(Photo courtesy WorldServe Ministries)
China (MNN) ― For many of us, lighted Christmas trees awaken our holiday hopes and memories: quiet moments of family togetherness, child-like anticipation of special gifts, and shared celebrations across generations.
However, there is another story in each strand of Christmas lights: much of the manual labor required to assemble these lights often comes from battered and imprisoned Chinese pastors.
For preaching the Gospel, Chinese pastors are often thrown into jail and forced into backbreaking labor. They are sometimes forced to assemble Christmas lights after suffering an immense beating.
"They hit me on my face, back and legs, and when they learned I couldn't walk, they beat me more," said Lee, a Chinese pastor. "I was forced to make Christmas lights 15 hours a day, and my fingers are permanently damaged."
WorldServe Ministries found that green-stringed Christmas lights bearing a "Made in China" tag are assembled in prisons, and the task of assembling these lights often fell to imprisoned pastors. Since they have no tools, pastors are forced to put the lights together with their teeth and hands.
Forced to meet unreasonable daily production quotas of 3,000 to 5,000 individual lights, pastors often work 24-hours straight and are severely beaten if they don't meet the quota.
Hundreds of pastors are imprisoned and survive on less than 500 calories a day, but their greatest concern is for their families. In China, the sole financial provider is the father. After a pastor is taken to jail, financial and spiritual support is taken away from the family. A pastor's family is marked, and obtaining a job is nearly impossible for any family member. As possessions are usually confiscated, daily survival becomes a struggle.
Through their "Lights of Christmas" program, WorldServe is providing food, shelter, clothing and medicines for these needy families while their provider is imprisoned.
"One of the most meaningful aspects of the Lights of Christmas program is that it raises support for the families of pastors that are in prison," said a WorldServe representative. He encourages believers to heed the words of Hebrews 13:3, "Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."
"It's more encouraging than just a boycott," said a WorldServe associate. "Boycott will hurt the economy in China, so it's better if we can support."
A gift of $50 will support a persecuted pastor's family for a whole month. WorldServe encourages believers to keep the pastors' families in their prayers.
"They never asked us that we pray that persecution would stop," said a Chinese WorldServe partner. "They asked us to pray so that they can overcome."
If you'd like to participate in the Lights of Christmas program, visit the WorldServe Web site by clicking here.
