Being thrown in jail and losing freedom could be the harshest thing next to death that could happen to any person. But not to this Chinese pastor.
In fact, Pastor Li Guozhi is thanking God for giving him the opportunity to rest, even while suffering torture behind bars, after 23 years of serving his congregation in China, according to the human rights group China Aid.
Li, the pastor of Huoshi Church, was arrested and subsequently jailed seven months ago on charges of "divulging state secrets" after he tried to stop government agents from confiscating the hard drives in his church's computer. The pastor's attorneys say Li has suffered torture at the hands of officials trying to get a confession out of him.
But if the Chinese authorities think they could break this man's spirit, they are bound to get disappointed.
Last June 30, Pastor Li was able to sneak out a letter to his wife. Writing under the pseudonym Yang Hua, the pastor tells his wife: "Everything's fine!" and "I am thankful."
Citing the benefits of his imprisonment, Pasto Li writes, "I can no longer hear the clamorous noise, but can better listen to the Lord's voice. This is a good place to rest, where I am cut off from the rest of the world and brought closer to God."
Li quotes Psalm 23 which says, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want," urging his wife to "copy the whole chapter" and "let the words of God make you stronger."
Li tells his wife, "Do not live in weakness and confusion; this is Satan's scheme. Be full of the Holy Spirit and leave spiritual predicaments. Seek to fulfill all of the Lord's decrees. Remove all of the negative thoughts and voices from your life."
Writing words of wisdom, Li says, "Genuine rest has nothing to do with the environment. No matter if the waves are quiet or the sea roars, our hearts rest in God, just as a weaned child sleeps in its mother's arms."
"I want to thank God for using this special method to give this special gift to our household," he concludes. "Let us accept and enjoy it with a thankful heart."
