Life of Bāo - Chapter 29
A.D. 65
In the voice of Syaoran from Chapter 28 - “What on Earth?” Amazed and confused, the four souls find Prince Yijun's tomb and Didymos Judas Thomas's writings! How could that be? In Chapter 29, we can travel back in time to unravel the secrets of the past. Enjoy.
Chapter 29
A.D. 65
The Luminous Dream: In A.D. 60, the ruler of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Mingdi, awoke with a start. Shocked, he summoned a dream interpreter from his court. The interpreter informed him, “From the west, there is a God called “luminous.” A traveler carries his word to the east.”
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The three men were exhausted after twelve weeks of travel on the Silk Road, which officially opened to trade with the West in B.C.130. The Silk Road was not a road but a network of trade routes and well-worn paths. Approaching a plateau, steps appeared carved in the rock. Surrounding them, mountain peaks pierced the sky into the clouds above. The trio guided two donkeys with sure footing that did not bray in complaint. The geography differed greatly from West India's tropical monsoons and deserts, where their journey began. The trio was like no other in all of China. Brothers, by their beliefs, could not have looked more different. One was russet in complexion, short in stature, and lean, with an evolved epicanthic fold of the upper eyelid, minimizing sun glare. The second was dark as obsidian, protecting his skin from intense sunlight. His hair was short and tightly curled. The last had a beard, large grey eyes, and a protruding nose, which dissipated heat efficiently. His long hair was dark blond and tied with a strip of leather to keep off his neck. They all wore brown leather sandals and brown cotton hooded robes, protecting them from the hot sun and warmed during cold nights when sleeping under the stars.
They reached the top of the plateau and viewed a village. People milled about in a market filled with produce stalls, cookware, and baked goods. Trade was not their mission. They had no wares to sell or barter, which added to their mystery as travelers. Behind the market, 200 yards away, was an entrance to a cave. The opposite side of the mountain towered 5,000 feet over the valley below. Tired, thirsty, and hungry, the village was a welcome site.
A man, wearing thick grey cotton trousers beneath a blue cotton upper garment that overlapped and closed on the right side, approached and introduced himself. “My name is Chen Lu. Welcome to Weinan. My father, Lord Chen Tai, is the leader of this village.”
The short traveler, Chunwen, replied, “My name is Zhu Chunwen. I am from Bai Kingdom in China. My traveling companions are Agastya, from Myanmar, India, and Thomas, from Jerusalem in Judea.” When Chunwen translated for his fellow travelers—all three bowed in greeting.
The trio was taken to a mud and grass hut with a reed-thatched roof. Lu made them feel welcomed and said, “Please rest. I will have someone bring food and water. If you take your packs off the donkeys, someone will tend to them.”
Chunwen thanked their host and again translated for Agastya and Thomas. They settled in, thankful for the food and water, and rested until early evening.
Lu returned and said, “My father invites you to his home.” They followed, entered the leader’s house, and were offered cushions. Stones circled the fire pit. They sampled nuts, fruit, and roasted lamb. Women brought small bowls of clear liquid, Baijiu. They learned the beverage was distilled from grain culture qū, rice, honey, grapes, and hawberry fruit. After introductions, Lord Chen asked, “What is the purpose of your visit?”
Thomas replied, “I have traveled many miles from the land of Judea across hills, valleys, and mountains to India to share good news. Now, I’ve traveled here to share the good news of my Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah, the light of the world. The Kingdom of Heaven has arrived.”
Chunwen translated for Thomas and then translated Lord Chen’s reply: “There is no kingdom except that of Han, and there was only one supreme Lord, Emperor Guangwo.” Lord Chen could have made other pronouncements, but as a wise, humble, and learned man remained silent. He wanted to know more about Jesus, whom Thomas proclaimed to be the light of the world. Chunwen said, “He asks to know more about this Jesus you speak of.”
Thomas was too happy to oblige, sharing stories of miracles and ministry, and concluded with the passion and resurrection of Jesus. Thomas concluded.
Lord Chen listened intently without interrupting Chunwen's translation. Lord Chen shouted, “Fèihuà!” He waved his hands in the air and spoke very rapidly.
Thomas questioned Chunwen, “What did he say? What did he shout?”
Chunwen said, “He said much, but to be clear, he shouted—nonsense.”
Thomas asked for more, “Alright, but what did he say when he was animated?”
Chunwen explained Lord Chen’s position. “He scoffed at the miracles of the lame walking and the blind seeing. At the end of your story, he was especially skeptical, saying that Jesus died on a cross, with no army at his side, and then rose from the dead.”
After Lord Chen laughed for a few minutes, he became very serious, leaned forward, and looked into Thomas' eyes. His facial expression changed, and he questioned, “Wèishéme?”
Thomas questioned, “What question does he ask?”
An replied, “Why?”
Now forced to be a statesman, Thomas first emphasized, “I too doubted, but then I saw him after the resurrection, I touched him at his request.” Then he paused. There was only one answer. He paused and reconsidered a reply. Just tell him one word: love.”
Chunwen placed his right hand on his chest, then turned to Lord Chen and said, “Ai.”
With a quizzical look, Lord Chen replied, “Ai?”
They all sat in silence as the fire began to die down. Lord Chen sat back on his cushion, embers from the fire reflecting in his eyes. His son, Lu, escorted the trio out into the night air. Agasty told Thomas, “You received the same questions in my land. I believed you, but your persistent sharing of the good news will get you killed one day.”
They stayed as guests in the village for eight weeks. Most of the days, they shared the good news. Thomas wrote each night. He struggled with what to write and how to begin. I want the reader to look inward. Like my journey, a spiritual quest, they must seek who they are. Reflecting on the words of Jesus they will come to know, as I have, that they are a child of God. After the third night in the village, he began to write, recollecting Jesus's words. He began: These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down. (1) And he said, ‘Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.’ (2) Jesus said, ‘Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, …’
Chunwen translated Thomas’s Greek into Chinese.
Lu entered their hut as they approached the end of the sixth week. Everyone was asleep. Startled, the trio woke to see Lu standing before their fire pit. He explained that Lord Chen’s ten-year-old son was ill with a fever and labored breathing. “Lord Chen calls for your help.”
They stood before Lord Chen. Chunwen translated his request, “The Lord Chen said you spoke of miracles performed by Jesus. He said you claimed that Jesus lives and that the kingdom of God has arrived. He wants you to heal his son.” Thomas, Chunwen, and Lord Chen walked into the hut. Thomas knelt at the side of the bed and began to pray. Chunwen stood behind Thomas. Lord Chunwen prostrated himself on the floor mat at the foot of the bed. Thomas paused and requested the attendants to leave. Chunwen relayed the request. Thomas sat next to the child, placed his hands on either side of the child's forehead, and recalled Jesus’ words: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Thomas raised his hands toward heaven and said, “So that the Father may be glorified in the Son, I ask you to heal this boy. I ask this in Jesus’ name.” The boy called out for his father.
Lord Chen rose from the floor mat, amazed by what he witnessed. To his astonishment, his son was sitting up in bed. Lord Chen turned toward Thomas and fell to his knees, praising him. Thomas supported Lord Chen’s arms, lifted him to his feet, and said, “It is not I who heals, but Jesus, the son of the living God, heals through me.”
One week later, Thomas baptized Lord Chen and his sons. Two weeks later, Thomas and Agastya began their return to India. Chunwen remained in the village, became a court member, and ministered to the population. As Agastya predicted, Thomas was martyred in A.D.72 in Chennai, the southernmost state of India. It was written in the Breviary of the Chaldean Church many centuries later, “Through St. Thomas, the Kingdom of Heaven took wing and ascended to China.”