Leading a church named "Bethany's Home", Pastor Jin and his wife have been the most loving couple I have ever seen. While they not rich, they always give a helping hand to believers in need, and even mortgaged their house to help a believer in debt.
Once there is a brother who has a debt of millions, failing to get any financial assistance from his relatives and friends. Desperate, he and his wife came to the church. Knowing about the condition of his family, the Jins lent them the property ownership certificate and encouraged them to keep their hearts up, saying, "You can ask for a loan as much as possible and pay off the debt with that money. As Christians, we must keep our word. Don't disappoint those who trusted you." Hearing this, the couple was moved into tears.
As of now, the housing certificate of the Jins has been mortgaged for other people to pay their debts.
In today's Chinese society which is filled with credit crisis, people are afraid to lend others money. There is a popular saying that lending money to a friend equals to buying an enemy with money.
Jin was asked, "Don't you fear that they would break their promise?"
He answered, "We have faith in God, the Bible and also the brothers and sisters who ask us for help. We shall not judge them with doubt for they, in trouble, call us for help out of confidence in us. They will know it if you really love them. Besides, the book of 2 Corinthians in the Bible tells us that 'since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart' (Chapter 4, Verse 1), because God is with us."
What the Jins did for their believers has changed my view toward refraining from money lending in the church. Actually, avoiding risk will result in a decrease in action motivated by love. However, I know further about what Christian faith is really about from the couple. Rather than castles in the air, the faith shows in a new life that can be seen and touched. Since imitating Christ is the essence of the faith, may we, all the believers, learn to give love.
(The author is a Christian from Liaoning.)
Translated by Karen Luo
