The K Experience

The Heavenly Man

Timeless - Literature

Friday, 01 February 2008

The Heavenly Man is the true life story of one man, and his struggle with being a Christian in China...

This book was given to me by a very good friend of mine, Vash (Thank you:)), and prooved to be a very interesting read. It tells the story of Brother Yin starting from his hunger for the knowledge of God and the bible from tender age of 16, through to his many experiences of adulthood, including his miraculous escape from China.

The book, written by Paul Hattaway, spans from about 1974 when it talks about the young Brother Yin, to about 2001, explaining his background, his family, and struggle for survival as a Christian in a communist nation. It explains the many miracles he experienced such as his escape from a high security prison, gaining the use of his legs after paralysis and his fast of over 70 days among other things. He was branded as a villain, and an enemy of China and during the book it explains how he was constantly on the run from the authorities who were trying to wipe out Christianity from their society, or at least replace it with their more controlable version of it which was the Three Self Patriotic Movement.

The book not only gives you an insight into the life of Brother Yin and his experiences, but also gives an insight into the environment in which he lived in relation to christianity. The Heavenly Man explains that his was just one of many experiences of Christianity among the many in China. The author Paul Hattaway also includes the narative of other people close to Brother Yin, mainly his wife Deling at the end of every chapter. This brings another dimension to the story, showing how his experiences affected all those that were close to him.

One thing I liked about the book was how it brought up the issue of the different denominations and how their "help" in some situations was seen as counter productive in the growth of Christianity in China.

For Christians, this book will be a source of strength and awakening for their own journey, as it contrasts the harsh environment of China with that of the fairly liberal environment in the western world. For non-Christians, this book will be an interesting insight to the world and experiences of communist China and religious freedom, and may get them questioning why on earth someone would go through so much pain and suffering for their belief. It proves that in our world there are still good people who are willing to die for what they believe.

When people malign you, rejoice and be glad. When they curse you, bless them in return. When you walk through a painful experience, embrace it and you will be free!
When you learn these lessons, there is nothing left that the world can do to you. (p331)

Finally, the book gives information of Brother Yin's and Paul Hattaway's continuing support for Christianity in China and gives links to websites where you can follow the journey of Christianity in China, through the Back to Jerusalem Movement, (notice how Brother Yin's face is the only one not obscured in the pictures on the left) and Asia Harvest.

It would be interesting to hear from people who have read the book. What were your thoughts. Are you christian or non-Christian. Feel free to leave a message.

As the author of this journal entry I have no affiliation whatsoever with the author of the book, the publishers of the book, or the people and organisations contained in it. This review is written merely through interest.

Comments

Add New