In
1413, a Chinese fleet comprising 63 ships and 28,000 sailors went exploring and
reached the Swahili coast of Africa. A good 70 years before Portuguese exploration, Admiral Zheng He embarked
on 7 epic voyages from 1405 to 1424. They went to India, SE Asia, Arabia and
the Horn of Africa. Some even speculate that an unaccounted voyage went to
California. He had 300 ocean-going
vessels. One treasure ship was 400 feet long,
eight times the length and 1000 times the draw of the Santa Maria. The Ming Dynasty, established in 1368 had established
stable rule, flourishing industry, agricultural advances, and doubled the
population in 200 years. So why did Europe, not China, take the lead in
exploration?
The Mings sent the fleet merely to
impress all they encountered with Ming China. Exploration was a play thing of
the Emperor. They had less desire to
trade. Indeed by the close of the
century, in a desire to isolate themselves from foreign influence, they forbade
any kind of sea voyage. Europeans “took
over the business.” Secular historians
say it is a mystery why. Maybe it was
due to boating technology which devised seaworthy vessels. Or was it desire to trade directly with China
and India for silk, spices, and fine pottery, rather than pay large mark-ups to
Italian and Arab middlemen? Others say it is a natural human desire to explore
(begs the question!) or Christians just wanted to convert everybody.
Christianity makes men aspire. The key lies in the Christian
mindset of men. Indeed men have always
explored, whether they be Magellan or Huck Finn. And in exploring, men search
for themselves. Who am I? What am I made
of? What am I destined for? Fear of
failure keeps men home where things are neat and orderly. But Moses didn’t find the Living God at a
mall. It’s very much a guy thing.
Little girls do not invent games where large numbers of people die, or explore
to find badgers and rattlesnakes. Life
needs a man to be fierce and devoted to protecting others as well as testing
his mettle. Adam failed when he didn’t step between the snake and Eve and deny
the tempter. But herein is the singular difference in Christianity. God still believed
in Adam and sought him out, even when he hid as a sinner—like the defeated men
who retreat to their office to re-arrange their paper clips or act like Sgt.
Schultz of Hogan’s Heroes. God seeks out men, gives them faith to believe in Salvation
He provides, forms a relationship with them and brings like-minded men
together. A culture of courage and risk-taking
is bound to arise. Paul captured this well in Romans where he talks about how
only Grace can save (Law enslaves), then we struggle with our inadequacy and
sin (Romans 7). In life, we live on the Omaha Beach of the soul. Yet Romans 8 proclaims, “If God be for us,
who can be against us?” Only a man affirmed as measuring up, his inability
taken care of, will become assured and free to risk. This is really what Europe had. Every other
religion of the world demands that you work your way up to the gods. But any
discerning man knows he can’t measure up to this. Such a system begats pretenders, Pharisees. Such a faith hems them in with mental taboos
they don’t fully understand. Such was Islam. But Christianity isn’t like this.
Christianity offers
God-assured healing from sin, values your soul, and asks you to seek God for
adventure. Work for your Lord, achieve, be a gift to your princess and the next
generation. No, not every explorer had great faith, but there evolved a Christian culture
to explore. Add then there were other
drivers of exploration (mentioned before). Before there was science and great ships, Europe had
commerce and hungered for rare things in the East. And indeed there is a Great Commission. All
were ingredients in a fuel that propelled Europe to “discover the world,” Consequently, Colombus went forth in an old, 58-foot wooden bucket named Santa Maria.
Even today, China's government suppresses it's people's higher instincts to excel. Doctors who warned of coronavirus disappeared and foreign advisors weren't allowed to help. Students are sent to USA by the thousands, yet the Chinese state thinks that espionage is the main way to progress. I have to ask, as China becomes more Christianized, will things finally change?
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