They are scared, and for good reason.

Amanda and I finally got around to watching an abbreviated (52 min.) version of the Opening Ceremonies from the Bird's Nest in Beijing. What we saw was pretty amazing, and I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before. It was easy to get sucked into the beauty and orchestration of the whole presentation. One thing the announcers kept bringing up was how progressive China has become, and how we are moving into a new era of Chinese freedom and openness.

The folks of Vision Beyond Borders might not agree with that assessment, not after they had 300 Bibles confiscated from their luggage after arriving in China. No reason was given for the confiscation, but the author of the article notes that China's communist government "is worried that if the spread of religion goes unchecked, believers might ultimately challenge the Communist Party's authority."

Frankly, stealing a few hundred Bibles pales in comparison to some of the other acts of persecution perpetrated by the Chinese government. No matter how flashy their new stadiums are, or how smog-free they can get their skies for a couple of weeks, we should not be fooled into believing that this China is anything different than what it's been for the past century.

We should be impressed by what is going on in China; not by the glitter and charm of the Olympic games, but by the apparent revival taking place there. By some estimates, there are more Christians in China now than in the United States, to say nothing of the difference between nominal and faithful believers. Historically, we have seen again and again that persecution only accelerates the advance of God's Kingdom on Earth. While this reality should not lessen our concern for the persecuted saints in China, it should remind us that it is God who builds his church, and that his purposes cannot be thwarted. While it is impressive to assemble 2,000+ plus drummers drumming away in sync, it is even more impressive that God continues to call millions of Chinese together to faithfully worship him despite the threat of harm to them and their families.