Roberts gave the following appraisal of conditions: “ We must recognize that the greatest economic and industrial revolu tion in history is now getting under way in Asia. The Chinese Church has been caught in the storm, and spiritually it was quite unprepared to meet it. It is possible that the whole church, conserva tive and liberal, may be blown put of existence. This is the third attempt over the centuries of Christian missions to plant itself within the Chinese nation, and even though it is destroyed, a small remnant of truly spiritual men and wom en will remain, and upon them will rest the church of the future. We are led to believe that there are present signs that from this small remnant a new day will
BIOLA IN ASIA By J. Russell Davis Prayer Answered for William Ebeling!
dawn for the gospel in China, should our Lord tarry.” The work in HongKong, both spirit ual and medical, continues with great blessing. BIOLA is carrying on with its task of taking the gospel to the many refugees from Red China who are living in terrible conditions of poverty in camps on the hills of the City of Nine Dragons, or as it is known to us, the City of Kow loon, which is the portion of the colony of HongKong in which our work is lo cated. Please continue to pray that many may come out from under the sway of that old dragon, the devil, and be brought into the glorious freedom of Christ.
Events which Cast Dark Shadows in Japan By Rev. George W. Oestreich of the Japan Fellowship Mission T HE long-standing criticism of mis sionaries to the Orient is that they do not confine their efforts to the
Left to right, Dr. Charles Roberts, Rev. William Ebeling, Mrs Roberts, Dr. E. Stuart Harverson “ Flash! Ebeling released! Praise God!” With these words we were able to close this column for last month, for just as our May issue was going to press the following cable was received from Dr. Charles A. Roberts at HongKong: MET BILL AT BORDER, CAME THROUGH WITH FLYING COLORS It is wonderful to realize that this long period of captivity is over for this servant of the Lord, and that he will again be able to join his wife and fam ily. We wish to thank the many friends of BIOLA who have faithfully prayed for his release. There has not been enough time to get detailed news from Mr. Ebeling as to conditions of the Church in Hunan, and as to the details of his release, but we hope to bring this to our readers at an early date. Dr. and Mrs. Charles Rob erts and Dr. E. Stuart Harverson of BIOLA and Dr. and Mrs. Ford Canfield of the China Inland Mission met William Ebeling at the border between Hong Kong and Red China on Saturday the 19th of April, and after a prayer of thanksgiving and a chorus sung together, they went back to the liberty of Hong Kong. The only report that we have as to the Church at Changsha in Hunan and the staff and students of the Hunan Bible Institute is that most of them are remaining fairly true, though they must outwardly submit to the present regime. They need our prayers for they are fac ing testings that we have never known. Writing from HongKong recently, Dr.
democratic principles and the still strong imperialistic faction now depurged since the termination of the Peace Treaty ne gotiations. This editorial reports that the nationalistic group has won an initial victory in that Akihito is not to be sent abroad, nor to one of Japan’s large uni versities, but to Gakushuin University. According to this editorial, Gakushuin University is a small, strongly national istic school noted before the war as a hotbed of imperialism and anti-foreign influence. Recently depurged leaders have already been given chairs in this insti tution. Although Japan is now a constitutional monarchy much like the government of Great Britain, the throne plays a far more active part in government affairs. Akihito’s training in a democratic insti tution was rejected upon the ground that it is dangerous to the “sanctity of the throne.” Thus it appears that the young Emperor-to-be will be run in the mold of pre-war imperialism. This is a disappointing event casting a shadow upon the future of the “New Japan” so optimistically viewed by many statesmen. However, the evangelical Christian’s conviction is only strength ened that while men of war, letters or diplomacy may work some superficial changes, only Christ, the Man of Calvary and Glory, can work the deep, real trans formation which the hearts of men so need. This supernatural transformation He is pleased to accomplish in the hearts of individual men who will receive Him as their personal Saviour and not as men would have it, that is, by the refor mation of nations. This news item has been written not as sensational propaganda but with the hope that Christians may increase their inter cession in order that God, in answer to our prayers of faith will restrain the powers here in Japan that the ministry of the gospel may be unhindered.
task to which they are appointed but be come involved in matters political ana frequently misrepresent the people of the Far East before their countrymen. Surely the foreign missionary is not commis sioned to the folly of dabbling in the politics of lands in which they are guests nor to the wasting of precious time in peculiar disputes. Christ must be our life and our message. From this high and glorious calling we would not descend or be diverted. However, we must be alert to the events which cast their shadows across the pathway of the missionary scene that we may pray with understanding and that we may inform these who are inter ceding in the homeland for the welfare of the Lord’s work over here. Surely all America is well informed as to the strategic role of the emperor in Japan’s ill-famed imperialism. The fan tastic grip of the “ Son of Heaven” over the minds of the people has been widely publicized. The American Occupation program has employed every measure they felt expedient to break the Em peror system. Hirohito was required to publicly denounce his deity before the nation and his son was given “ democratic training” under the tutelage of the well- known Quaker educator, Mrs. Vining. Since Japanese history supplies abun dant evidence of the fact that the emper or is the key to understanding the psy chology of the people, a recent editorial in one of Japan’s leading daily news paper ( Mainichi 16 Jan. ’52) should prompt Christians everywhere to pray. This editorial reveals that a quiet but desperate struggle is under way for the “ soul of the crown PrinceAkihito.” The con test is between the faction which would have the young lad trained according to
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