I remember one of my friends in college, an exchange student from China pursuing fine arts, telling me about Mao and his father\u2019s work for the government. At that time, I had no clue who Mao was or anything about the situation in China. Learning my friend was an only child and that parents were severely penalized for birthing more than one child (and girls were often killed as they were less valuable than sons) was so far out of what I could comprehend as a US citizen. All I could liken it to was the biblical story of the Pharaoh in Moses\u2019 day, killing children to oppress the Israelite people.<\/p>\n
After reading Jung Chang\u2019s book, I realize much of her experience and that of her family are again completely removed from my American world view and remind me now of both biblical stories of concubines, oppressed people groups and women as well as other historical events I have learned about from places such as Sudan, South Africa, North Korea and a handful of friends. I cannot personally relate to much of her writing but that does not negate the need to tell the story or to learn from her text. My ignorance is precisely part of the reason why I must listen.<\/p>\n
As Chang shares her grandmother\u2019s story of being sold as a child bride and then her mother\u2019s story of leadership within the communist government, these women are full of courage and are willing to take action toward justice (or perceived justice from their vantage point). Finally, Chang tells her own story of witnessing the Cultural Revolution and its devastating impact on her family and community. The spirit of courage from her mother and grandmother are infused within Chang as she pursues her future against odds of likely failure. Chang succeeds with her mother\u2019s help and leaves to Britain where she writes her family\u2019s memoir, Wild Swans<\/em>, which has since been translated into more than forty languages and sold over fifteen million copies.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n Beyond telling her own story, she has also told that of Mao, who in her words, had just as destructive an effect on the world as Hitler and Stalin, yet without the same condemnation. As Chang shares at the end of Wild Swans<\/em> about her changing perception of Mao and his philosophy of leadership, she notes his ability to use the ugly side of humanity, including the capacity for envy and resentment, to make people turn on one another.[2]<\/a> Chang also recognized a second characteristic of Mao\u2019s leadership as the \u2018reign of ignorance\u2019 as she refers to it. The idea of leveraging those who were ignorant by turning them against the cultured educated class of society utilized Mao\u2019s first strategy of bringing out the worst in people and dividing the nation against itself. In so doing, he had major aspects of the cultural history destroyed and those who were literate and of the cultured class in any way were persecuted.<\/p>\n Chang\u2019s insights reveal character qualities that have been seen time and again in leaders who seek their own ends, whether historical or current. The corruption eventually breaks down a society and those with courage like Chang\u2019s family either rise up or leave. The biblical truth in the words of Jesus comes to mind, \u201cAny kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.\u201d[3]<\/a> Jesus, who was being accused of being Satan while casting out Satan from a man, recognized the ignorance of the religious leader\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n Mao was emulating the thoughts of the religious leaders of Jesus\u2019 day through his use of hatred and ignorance. He turned people on one another and yet, as soon as he died his posse of tyrants were arrested and the country began to rejoice. But this did not change the heart of the country or remove the ugliness from dark side of humanity. Hate had just turned from one direction to other less overt methods. This is not to say that China was still a wasteland of corruption but there was still a desperate need for reform that could not be completely born out through anything less than Kingdom methods of love and caring for one\u2019s neighbor. As Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of violence and the need for reform in the US he wrote, \u201cReturning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n Not knowing a neighbor or being able to relate to people easily can quickly reveal one\u2019s dark side, or at the very least, their ignorance. I noted this earlier in my admission that I am unfamiliar with much of China or the stories of its people. In addition, this is true in my own hometown and in ministry as I meet people with whom I do not relate or understand. I am ignorant of their story and when I see something that seems offensive or off-putting I can be quick to judge, rather than allowing kindness, curiosity and the truth of the Imago Dei in them to be my guide.<\/p>\n As I research practices of disciple-making with particular regard to the Other, there is a tendency among leaders to do what is natural rather than what is holy, pure and good. The natural thing is to assume before we know the whole truth, filling in the pages of another\u2019s story before it is told. Not having the same experiences or values as one another does not make us enemies, it makes us diverse. The Kingdom of God in its essence is a diverse kingdom made up of every nation, tribe, people and language.[5]<\/a> To scorn one another and allow ignorance to separate us keeps us from living as members of the Kingdom and makes us like the religious leaders of Jesus\u2019 day as well as the corrupt leaders of ours.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> http:\/\/www.jungchang.net\/ (accessed June 12, 2018)<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Chang, Jung. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China. <\/em>Touchstone: New York, 1991, 496.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Matthew 12:25 (NASB)<\/p>\n