Can one person make a difference?

As Christians we know that One person has made a difference in our lives. We often forget that through Christ we too can make a difference as "one". We remember Adam and the difference that he made. One that we would love to forget. We remember Moses and the difference that he made. Men like Abraham, Noah, Paul all tell stories of one man who made a great difference. Not to forget the ladies; we remember Eve, Sarah, Hannah, Rebeca, Rehab, Mary, Priscilla. All women who made a great difference in the course of their history and ours.

When I am tempted to get discouraged I remember these characters and many others in the Bible, and in my life, who, as one person against the odds, made a great difference.

This past week, June 4 to be exact, was the seventeenth anniversary of the massacre in Tienanmen Square. To my shame, I lived through that event but never really paid much attention to it's significance until this past Friday. As I was looking at the headlines I noticed one that caught my attention. It read, Tienanmen 'tank man' still at large The lone protester who stopped a column of tanks in Tienanmen Square during the 1989 crackdown was never arrested and is still alive.

As I went to that story I noticed a video clip that I ended up watching with fascination. It is a documentary that tells the story of one man (you more mature in the audience remember the scene) who stood in front of a column of Chinese tanks that, just hours earlier, had been used to literally crush a demonstration by hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens. The story is mesmerizing. I have copied the link here and I would encourage you to watch it. It tells the brief story of one frustrated and very courageous local who stopped the forward progress of four tanks. He was unarmed except for the groceries that he was carrying.

I don't remember seeing the video before but one detail of the account that was mind-boggling was that this unknown hero not only stood firm in front of the forward progress of the tanks but when the first tank in the column tried to move around him, he stepped in its path again! And again until finally someone from the throng rushed to whisk him away to anonymity!

Another astounding aspect of the film is that Chinese students today know nothing of this man's bravery. During the documentary four students from Beijing University (near where Tienanmen Square is located) are given a picture of the tank man. Each looks in puzzlement at the photo. Each one says in effect, "I have no idea what this picture means."

As I was reading in Deuteronomy this week. God tells Moses over and over, "Don't forget what I the Lord your God have done for you" (Jewell paraphrase). And I am always amazed at how quickly they did forget. But the Bible account as well as the Tank Man incident are a stern warning about just how easily tremendously important events can be forgotten if we do not repeat them over and over. It is a fragile cord that secures the passing of our faith to our loved ones. Don't be afraid when Satan's tanks rush the square. Stand you ground!

Ministry-wise this week was one of transition. Carlinhos who has been a part of my class for the past four months took the reigns for the first time. He taught from Acts 6 about the choosing of the first deacons. It was so neat to see him enjoying his time with the boys and girls. He was excited about the opportunity. I thought that it was neat too that he was teaching about something that he will be able to experience in the near future (Lord willing). That being the aspect of becoming one of the first deacons of Hope Baptist Church.

Pray for us this week as we will be hosting Rich and Susan Dobis for a week and a half of ministry. Rich will be doing an install (wiring) in our auditorium. Susan will be teaching three classes in decorative art with an evangelistic emphasis. I'll be posting several times during the week.