Zion Case Pastor Wang Lin’s Letter from Prison: Absurd People and a Righteous God

Dear family and friends, peace to you!

This is the tenth month of my detention. I have received the indictment served by the court, and I have been formally indicted by the Yinhai District People’s Procuratorate of Beihai on charges of illegal business operations and fraud. At present, China’s acquittal rate in criminal proceedings is close to one in ten thousand; being indicted means a 99.99% chance of being convicted and sentenced. Therefore, we are currently facing an extremely serious reality.

But my greatest feeling is neither anger, nor desolation, nor sorrow. It is absurdity.

Because just two weeks before this procuratorate formally indicted the eight of us, the same procuratorate also decided not to indict Jin Mu.

This truly brings to mind the old Chinese saying: “The character for ‘official’ has two mouths; however it is said, it can include you.” This absurdity is both factual and related to identity.

First, factually speaking, setting aside whether the other side’s accusations conform to the facts and the law, this procuratorate has already decided not to indict Jin Mu, our principal leader. This means that it has determined as a matter of law that he did not constitute a crime or that the conditions for indictment were not met. At the same time, however, it decided that the others should be indicted. Moreover, the two legal acts occurred within two weeks of each other. This contradiction is astonishing. Although the procuratorate handled Jin Mu separately, keeping him apart from the eight of us, this cannot deny the fact that Jin Mu and we were involved in the same act. Separate handling is merely a method of covering one’s ears and stealing a bell, and of deceiving oneself and others.

Second, this absurdity is also related to identity. We can accept an absurd and laughable decision made by an individual citizen, a commercial organisation or a particular group. But in a country, the institutions that ought to possess the greatest seriousness should be judicial organs such as the public security bureau and the procuratorate. Because their actions determine citizens’ freedom and personal rights, they should act with the highest degree of seriousness, reasonableness and fairness. They thereby also become the final barrier protecting public order in society.

Today, in the 21st century, the case handlers in Beihai have staged, in such a globally watched case, a legal farce of the kind we can see only in fables and fairy tales. This is truly absurd.

If the decision to use criminal measures against us was a tragedy from the outset—that is, using the wrong means to attack a group that should not have been attacked, thereby causing enormous harm—then, under the actions of the case handlers in Beihai, it has now completely become a legal farce of absurdity. At present, everyone is waiting to see how this farce will end, what mark it will leave on the history of the rule of law in China, and what kind of historical responsibility the relevant personnel will bear.

Third, faced with such an absurd world, we are of course not surprised, because the Bible teaches us that the world of sinners is just this crazy and unreasonable. Therefore, we long all the more for that righteous God.

After receiving the indictment, I placed it before God. I know that in this absurd world, any outcome is possible. But when I think that this world is under the authority of my Lord, and that he causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God, I say to him: “Amen, may the Lord’s will be done!”

Everyone who truly lives in and observes this world will discover its absurdity. This often kindles a hope in a righteous God. What exactly is the relationship between the two? Since ancient times, there have been two philosophical views:

First, the absurdity of this world arouses a longing, and so people imagine God.

Second, because God already exists, people inherently have a longing for a righteous God. Therefore, under the stimulus of absurdity, people return to God.

Clearly, this is a question of “which came first, the chicken or the egg.”

I believe that God existed first, and so, stimulated by absurdity, we return to God.

Why?

Because if this world had always been absurd, and nothing but absurdity, then theoretically people could have an infinite number of ways of making connections, and the idea of God might certainly arise. But it is entirely possible that people might also take absurdity itself as truth.

But the fact is that, regardless of the nation or region, people almost unanimously call upon God, Heaven or some higher power to enact justice in such circumstances. This proves that God was first universal and led to this universally consistent result.

Likewise today, I believe that no matter what people want to do or how dangerous the circumstances are, God’s will will ultimately be accomplished.

May he grant us sufficient grace so that we may understand and submit to his will.

Not only that, in this case I have heard that brothers and sisters around the world are praying for us. It is even said that churches in Somalia are praying for us. Many, many people are speaking out for us in their respective identities and positions. Some are not even Christians, yet are willing to speak out for us and even pay a price.

We should not understand such a response through some narrow conception of regional groups.

The reason these people have been stirred and have produced such a widespread response is that everyone has some simple notion of justice in their hearts. Behind this is the fact that the same righteous God stands behind us.

From the beginning of this case until now, I have continually striven to face the case handlers with the best possible attitude.

I am willing to believe that they will handle the matter according to the most basic principles of seriousness, objectivity and fairness, because I hope they understand—and hope that through my attitude the case handlers will see—that we Christians have no intention whatsoever of opposing the government. Moreover, since we live on this land, we should of course accept the legitimate jurisdiction of Chinese law. This has consistently been our attitude, even when individuals face accusations that I believe do not conform to the facts and the law.

But now, faced with such absurdity, I feel not only sorrow, but am also increasingly coming to understand deeply that the sin and madness of this world far exceed my imagination, and that every one of us may therefore pay a heavy price.

So, my dear family and friends, let us together see the absurdity of this world more clearly. But please do not become overly sorrowful, angry or even despairing amid this absurdity.

On the contrary, I am increasingly convinced that we are people made in the image of God. We have been called not to escape such a world, but to work toward a world that is more righteous, fair and full of mercy.