"They Must Increase"-No. 2

Of equal interest and importance is the letter, or mandate, written by Emperor Chia Ching. Concerning Lord Amherst's refusal to kowtow, these very significant words were sent to King George:

"Such gross discourtesy is utterly unprecedented ; nevertheless, I administered no severe reproof, but confined myself to ordering their immediate departure from Peking. . . Your envoys are alone to blame for their gross breach of respect; I fully recognize the spirit of reverent submission which animated you. . . . Your envoys, are, however, wholly ignorant of Chi­nese ceremonial procedure, and the bickering which follows their arrival is highly displeasing to my ears. My dynasty attaches no value to products from abroad ; your nation's cunningly wrought and strange wares do not appeal to me in the least, nor do they interest me. . . If you loyally accept our sovereignty and show dutiful submission, there is really no need for these yearly appearances at our court to prove that you are indeed our vassal. We issue this mandate to the end that you may perpetually comply there.

Here is presented what some historians call the traditional Chinese "superiority complex." The Chinese as a race are a proud people. They are absolutely self-satisfied. They like what they have, and have what they like. They have their own ways of doing things, and like their ways of doing things.

This attitude must be understood by West­erners, and it is possible that the Chinese way of carrying on the Christian mission enterprise in China may be as good for them as Western ways, or better. Their ways may bring even greater and better results among the Chinese people than would those ways which Western­ers might greatly desire to see put into effect.

After all, it is not so much a matter of method as it is a matter of a message which concerns the cause of God in all parts of the world. Uniform methods around the world are good but not absolutely essential for the suc­cess of the work in any particular country or nation. In most things Chinese ways are best suited to the Chinese people and Chinese condi­tions. Here is a matter which calls for the most careful study and most sincere sympathy on the part of both Chinese Christians and Western missionaries.

During the nineteenth century there was a series of conflicts between the Chinese superi­ority complex and the Western superiority complex, which resulted in open military clashes. Those unfortunate clashes of ideas and of military forces were called The Opium Wars. Out of them came a military defeat for China and the "Unequal Treaties, which caused the Chinese to suffer psychologically for many years. Extraterritoriality resulted, by which Europeans in China were exempted from Chi­nese judicial jurisdiction and police control. The "Battle for Concessions" resulted in sec­tions of Chinese port cities' being turned over to various nations to administer as special con­cessions. The "White Man's Supremacy" in political and military affairs led to some very unhappy incidents, for he was frequently dom­ineering and often unbearable in the way he pushed or kicked the native people around.

Two Conflicting Groups of Foreigners

Such a condition produced a rather peculiar situation, for in China one group of white men were there to get out of China all they could, while another group of white men were there to put into China all they could. This latter group conducted mission schools and churches and hospitals in order to lift China nearer to the Christian way of thinking and living. They were there to teach the Chinese youth all that they could from science, literature, and reli­gion. Chinese boys and girls are not dumb, but rather keen, bright, and clever. They can learn to do whatever the white man can teach them. A look at the Chinese students in American and European colleges and universities will convince even the skeptical that they have abil­ity, and can hold their own with the best the West can produce.

Of course, we recognize at once that only the best Chinese students come to our schools in the West. It is likewise true that only the big­gest and best beans come to the top. The Chi­nese themselves are first to recognize the great gap which exists between their intellectuals and their coolies. Education means everything, and becomes the criterion by which the Chinese are divided into two great classes. It becomes the measuring rod of many values, and enters into every consideration of financial remuneration, and of responsibility in leadership and adminis­tration. Westerners cannot overlook this fact with impunity.

Mission schools made it possible for many of the less fortunate classes to enjoy the privileges of higher education formerly enjoyed by the favored few. Some could take it, and made the necessary adjustments. Others could not. Edu­cation became to them a dangerous tool.

After many years the Sino-Japanese War came to disturb the Orient and upset the equilib­rium and tranquillity of the whole world. Soon World War II was in full swing, and Japan saw her opportunity to carry out a long-cher­ished plan and purpose. During 5942 and 1943 her military machine rolled onward throughout the Far East, pushing over the white man's colonial house of cards and upsetting treaties. The white man retreated, and his feeble resistance was overcome on every hand. The Orien­tals were amazed, bewildered, and then jubilant, for the superiority complex of the white man crumpled and bashed in like an old hat. After all, they concluded, he must have been mostly bluff and bluster. He caved in so quickly and so easily that his old status was gone for­ever. The white man had apparently double-crossed his best friends, for he seemed willing to sell scrap iron, oil, gasoline, copper, brass, and machinery to one nation, while pretending to give aid and comfort to traditional friends of another nation. The Oriental mind had a difficult time trying to harmonize such a policy.

They soon came to see that the dollar figured prominently in the materialistic philosophy of Western men and nations.

White soldiers and sailors retreated or sur­rendered everywhere. The white man with all his superiority complex was on the run. Chi­nese took over positions of responsibility in business, in the government of former conces­sions, and in missions. They occupied foreign homes and business establishments. They moved in, took charge, and carried on. The white man surrendered his extraterritorial rights and immunities, he canceled the unequal treaties, and paid billions of dollars for bases and footholds by which he might make a come­back. And come back he did, with his superior planes, ships, and guns. But he will never come back psychologically. The days of the white man's supremacy are gone. It was during the days of the white man's humility that the book China's Destiny, by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek was penned. In it can be seen a resurgence of the old-time psychology of the Chinese peo­ple.

The Psychological Revolution in China

A psychological revolution is in full sway right now in China and the rest of the Orient. Its significance cannot and must not be over­looked or underestimated. Westerners with in­terests of any kind in the Orient must stop and study this aspect of the situation in the Far East today, or they are doomed to disillu§ion­ment and disappointment. They must stop, take cognizance of the facts, rightly appraise and evaluate the factors, and make whatever ad­justments are needed.

Speaking for China, her leaders have said that she needs foreign missionaries, but not of the same variety as heretofore. Foreign mis­sionaries are welcome as associates, as advis­ers, as counselors, as friends. They are not wel­come as tyrants, dictators, domineerers. The UNRRA-CNRRA relationships have furnished a modern example of what we are stating. The Chinese customs and the Chinese postal organ­izations are using foreign helpers, but not in the same way as they did prior to December 7, 1941.

Naturally, the Chinese in their new role are making mistakes. But so did the white man. They need the assistance of white men of ex- - perience to guide and counsel while they are learning to carry their new burdens. Further­more, the men who carried on during the war years now know their deficiencies. They did the best they could in positions for which we had not trained them. The marvel is that they did so well especially under such handi­caps of war and crises of all kinds.

What It Means to Adventist Missions

Now we must ask in all seriousness, what doe's all this mean to Seventh-day Adventist mission work ? Let us turn to that familiar chapter in the book The Desire of Ages, and there find the answer under the heading "He Must Increase." John the Baptist is an out­standing example of a man who rose to great heights of popularity and power. He preached with such power that thousands and thousands of people flocked from the cities out into a desert place to hear a message which gripped their hearts and stirred their souls. He had a tremendous followving, but just when the nor­mal man would have been overwhelmed by such results John the Baptist faded out of the picture in favor of another.

"John had risen to the height of self-abnegation. He sought not to attract men to himself. . . With joy he accepted silence and obscurity, that the eyes of all might be turned to the Light of life.

"Those who are true to their calling as messengers for God, will not seek honor for themselves. Love for self will be swallowed up in love for Christ. No ri­valry will mar the precious cause of the gospel. . . .

"So with the followers of Christ. We can receive of heaven's light only as we are willing to be emptied of self."—Page 180.

The same spirit of unselfish service was seen in Jesus Himself, for He too was aware of the problem of relationships between Himself and John. He knew that the disciples were watching to see what two great men would do with an everyday problem in which the human element is often so strong. A failure to adjust them­selves to the situation might have had very se­rious repercussions on the work of our day as well as on theirs. Concerning Jesus in that sit­uation The Desire of Ages says:

"Wishing to avoid all occasion for misunderstand­ing or dissension, He quietly ceased His labors, and withdrew to Galilee. We also, while loyal to truth, should try to avoid all that may lead to discord and misapprehension. For whenever these arise, they re­sult in the loss of souls. Whenever circumstances occur that threaten to cause division, we should fol­low the example of Jesus and of John the Baptist."—Page 181.

The relationships between foreign mission­aries and national workers in r948 can and must be resolved in the same spirit as that man­ifested by both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Without a doubt the missionaries will reach a place in the development of their work in every overseas mission field where the na­tional leaders, by virtue of their training and experience, will be ready to take greater re­sponsibilities. At that time the missionary should, and will, with John the Baptist say, "He must increase, but I must decrease."