“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” – John 17:17
Dear Péngyou,
As you know by now, I am a man who believes in our God, Jesus Christ. I am writing this letter to you to tell you how I feel about you and what I wish I could tell you despite religious differences and language barriers. Because in that 3 hour meeting of tea, American snacks, and laughter I found my heart breaking for you. That might sound confusing because we have just met. But during that meeting you treated me like a son and an equal in stature.
In my faith in Jesus Christ, love is the number one action that we can bring to the world. And you did that action. Not only did you act but you spoke upon the fact that studying religions means nothing if you do not take a step of faith and act on it. I see in you a man who can be and already is like Jesus Christ himself.
When we entered your quarters, you respectfully greeted us. You asked if we would like to stay and have tea. Then you brought some of us to your shrine room and gave us little snacks that were tucked in places that people wouldn’t find. We went back to have tea and you served us craisins, chocolate covered raspberries, and chocolate goodies. Even after all of that you made your special chocolate breakfast dish and fed it to us. All the while you smiled, you made so many jokes, and you treated us like a normal person.
It shocked me to be treated normally because you were so respected. So honorable by your people. The Dalai Lama believes you to be reincarnated from the past high monk before you. You were looked up to because of the infinite wisdom that you inherited from your past lives. Yet, you were humble. There was something in your eyes that said that you were unsure of what everyone was doing around you. You might tell me that there is no doubt in what you believe and I apologize if I saw mockery in your eyes. At the end of the meeting we asked for pictures and your apprentice told us exactly how to sit. But when I wanted a picture of just the two of us, you embraced me as a long time friend. There is something more than what you have learned from the Buddhist monks inside you.
This is what I want to tell you: you are loved. The meaning of life isn’t to rectify the mistakes of our past lives and hope to be enlightened into eternity; it’s to love others. God created so many sons and daughters all so uniquely. He doesn’t make a few and continually make them live again. There is an enemy who is going to make you suffer and trick you to do wrong. But Jesus wants you to make the choice for yourself if you want to defy sin and have a relationship with the mighty God. He is trying to love you the way you loved me. I will see you again in Heaven my dear péngyou.
Forever in Him,
Hunter Young
