Veritas Magazine
It's Hip To Be Square™
I’m probably one of the most unathletic people you’ll ever meet. I already had that figured out way back in my little league baseball days. How many little leaguers do you know who were told by their coach never to swing at the ball? “Just squat down as low as you can, Champ,” he would say to me with a big grin. “They’ll walk you every time.” He was usually right. Man, I hate baseball.
But once every four years, an athletic event takes place that even the most uncoordinated of us can appreciate: the summer Olympics. I remember watching the Olympics for hours on end before I was even old enough to play little league. I think the high dive is my favorite event, but I’m always afraid the divers are going to hit their heads on the board when they’re coming down. I remember seeing that happen once. I think that’s why I never learned how to dive.
They had the big send-off for Des Moines’ own Shawn Johnson the other day when she left for Beijing. It got me really excited for this year’s Olympics, especially since someone from our city is expected to do so well. In just two weeks, she’ll be competing with about 10,500 of the best athletes from all over the world. I can’t wait.
With the Olympics just days away, Beijing’s been on the news a lot. But the big games aren’t the only thing happening there. The other day, I read a story about Shi Weihan, who owns a Christian bookstore in Beijing. He was arrested for printing Bibles and Christian literature for local house churches without authorization from the government.
But that’s no surprise. Not only does the Chinese government monitor the printing of all religious literature, it also oversees worship and allows religious gatherings only in state-sanctioned facilities (though millions of Chinese Christians worship in unregistered house churches across the country at the risk of being arrested).
According to an article on The Christian Post, this is the second time Shi has been arrested. The first time, his wife was arrested with him. They were released due to “insufficient evidence,” but Shi was re-arrested on March 19. He has been held since without family or visitation rights, according to his wife. Shi has diabetes, and the government won’t update his family on his health condition.
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget how easy we have it in the United States. We get so caught up in our jobs, our hobbies, our problems, and our daily lives that we forget what Christians in other countries are facing. At least I do.
But there is something we can do. Open Doors USA, an organization that serves persecuted Christians worldwide, began a countdown on August 8, 2007 that continues until the first day of the Olympics. During this time, Open Doors has asked Christians to pray for China and people like Shi for one minute every day at 8:00 p.m. Beijing time (7:00 a.m. U.S. Central time). We still have two weeks until the games begin. And I’m sure they’ll still need our prayers even after the Olympic excitement is done.
So I’m still going to watch the Olympics this year, and I’m still going to get excited about the high dive and cheering on Shawn Johnson. But I’m not going to forget that there are Christians in that same city who are in jail and facing all kinds of persecution for the sake of Christ. And I’m going to thank God for the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Go Team USA.
