University of Nanking - Linguist Yearbook (Nanking, China)

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ff! SIZE? X -X group of idols-each of which represents fl demon or good spirit. Lo 'J H .L iff UNIT JS I fl is

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NW i v THE GLAD' EVANGEI. 29 E WORK DURING THE FIRST YEAR During the first year in China and while we, the new mis- sionaries, are still in the language school our evangelistic work resembles the efforts of a young bird learning to fly. lt is feeble and circumscribed. We must study with patience the methods of older missionaries in hopes that later we will have language enough to take our place with them. Most of the language school students have class- es either for the teaching of English or for bible teaching at one or another of the Chinese schools in the city. This gives an oppor- tunity for reaching some of the many Chinese students in the city. The daily contact with teachers gives abundant opportunity to use what little language we have in presenting the Christian message. 'The teachers are a very fine group'of.scholarly men. a number of whom are not acknowledged Christians. However the consecrated Christian life is ever the most potent factor in Christian evangelism and the day must come when the influence of Christian lives will win .all the teachers to Christ. As the year progresses students take more and more part in the work at various mission centres in the city, while second year students teach bible classes and occasionally preach in Chinese. Tract distribu- tion and occasional broken conversation with casual Chinese acquain- tances together with the above activities make up the chief evangelistic efforts of the Language School year. ,, THE WORK OF THE FOREIGN EVANGELIST l , I.N,Cl-IINA This is the day of great- 'intellectual awakening in Chinag her ,young men are fearlessly searching for truth wherever it may be found. The book-stores are flooded with magazines filled with all sorts of progressive ideas on philosophy, science, religion, and society, thc product of the mind of Young China, During this time of intellectual quickening naturally the Chinese Christians feel that they should have control of their own church. Many foreign workers believe that the present generation will surely see the management of the Christian church pass from foreign to Chinese hands. ln such a situation what shall be the work of the foreign evange- list? It is for older and more experienced men to give an adequate answer. To one in the Language School, looking ahead however, it seems thata few main lines of effort need emphasis. The foreign evangelist must be a man of spiritual power, that is, he must be a genuine representative of Christ. China has intellect, physical power, and marvellous adeptness in manual arts. She can learn only from those who have been with Jesus of the riches and depth of spiritual life with God. The evangelist should be a representative of Christ rather than of any denomination. Today in China when all things are being tested and nothing is accepted on authority of foreigners, the various sects of western Christendom are under scrutiny as never before. The Chinese see no need for some hundred and fifty different groups all professing to work toward the same end, and nevertheless often conflicting with each other. The evangelist of today must place his loyalty above denominations, even with Christ.

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THE CHINESE FUNERAL 31 Furthermore, the evangelist should remember that he has come to China to counsel with and advise the Chinese in the conduct of their own church. I-Ie is not a diviiiely appointed boss, though he may have had a definite call to his field of work. His chief joy should be to 'decrease while his Chinese colleagues increase in power, in influence, and in the controlot his work. just in line with this aim, it would seem a wise plan to spend much time in the training of leaders rather than attempting a more general evangelistic campaign which cannot be adequately followed with the necessary training and education to make it effective. A test of such service might beg how many preachers, teachers and writers-Christian leaders of thought- have been influenced? There is a large place for the foreign leader in the development -of religious education in the schools. There is need for trainingin Christian worship, the spiritualizing of prayer, the instilling in the minds and hearts of Chinese youth the beauty and religious concepts found in our Scriptures. There need be nofcondemnation of non- Christian customs, but the quiet teaching of the good, the beautiful, and the true as found in the Bible will commend itself to the students, and the Christian message itself will prove to be its own best advocate. The foreign evangelist will find opportunity also to lead the way in the application of the gospel to social conditions. If the so-called Christian west has been slow to realize the social implication of the gospel, is it any wonder that non-Christian China has placed little emphasis on the value of human life or cared whether thousands of the coolie class lived or died? This attitude is changing, and in- stitutional churches are being built to carry their message of practical salvation to the city throngs. Chinese Christians are beginning to realize that economic wrongs done to their brothers are their concern. Here there is need for the finest cooperation and counsel on the part -of the evangelist, for the Chinese Christian has but little experience. Christianity is the Christlike life lived by men. and needs nothing but its own expression for its propagation. The supreme task of the foreign evangelist is to live that life, trusting in the God whom he serves to do the rest. Collaborators: GRACE M. P11412 j. P. FOLLETTE j. I-li. RICCALLUM Oswsmm GoU1,'1'ER. A c1-nNEsi3 FUNERAL Yesterday there passed through the streets of the city the long- est funeral procession I have ever seen since arriving in China. It took one hour for it to pass any single point. For variety of para- phernalia used, this procession, apart from royalty, would have no peer. There were trumpeters blowing the familiar notes of the march of the dead. There were military and police bandsg two lines of boys and girls of schools presumably supported by the deceased, two drvismnsvof Buddhist and of Taoist priests: dining tables set with food .md carried by bearers: tables of sticks o-f sandal woodgan