As we near the season of Advent, we feel we must post something about the problems in China. Not the political ones, which we often have mentioned, but the natural ones.

Over the past several years, we have seen China plagued by natural disasters such as floods, locusts, swine, and/or bird flu, as well as fires and earthquakes. We can not help but think that these events are not natural but the hand of God.

When a country as large as China is hit with so many natural disasters, it is easy to think that China is a hard-luck country where many things happen. We wish to believe that these are God’s doing in order to get someone to get on their knees and pray for deliverance and mercy. For God uses many things in order to help bring people back to Him.

We know that the leaders of China do everything in their power to stop religion, for they do not want to believe that there is a God and that they, in the end, will have to submit to His judgment. But how can they stop what is in people’s hearts? They can’t.

This Advent, we hope that God, in His mercy, will have them dream of a stable and a choir of angels singing the praises of the one who is in a manger. Those leaders will be without their soft beds and fine clothes and all alone.

Then, before they wake up their guardian angel will give them the warning that either they must convert or be forever damned.

When they do wake up, the leaders may tremble some but then realize they still have their fine clothes and soft beds. They will tell themselves that it was only a dream, but will for the rest of their days be troubled by the warning of their guardian angel.

We hope that this Christmas, the world will wake up and sing the praises of Our Lord before it is too late.