Christianity is something western. I am from the far east. In Sheffield I have been a student and occasionally into a talk held by Christian Union in Students’ Union.
I didn’t mean for Christianity that noon. As usual I was walking to the Students’ Union building for a satisfying lunch, two girls stood in front of the building and gave me a question: What do you think if there is anything remaining after a person’s death? They wore the same T-shirt on which I could see Christian Union. “Well, something would remain, I think.” “How come?” asked one of them, called Sarah. “Because there are two parts forming a man, the outer part of the body and the inner part which is inside the body. The inner part of the man would remain though the body is dead.” “What happens after death?” followed Sarah. “There would be a judgement.” “By what?” “According to what we do.”
Before I left, I picked up a candy from the yes box which the other girl was holding. What’s more, I was invited to a talk that night.
I was expecting to exercise my English when I decided to go, otherwise I would only be sitting in my room. However, the first words I heard from a Christian Union person I didn’t understand, though he repeated three times, I think. Upstairs, I saw people standing, sitting, grouping and talking, and began to feel embarrassed, for hardly could I see an Asian face.
Sarah recognised me and I was saved from a dilemma to a table. Still I had nothing to say, but I really liked the red tea with milk added.
In fact, my grandpa and grandma are both Christians, but I think they are too superstitious, I told Sarah, most of whose families are Christians too, she said: “yeah you may want to say the teachings Christians said are good, but where is the evidence, we cannot see God Himself.” Maybe it was just because my grandparents are Christians I was attracted to the talk.
The preacher had a time to speak. He was an old man, but his face shone red in speaking, and the words when he said slowly and affectionately were somehow touching and into me to some extent. After, Sarah gave three questions: what did he speak about Jesus, man and God? “Concerning Jesus, that He died and resurrected accordingly. Concerning God, that He loves people. About man, I don’t know.”
I read Bible before, because Bible has been regarded the highest book in the western world. Talking about church, Sarah invited me to their church on Sunday, an Anglican church, which I know is the national church of the UK, that there would be a free curry after the service, but I was cautious, because I don’t like religion.
I didn’t return until I finished talking with Will, or William, who was wearing an apron to serve the drink. He was now studying mechanical engineering. I found him even more embarrassed than I was coming here when I refused to receive a Bible in Mandarin and English. He was cute.
This is just the first adventure I took concerning Christianity. There is more when I did come to their church……
Grain's Journalism 