WE are the Promised Refuge

Bill Brown .... Xiamen University
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9 NIV

“In a country well governed, poverty is shameful. In a country poorly governed, wealth is shameful." Confucius

Pigs 'n Poison. 150 years ago, Xiamen was a major center for the opium trade, and the greatest port for export of coolies, who were nicknamed "pigs" but pigs were treated much better than coolies. Packed tightly into ships like slaves, they were branded with paint to show their destination, though many who thought they were headed to the U.S. were instead kidnapped to Peru, where they were literally worked to death. Worse yet, many never survived the sea voyage itself. In 1865, only 162 of 550 Chinese survived the Dea del Mar's voyage from Macao to Tahiti.

U.S. Consul's Crumb of Kindness Lewis wrote that Westerners would probably prefer death over such a life, but "the Chinese coolie has through centuries of fighting for the right to live acquired a philosophy that includes the ability to laugh easily, to admire beauty and goodness, and to return abundantly any crumbs of kindness or understanding that fall his way." Fortunately, a U.S. Consul in Xiamen gave them a much needed crumb of kindness.

In 1867, the year after the Dea del Mar horror, the U.S. Consul to Amoy (Xiamen), General Le Gendre, was fed up with the trade, and he arrested and fined an American captain with an illegal cargo of coolies, thus ending Xiamen's days as the major center of coolie trade. In writing about this, Stevens noted that Le Gendre "needed no Civil Service reform commission to instruct him in his duty."

We are God's Promised Refuge Like U.S. Consul Le Gendre, we should not need laws or reforms to instruct us, because we have the Word, which says that God is a refuge for the poor and the oppressed. But the poor don't ascend to heaven for aid. God helps them through other people, here on earth--people like Le Gendre who are obedient to His command to aid the poor and oppressed. And in helping others, we help ourselves.

How to Brighten our Gloom. If times are tight for us, they are even tighter for many others, but Isaiah wrote that if we brighten others' days we will brighten our own: "And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday." NAS

Feeding Christ In Matthew 25, Jesus said that when we feed, clothe and shelter the poor or the stranger, we feed, clothe and shelter Him (and when we neglect them, we neglect Him). By giving to the poor we are not just giving to Christ but to ourselves as well, for Christ's greatest commandment was to love God with all our heart, and then to "love others as ourselves" (Luke 10:27). When we love others, and give to others--it comes back to us.

The Wisest Investment "Give and it shall be given unto you." And when we give to those too poor to repay us, our Father not only repays us but multiplies our investment, "A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap, because you will be evaluated by the same standard with which you evaluate others." (Luke 6:38 NAS). We are repaid richly because 1) we've given, and 2) we've proven, through deeds and not just words, that we trust our Father.

Tight Times, Loose Purse At all times we must be wise stewards, and not waste what our Father has entrusted to us, but even in tight times (especially in tight times), we are called to give. James said that faith without works is useless, and that it does no good to say to the hungry, "I wish you well, be fed and clothed," if you don't then give them food and clothing." (James 2:14-17).

Entertaining Angels During trying times, as our purses tighten, may our hearts and eyes open to those around us with even greater needs. Our Father has brought such people into our lives precisely because you and I are God's refuge for the poor and the oppressed. By caring for them, you not only care for Christ, and yourself, but also may entertain an angel or two:

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2

"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:24,25

References:
See "Lords of Opium" The Opium Wars

Lewis, Elizabeth Foreman,”Portraits from a Chinese Scroll,” the John C. Winston Company, Chicago, 1938, pp. 88,89

Stevens, John Austin, “The Magazine of American History with Notes and Queries, vol. IV”, A.S. Barnes and Company, New York, 1880. p.397
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