Road to Tibet

I have been fascinated with Tibet since the late 80’s.


With Tibet in the news these days I have been reminded of the first time I heard about it. When I lived in Southern California I met a man who had lived in Lhasa, Tibet for four years, teaching English in a Chinese factory as a mission assignment. He has stopping off at his mission organization's headquarters in Southern California on his way home to Georgia.


His name was Saint Paul. That is his given name. I asked to see his driver’s license to be sure. He was a black man with a Southern accent from the state of Georgia in the United States, and he stood out in the country of Tibet. I had the opportunity to spend several days with him and heard of an incredible, nearly treeless land, of high mountains, cold winds, and lost people. This was the first time I had ever heard about Tibet. He told how, at that time, there was only one stop light in the entire country, which wasn’t a problem because in Lhasa most people rode bicycles.


Saint Paul also had heard first-hand reports of what had happened in the 50’s. Thousands of men, women and children were massacred in the streets and many more imprisoned, deported, and left the country in fear for their lives. Monks and nuns were a prime target. Monasteries and temples were shelled and destroyed.


One day we met for lunch and Saint Paul brought photos with him of Tibet. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. It was like nothing I had ever seen. One photo stood out more than any of the others. It was a group of seven people huddled sitting on the floor of a small room around a low table, all dressed in heavy clothing because of the cold. When I asked Saint Paul what this was a shot of, he told me it was a photo of all the known Christians in the entire country of Tibet. I was speechless, and to this day that photo is burned into my memory. It showed seven people counting Saint Paul, two of whom were from other countries; only four were Tibetans. Four!


The photo of this group of four has come to my mind so many times over the years. I often wonder what happened to those brothers and sisters in Christ.


In light of the current focus on Tibet, I encourage you to consider the following:
• Learn for yourself what happened in the 50’s and what has taken place in Tibet since that time. The internet is a marvelous tool. Form your own opinion.
• Pray for the Christians that are living in Tibet now.
• Pray also for the safety of all Tibetans in Tibet and around the word.