Where Have All The Leaders Gone? 
by Judi Chow

It didn’t seem that long ago when Chinese Christian leaders were standing as an army of giants around a little grasshopper like me. I look up to them; I respect them; I admire them; I want to emulate them. These are men and women of vision, passion, and dedication. As the years have gone by, fewer and fewer giants seem to be still standing. Where have all the leaders gone? 

I have seen some of them pass away with my own eyes; after all, I have known these giants for thirty years when they were in their fifties or sixties. They have poured out their lives as an offering to God; they have fought a good fight, finished the race, and remained faithful. They have gone to glory in the bosom of our Lord. I still respect and admire them. Then, there are those who have fallen- he was such a gifted pastor; she was such a sacrificial missionary; he was such a dedicated elder, gone in ambivalence, in hiding, gone and not restored. I feel sorry and sense the pain from its ripple effect as it spreads throughout the Christian community. I can assure you no one plans to fall, yet it happens to the giants who used to be standing around this little grasshopper. 

As I look around, the number of giants still standing seems to be fewer and fewer. Every now and then I spot an outstanding young giant rising up, standing beside the seasoned giants singing the same love song from God. But these next generation of leaders comes far and few. They are a rare commodity, more precious than diamonds. A diamond’s value is determined by four C's: carat (weight), color, clarity, and cut. I think the cut is the most important because when diamonds are not cut, they are only stones. After it is cut and polished by skilled craftsmen, it can reflect a brilliance of light. That’s when a stone turns into a diamond.

I believe there are giants hidden everywhere, waiting to be discovered. Oh, how I pray for the Lord to move more seasoned giants to be willing to dedicate their time and energy to spot and nurture these potential leaders of the next generation, to come alongside them, give them a lift, to cut and polish where it is needed. Before long, you will see them as a new army of giants standing tall, shining for the Lord, and singing the same love song of eternity.