Chai Ling went through such a reformation herself. Although written to appeal to freedom-lovers and freedom-seekers everywhere, she is very clear about who the only real catalyst of change is. In fact, I was very intrigued by how she had tried to complete her book many times during the 20 or so years since escaping Communist China, but it wasn't until she gave her life to Jesus Christ a few years ago that she could resolve all that had happened and come to any settled conclusions about it.
I was surprised to learn that, at the time of the student protests, she'd not been a long-time activist for reform in China, but seemed to have had the leadership of the student movement thrust upon her by virtue of her ability to clearly and forcefully articulate the desires of that vast, non-homogeneous group in the impromptu speeches she made. That leadership led to her being one of China's "21 Most Wanted" after students left the Square.
As I read, I thought the students seemed childlike and certainly harmless. They also seemed naive about human nature, and the nature of their government -- a government that would massacre unarmed students and civilians. It was important to see how a biblical worldview -- even one that the average American absorbs from the remain of Judeo-Christian culture in an increasingly secularized society -- helps make sense of these things.
Late in the book, she answers the question of why the Tiananmen protests had not succeeded. "I could see that just as Moses had tried to bring about justice for his oppressed countrymen by taking matters into his own hands, we had tried to bring freedom and justice to China in our own strength and wisdom."
She now sees what happened on the Square as "a milestone in God's redemptive plan for China. He allowed evil to happen -- the massacre -- to kill our belief in the Communist system." Just as God hardened Pharaoh's heart, so God may have hardened the Communist leaders against their own people in order to "reveal the true nature of Communism and kill the false belief and hope the people had in it." She reports that many Chinese people are now turning to Christ.
Sadly, many have also adopted a freedom that is not guided by morality. The result is an increase in the numbers of abortions on unmarried pregnant women. By law, Chinese women cannot legally give birth without a birth permit, and permits are not issued to unmarried women or any woman under 25. "According to Chinese government statistics for 2009 and 2010, 70 percent of the 16 million abortions each year -- that's 11.2 million women and children affected -- are for unmarried women." Family shame and social pressure also play into the coercion.
The one-child policy was supposed to end after 30 years, but it goes on into the indefinite future. Chai Ling reveals that those three little words -- one-child policy -- "have resulted in what amounts to an hourly Tiananmen massacre, for the past thirty years, in broad daylight, right under the world's nose." Despite protests and the occasional appearance of cracks in government support for the policy, she says banners are still hung in support of it, saying things such as, "We would rather have blood flow like a river than one extra child to be born."
Chai Ling now enjoys freedom in the United States, and is the mother of three daughters. She writes how remarkable it is that three recent American presidents have had only daughters -- Clinton, Bush, and Obama -- and these men are the epitome of success. This stands in sharp contrast to Chinese culture. Nevertheless, US tax dollars continue to support the one-child policy (see link below).
Today, as the founder of All Girls Allowed, Chai Ling works to reveal the injustice of the one-child policy by exposing the truth, rescuing victims, and celebrating "the work of God in bringing life, value and dignity to girls and mothers."
Disclosure: Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review.
Related:
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