A G.E.M. of a Singer

In the 2nd chapter of the book of Habakkuk, considered to be one of the books of the "Minor Prophets," the writer is having a dialogue with God, essentially. It states:
1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

God had given Habakkuk a vision - a mission - to pursue and to wait for.  In verse 4, He contrasts the proud person whose heart is not right before God with the one who lives by faith.  We are called to be people of faith who do not merely say we believe in Christ, but to apply His truth and to boldly live it out and proclaim it.  That may involve standing strong in tough situations or speaking out on challenging issues.  But, God is our source of courage and calls us to follow Him wholeheartedly.

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God is calling for people of courage, who trust in Him, to speak out in a manner that is consistent with our faith in Christ. In Hebrews 10, we can read:
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

Imagine this: a superstar pop singer from China who is a Christian and bold to share her faith.  Think that might cause some issues with the Chinese Communist Party?  Absolutely, but the artist known as "China's Taylor Swift" continues to sing and proclaim her faith.

A Faithwire story relates that: "G.E.M. (Deng Ziqi) is a popular performer whose star rose after joining a 2014 Chinese singing competition called “I Am a Singer 2,” according to Movieguide."  Faithwire
notes: "The 31-year-old singer is so open about her beliefs she recently released a 14-song album, “Revelation.”  It also says, "Deng is also known for sharing her Christian faith on social media."

The article included comments about the album: "Aleteia reported it 'tells a longer story of a conversation with God.' It says, "Her latest music was reportedly inspired" by the Scripture that says, "There is no fear in love.”  She said to China Christian Daily: “In this world where love is badly needed, I trust what I can do is to try my best to create works that make people once again see the love, believe in love, and return to love,” adding, “So it doesn’t matter how many setbacks there are on the way, as long as I can finish them.”

Movieguide relates:

In 2014, Chinese officials put Deng on a list of “strictly controlled” persons because she prayed for Hong Kong during the Occupy Central movement. However, many on the side of Hong Kong and pro-democracy accused the singer supported the Chinese government.

Despite the pain of that hostility from her people, Deng said that she finds her hope, peace, and confidence in God and God alone.

At The Washington Stand, there is a description of one of her latest songs, called, Gloria:

The lyrics describe hearing a voice gently say “… There’s no fear in love … My love has stayed and will never depart ... I am love, and love is patient.” Touched by the realization, G.E.M. falls to her knees in shallow water, surrendering as she weeps. Suddenly the waters part, bringing in imagery from the Old Testament when God parts the waters to make a way for the Israelites to head to freedom. In the music video, the parting waters make way for her to walk towards a door, from which a shining light is emanating. The lyrics that accompany the moment are “I am waiting, waiting for you to come back …”

The writer of the story, Arielle del Turco, states:

It is unusual that a Chinese music artist would reveal their faith through their music. G.E.M.’s decision to do so is turning heads among Chinese Christians and earning admiration from many.

The Chinese government censors music and other entertainment that could be considered a threat to China’s stability. Artists release music knowing that it will come under government scrutiny. 

She adds:

G.E.M. is using her platform — even in a tightly repressed society — to share her story through art and honor the God who saved her. She says that it is her mission in life to be “salt and light.” In Communist China, that takes an extra dose of courage.

We can be challenged by Deng's courage; she certainly knows the stakes in presenting her message as a Chinese citizen. But, she is pushing the spiritual envelope, sort of speak, and is continuing to share according to God's direction.  We are not called to shrink back, but to be bold to declare the praises of our God and King.  

It is a time for courage.  Where there is opposition, we can be bold to stand strong in the face of challenges. On The Meeting House on Friday, you will hear from an organization that contends it has been harassed because of its stand, rooted in its Christian foundations, on rejecting the "gender identity" agenda.  Another guest will discuss how it and other organizations are standing against the attempt to redefine the concept of sex discrimination to include gender identity.  Realizing the landscape and the spiritual issues at play, we can continue to depend on the Lord for His strength and direction.