different apartments in my building are doing renovations. How do i know? Because that stupid drill runs constantly.
• The Muslim restaurant near my office is closed for renovation.

As you can see… things change very fast in China. The list above is not an exhaustive one, i just wanted to give you a sampling. When you leave for a month (or a week) don’t expect to come back to the same place you left.   

Historically, culture has been forged, created, and renewed in major urban centers around the world. I could write a long post about this historical fact, but maybe i’ll save that for a blog series if i start feeling like i want to write a lot.

So let’s jump to the 21st century. Today. Recently, i saw a list of the top 65 global cities for 2010. These cities are not just defined by population, but by how much influence they have beyond their city borders and beyond their country’s borders. The list includes seven cities from China: Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.   

(let me interject a side note: about 30 years ago China was closed to the whole world! Now seven… SEVEN… of their cities are in the top 65 most influential cities in the world!!)… ok, moving on…

As these cities drive culture globally, we must evaluate what our part in that will be. Will it be for good? I doubt any of us will say our part will be intentionally bad, but it might be stagnant or apathetic, which is the same as bad if you ask me. What will we contribute to the culture that’s being shaped around us? In these global cities will we raise up artisans, musicians, business leaders, and political leaders who are committed to the common good of the people? Will we create places and opportunities for renewing personal, social, and cultural ills that we see around us?

There’s too much to say in regards to what all the means in terms of what’s going on in my head, what we’re doing, etc. But let me shorten all of it and say this:

I’ve had significant conversations about how a culture of common good and restoration is being forged in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. I’m looking forward to pressing more into that and then continuing to look at the most influentials cities in the world (and in China) to see how we can bring renewal and restoration to the broken places.

In closing, here’s a line from the article about global cities:
“Just as more people will continue to migrate from farms to cities, more global clout will move from West to East.”

Keep your eyes on Asia, my friends. Great things are happening.

I have a good friend named Brett who is exceptionally talented in computer arts and brilliant in many ways. Last week he launched a stellar idea that i wish i had thought of and had the gusto to follow through with. He’s launched “Apps Jr.” The first game available with Apps Jr. is Match-a-Roo Zoo. These games are designed with kids in mind. If you have an iPhone and little ones running around then this is definitely something to keep your eye on. Start off by downloading Match-a-Roo Zoo and keep your child entertained and keep yourself sane on those car rides. I love the tagline on the site, “Fun. Learning. Quiet car rides.” It’s brilliant. So if you have small kids and an iPhone or know of friends with a small child and an iPhone then head on over to the apps store and download Match-a-Roo Zoo. Brett’s creativity and genius never cease to amaze me.

Visit the Apps Jr. site.

“Leveraging your knowledge, skills and experience to generate ideas that can solve problems, influence people and change people’s behavior.”

Shenan Chuang, CEO, Ogilvy & Mather Greater China

I’ve lived in a few different apartments during my time in China. Some good, some not so good. Whether good or bad, they all come with their fair share of quirks. I’m thankful to have each experience and i wonder if someday i’ll find the perfect apartment. Doubtful. Here’s a quick glance at a high and low from each Chinese apartment so far.

My first China apartment:
On a university campus in Qufu, Shandong.
High: Had a nice porch with big windows. The purpose was for drying clothes, but i converted it into an office. Lovely place to sit.
Low: The shower only had hot water from 7 a.m. - 8 a.m. and then from 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The second apartment:
Suburb of Beijing.
High: Hmmm…. this is a tough one… maybe the giant floor to ceiling windows.
Low: Almost everything. This was a tough place to live, but somehow it’s still a good memory in my head.

The third:
University Campus inside Beijing.
High: The weekly cleaning service. Every Monday = dusting and new sheets.
Low: The hike up 5 five flights of stairs. Oh, and the loud Pakistani people.

the fourth:
Near the third, but off campus.
High: The massage place on the 1st floor.
Low: I couldn’t keep that place clean to save my life.   

the fifth (now):
Around the corner from the 4th and across the street from the 3rd.
High: It has an office. I like having a home office.
Low: The washing machine in the bathroom is a nightmare. The bathroom in general is a nightmare.