Praise the Lord

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

Our final full day in Taiwan arrived … and it was truly a full day!

On Friday, December 6, we spent the day at a high school in Shulin, a district in New Taipei City. We presented four times that day – each time to two classes, and each of those classes included about 40-45 students (plus any teachers or administrators). Our first presentation was a little chaotic because the second group of students was a few minutes late. They were the Aboriginal class, and the school was having an emphasis on Aboriginals that week. Several of the students were dressed in tribal attire because the class had been rehearsing for a presentation of their own.

Let’s take a side trip to consider the Aboriginal (or indigenous Austronesian) peoples of Taiwan.

Taiwanese Aboriginal tribes

Merriam-Webster’s definition of aboriginal is: “of or relating to the people who have been in a region from the earliest time” (e.g., Native Americans in the U.S.). Taiwan officially recognizes 16 Aboriginal tribes; these comprise less than 2.5% of the population, but as many as 90% of Aboriginal people are considered to be Christian. The number of evangelical Christians is less than 2% of that number, while other groups included in the 90% are Catholics, mainline Protestant denominations, Mormons, and other Taiwan-based churches, such as Bread of Life Church.

According to Hisfeet.com, “Reaching Taiwan’s indigenous peoples with the message of Christ presents significant challenges due to their geographic isolation and the strong influence of traditional religious practices. However, Christian organizations that provide humanitarian aid, such as healthcare, education, and support for cultural preservation, have found opportunities to build relationships with indigenous communities and share the gospel in a culturally sensitive manner. Christian media in indigenous languages, including radio programs and online content, is also a valuable tool for reaching these groups with the message of Christ.”

Others

In an internet search on the topic of “Christianity in Taiwan,” I found a 2018 social media post by a social media user who described himself as a Taiwanese American and a Christian who came to faith while “attending a Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in the U.S.” when he was a youth. A different poster had mentioned the low percentage of Christians in Taiwan (remember, less than 6%) and asked, “Why has Evangelization in Taiwan been largely unsuccessful?”

Part of the response from the original user was: “People there are generally aware of Christianity due to historical factors, but that's about it. The Gospel is unknown to most of the population, and it is, I think, for a certain lack of trying.”

Maybe so … maybe there has been “a certain lack of trying” on the part of Christians over the centuries; I really can’t say. But I think there has been – and still is – much to overcome in reaching the people of Taiwan. Not only have Christian missionaries been driven out at times, but in an about-face, the country has become so tolerant that many people include Jesus along with the other household or temple gods and ancestors they worship. Actually, that’s not far removed from American culture, where many people seem to want just enough Jesus to keep them out of Hell, but not enough Jesus to change their here-and-now. But as they say here in the American South – “It just don’t work that way.”

Only one way

Christianity, or being a disciple of Jesus, is incompatible with any other religion or belief system. It may seem perplexing to those outside of it, as it is highly exclusive – yet open to all.

John 14:6 records this statement of exclusivity: Jesus said to him [Thomas], “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

That is exclusive. No one means … no one. There is no human (living or deceased) – no one – who can get to God without going through the door named Jesus.

And yet …

Matthew 16:24-25: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Notice here, Jesus says “anyone” and “whoever.”

Exclusive – and yet …

History

Although our team was not allowed to “evangelize” the children and youth we saw in the schools, by Lydia’s count, we shared Jesus with 478 people (students and teachers) – 360 on that Friday! While we could not tell what Jesus had done in our own lives, we did tell part of His story during our presentations. And even though Christmas is not a national holiday in Taiwan, it is not unknown to many people. But many who saw our presentation may have never heard the true meaning of Christmas.

During Jan’s portion of the presentation, she talked about the Nativity – the birth story of Jesus – so she mentioned the angels praising God. At some point – either when they were walking into the class or while Jan was talking about the angels – one of the girls from the Aboriginal class began quietly singing something in Chinese. When our time with them was almost over, this young lady asked if their group could share the song with the class. Although a few of them had left early, the others wanted to sing, and the teachers gave their approval. So, the Aboriginal students began to sing in Chinese.

Of course, Jan and I had no idea what they were singing … until they came to one word that we knew very well. This is what it looks like in Chinese: 哈利路亚.

See if you recognize it in this brief recording from that day. To listen, click here.

Later, Lydia told our team, “I teased them that the angels were probably singing the same song the night He was born, but a bit better.” The Aboriginal students leading that song in the classroom was a miracle itself; we could not have asked them to sing it, but because they asked, the teachers allowed it. Not only that, but the Aboriginal students encouraged the other class to sing along! Here is a link to the whole song as performed by a worship band. The lyrics to the song “Praise the Lord” are:

We have come to worship and to praise You with our songs

You are always worthy of our praise

Celebrate together to lift up Jesus’ name

Hallelujah

Praise the Lord, Hallelujah (Oh)

Praise the Lord, Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Praise the Lord, Hallelujah (Oh)

Praise the Lord, Hallelujah

Hallelujah

One day, “Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Please pray with me that every student and teacher who heard the story of Jesus during the three weeks of Christmas and Easter presentations will confess Jesus as Savior and Lord on this side of eternity.

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