Portrait of Faith: Mr. Bi

I’m going to do a series of posts that highlight the extraordinary faith & sacrifices that people have made. These are people who have faced enormous challenges in their life and yet had the courage, the strength and the faith to give their lives completely to God.

The message here is clear. If we could ourselves give a fraction of what these extraordinary individuals have given, then we would be in good company in the eyes of the Lord. Its humbling to look at their lives and how much they have given, when we have so much and have given so little. I hope these portraits will inspire you to live a life in a way that matters just a little more and that you give of yourself (to God & others) just a little more..

Mr. Bi

Mr. Bi was a professor in China at Beijing University. This university is commonly known as the ‘Harvard of China’. One day he made a joke in class about the Communist party to a group of students. One of those students reported his joke to the police.

The next day the police burst into Mr. Bi’s office and brought him to a remote, cold Communist prison – without warning, without a trial, his life changed in an instant.

He woke up that morning as a professor chairing one of the most prestigious academic positions in the world. By nightfall, he was behind bars in prison. Chinese prisons at this time were some of the worst places on earth—horrible lairs of disease, torture, and death. Mr. Bi quickly plunged into depression and despair. His depression led to thoughts of suicide over the course of weeks. One afternoon, in a cloud of sadness, he brought himself to the window of his eighth-story prison cell. The Chinese did not put windows in the higher floors of prison cells. If a prisoner decided to throw himself to his death, it was not a problem. 

Mr. Bi’s heart raced as he looked out and thought of jumping. And then it happened. He heard a small voice say, “Don’t go. Don’t go. Don’t go.” He sat down in the middle of his cell, desperate. 

There on the hard concrete floor, memories flooded his mind. A friend of his, a foreign professor who was a Christian, had shared the Gospel with him. Mr. Bi prayed, “Jesus, if You are real, please bring me this forgiveness and peace my friend told me You promised. In turn, I will offer my life and service to You.” 

He looked up and, “The sky was never bluer, the sun was never brighter through the open hole of a window, and I had joy rise up inside of my heart like I have never felt before.” 

This distinguished professor threw all his reservations away and shouted out, “I have bright future in Jesus Christ!” The guards heard him and cruelly told him to be quiet. But his joy could not be contained. He kept shouting it over and over until they came into the cell and beat him. 

A person in a prison freed by believing the Gospel of Jesus is freer than any person outside of prison without the Gospel. 

Mr. Bi was eventually released and started several orphanages in the interior of China, caring for the poor and leading many to Christ. He had a bright future in Jesus Christ. To this day his joy is infectious when you meet him. And he will tell you the joy he had in prison is the same he has to this day. 

THOUGHTS ON HIS STORY:

His experience hit home for me in many ways. Prisons aren’t necessarily physical. In fact, for the majority of people they are not. His experience of profound joy struck me as well – as a goal that we should all work towards, a closeness & dedication to God that produces such a joy. There was another part of his story stood out for me on a very personal level as well.

It’s his description of hearing God’s voice. I know that this is real, because its what I’ve experienced myself. And I’ve described it in exactly the same way – a small voice. When I say I have had God speak to me on a number of occasions, I’m certain this comes across to others as an arrogant statement, that I’m entitled in some way or in my own mind to receive this ‘special’ treatment. The reality of that is, like Mr. Bi it has only occurred in desperate situations.

I think that’s what people don’t understand about hearing God’s voice, because most people, even devout followers, will never hear Him speak. And that is perfectly ok. When you hear Him its only because there is a profound change required of you. And the majority of Christians simply don’t require profound change. You may need encouragement to be sure, but if your faith matches your calling by God and your purpose in life then its not required that He speak to you. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that..

The point I’m trying to make here is there’s nothing lost for most people by not hearing Him speak.

Why..?

Reflect on Mr. Bi’s life. Most people have not lost everything in a moment. Most have not been so far in despair that they’ve considered ending their life. Most people have not had to start a new life of faith that requires 100% of their life dedicated to God.

That is when God speaks.