Reflections from Pastor John Cao is a series of poetry and writings from the recently released Chinese Christian prisoner of conscience exclusively published by ChinaAid. The piece below was written on March 30, 2024 and has been minimally edited for clarity. To read more of Pastor John Cao’s poetry, one can purchase the collection written while he was imprisoned, Living Lyrics: Poems from Prison.
Retirement
Planning for retirement, to leisure I aspire,
But the judge forbids my plan.
Though graduated and passed all the tests,
Actions must match my future responsibilities.
I was planning my retirement, but the Chinese judge wouldn’t allow me to retire because they still had important tasks for me to accomplish. So they threw me into prison and made me toil flesh and bone. The reference to “important tasks” comes from Mencius: “Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on you. Your shoulders will ache under its weight.” Now that I have graduated on schedule and completed the tests, it is time for me to take up the corresponding responsibilities.
Faithfully PAssing the Torch
Vast oceans stretch, mountains layer upon layer,
Kindred spirits’ words still fail to connect fully.
Spiritual harmonies compose heavenly melodies,
Wholeheartedly imbibing rich blessings of the Lord.
All understand raising hands to voices in unison,
Only striding forth conveys ultimate devotion.
Withered branches, wind-bathed, bear new fruits,
Never forgetting our first love for the Lord, united in every place.
Being thousands of miles away from my spiritual friends, I cannot talk with them. Yet our hearts share a profound connection, harmonizing to compose praises to the Kingdom, drinking deeply from the wellspring of divine grace. In attending spiritual seminars, we all understand the act of raising our hands, but only those who truly step forward to pass on the torch of truth are deemed faithful. Like dead branches rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit’s touch and bear new fruits, though we live in different places, there is one thing we share: never forget our first love for the Lord.
