IwasbornandeducatedinChina,whereschoolsindoctrinateMarxismandbraghowonedaytheproletariatwillcometodominatetheworld.Marx’stheoriesdomakesensebutitwouldbesonarrow-mindedtoobedientlyacceptwhatmyteacherstaughtme.So,atmyageofsixteen,drivenbyintensecuriosityandeagernesstoknowtheworld,IendeavoredtogetmyselfelectedbyYFU(aforeignexchangeprogram),andexperiencedanextraordinaryyearintheUnitedStates.
AmericawasasdifferentandfascinatingasIhadexpected,sowasmyhostfamily.Wehavedifferentskincolors,speakdifferentlanguagesandeatdifferentfoods.However,whatdistinguishesthemfrommethemostistheirbeliefinGod.I,afamilymember,undoubtedlyshouldgotochurchonSundayswithmyhostfamily.Andliterally,itappalledmethefirsttime.YoucaneasilypicturehowawkwarditwasforanonbelievertositamongacrowdofreverentChristianslisteningtoasolemn-lookingguypreachinghysterically.Forsixteenyears,myworldhadinculcatedinmewiththeideathattheuniversestartedwithabigbangandpeopleareoffspringofjumpingmonkeys.Itwasseeminglyimpossibletomergeanall-powerfulGodintotheconceptsIhadalreadydeveloped.
Afewmonthslater,IlearnedsomebasicChristiantenetsandinterestingreligiousstories,andcouldalsosingdoxologyprettywell.OneSundaymorning,wedrovetochurchjustasusual.ThedecorationsindicatedthatitwasadayofimportancebutIdidnotpaymuchattention.Singing,praying,andlisteningtothechurch’sleaderbriefing,Ifeltboredomgraduallytakingawaymyconsciousness.JustasIstartedtodoze,agroupofpeoplestoodupandmyhostmothertoldmetokneeldowninthefrontwitheverybodyinawhisper.SincemyEnglishwasstillalittleshaky,IhopedthatIhadmisunderstoodher.KowtowinChinesecultureisasymbolofhierarchyandfeudalism.Surely,ItravelledacrossthePacificOceantoexperiencedifferentcustomsandcultures,butgettingdownonmykneesforsomegodIdidn’tevenbelieveinwasdefinitelynotwhatIhadexpected.Myhostmummadeitclear,however,thatallofusweretokneeldown.
SoIdid.Andeverybitofthatmomentisdeeplyengravedinmysoul.Lookingateveryone’sdevoutexpression,IcouldalmostfeltGod’spresenceintheair.AlthoughIstilldidnotbelieveinhim,thepiousatmospheretouchedme.Thosepeopleweretruebelieversandtheydeservedmyrespect.So,howeverembarrassedbythisculturaldilemma,Ifollowedalltheproceduresoftheritual.
Throughoutthewholeexchangeyear,miscellaneousincidentssparkedcountlesspettyquarrels,butmyaffectionformyhostfamilyonlygreweachtimetheconflictwasresolved.Intheveryfirstplace,Ibelievedscienceandreligionweresofundamentallycontradictorythatpeoplewhoholdthesetwodisparatebeliefscouldnevergetalongwell.Butmyhostfamilyturnedouttobesoendearingpeople.Ilearnedthatnomatterwhatbackgroundswearefrom,solongaswekeeparespectfulmanner,misapprehensionscanalwaysberesolvedandresonancecanbeacquired.
BeforeIcamebacktoChina,myhostmumreassuredmethatJesuslovedmeandexhortedmetotalktohimoneverySunday.Well,Itried,andeachtimeendeduptalkingtomyselfeccentrically.AsforwhetherGodexistsandlovesme,itistooprofoundaquestionforateenagerlikemetoanswer,nordoesitmattertomeanymore.AllIneedtoknowisthatmyhostfamilylovesme,andIloveandappreciatethem.TheygivemeabroaderperspectiveoftheworldandgalvanizemeintopursuinghighereducationintheUnitedStates.