Eric's Beijing Diary

Several weeks ago at the English Corner, we got into a discussion about movies. I made the comment that Fiddler on the Roof was the last great movie Hollywood produced. Raymond was there, and he heard me make the statement. So he went to a movie store and managed to find it for me. This afternoon, I showed it to some friends from church. The response, as expected, was very positive. None of them had seen a movie quite like this.

On the plane flying back from Tokyo, I saw a movie about some guy who designed a shoe that flopped, and lost his company a lot of money. He made the statement that "success, not greatness is the god people worship." I think sometimes the reason we are not able to see the difference between the great and the mediocre, is because we don't really have a concept of what true greatness is. I could point to America and say that Americans have chosen success over greatness, but I really don't think this is a uniquely American problem. If it is more noticeable in America, then it is only because Americans have been so successful. But I see plenty of it in China, too. People measure greatness in terms of success. Big mistake.

Times without number I have been asked by various people how I see the future of China. I have often said that China is at a crossroad. It is as if God has given China a second chance. If the people of this country follow after truth and justice, then China will become a great country. But if people follow after money and power, then China's future will be much darker than anything in the past.