BESTSEMESTER ®: CHINA
LEFT TO RIGHT: Photo by Victoria Loeffler, CSP, Spring 2012; Photos (2) by Sam Mahtani, CSP, Spring 2010.
Lundelius uses this to challenge students to compare their lack of knowledge of China’s history to Columbus’s lack of knowledge about the Pacific Ocean. The hope is to have students reconsider their interpretation of world history in a way they might not have before, much as Bragg did in his podcast. “Our goal is for students to see China and the world, especially the U.S., the way Chinese see these things. It can be a humbling experience in a variety of ways, both personally and nationally,” says Lundelius, who has lived in China for nearly two decades. “Most study-abroad programs rarely achieve this. Many Americans who come to live for years in China rarely achieve this. So the China Studies Program has the potential of dramatically revising one’s view of China, U.S., self and faith.” Teaching American students to view the world through a Chinese lens can be difficult, Lundelius says. A 2014 Pew study reported that only 35 percent of Americans have a positive view of China. “Americans think that, for the most part, they know all that’s worth knowing about China. This can be especially true for Christians, who feel they have a message that the Chinese need to hear,” Lundelius says. “For them, this conviction overrides ‘wasting’ time in understanding China first.” Jennifer Mikec, a student at Messiah College, was another student who had misconceptions of China when she arrived at CSP for the spring 2014 semester. “What knowledge I did have [of China] came from history courses taught with
a Western perspective and stories about Western missionaries to China,” she says. “From these sources I picked up a suspicion – even a fear – of China’s government and its attitudes towards Christianity in China.” Mikec acknowledges that there were many key moments at CSP that were a part of the overall shift in her perception of China – conversations with Chinese students, learning from Chinese professors and traveling to various cities in China. However, one site visit stood out above all the rest. “While in Beijing, we visited the Temple of Heaven,” she says. “Before we explored the grounds, Dr. Jay [Lundelius] explained that the temples and altars are not associated with a specific religion. Instead, the Temple of Heaven is comparable to the altar dedicated ‘to the unknown God’ that the apostle Paul encountered when visiting Athens. Dr. Jay proceeded to recite the passage from Acts 17 where Paul explains that this unknown God is in fact the creator and Lord of heaven and earth. This knowable God is both above all and available to all – regardless of nationality or culture, for in fact God established ‘every nation of mankind.’” As she made her way through the vast expanse of the temple, Mikec realized that this was a turning point in not only her understanding of China, but in her worldview. “It reminded me that my semester abroad was more than about me taking from or even giving to China,” she says. “I was and am learning to let go of self-focus – a focus heightened with the stresses and joys of
living abroad – and focus on God and his international kingdom instead.” Mikec finished her time at CSP realizing that “experience is a powerful teacher, but learning from it requires moving outside your comfort zone, taking your focus off yourself and opening up to new things. “ To help students grow in this understanding of China, CSP encourages participants to make Chinese friends and learn the culture through their eyes by learning things that are common knowledge among the Chinese. Often, Lundelius says, these are things that other Americans who have lived in China for many years do not know. “For example, every CSP student learns how to play Chinese chess, to recite a poem in Chinese, to explain the basic principles of Chinese philosophy, and to name in sequence the major dynasties, along with their capitals, notable persons and major achievements,” he says. This cultural and historical knowledge about China is the key that opens doors for students to truly connect with their Chinese peers. Drew An Brubaker, a fall 2014 student from Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, experienced this first-hand while helping a local high school student, Skye, prepare for her upcoming Test of English as a Foreign Language. During the tutoring session, Brubaker asked Skye to describe her favorite book. Skye would try to talk about it, but hesitated every time she opened her mouth because she couldn’t form the words in English. “I encouraged her to start with the basics ADVANCE | SPRING 2015
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