As the table is set at Cape Town 2010 for international dialogue on issues facing the Christian church, the Chinese are largely absent. With the press abuzz about their situation, everyone probably knows by now that most of them were not allowed to exit their country to attend the Congress. How very tragic, for we could have learned from them. In the midst of ongoing harassment and persecution, Chinese Christians have continued to multiply and Chinese churches have continued to flourish. We could have learned about church growth.

Even more so, we could have learned about sacrifice. Western believers generally read the New Testament passages on persecution with an “if” attitude, and it is a remote “if” at that. But our Chinese brothers and sisters know that persecution is a real possibility, and actually for some a probability. I well remember hearing a Chinese Christian who had paid dearly for his walk with Christ tell a group not to pray that Chinese Christians be free of persecution, but to pray instead that they glorify the Father in the midst of it.

So at Cape Town 2010, we are learning from the Chinese believers even in their absence.  The very fact that the chairs are empty reminds us of the absolute importance of following Christ no matter what the cost.  The empty chairs cry out to us to pray for the church in China.  The empty chairs remind us to pray for ourselves.