Franklin Wolf | Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom | China Aid Advisory Board website
ChinaAid has exclusively published a series of poetry and writings from Pastor John Cao, a recently released Chinese Christian prisoner of conscience. The following pieces were written on May 4, 2024, and have been minimally edited for clarity. To delve deeper into Pastor John Cao’s poetry, one can purchase the collection he wrote while imprisoned, titled "Living Lyrics: Poems from Prison."
The pastor's writings include reflections on biblical passages and his experiences in prison. In one poem, he reflects on the figure of John the Baptist: "Evading none, hiding from none, he preached with integrity... For righteousness, he could lose his head... Witnessing the resurrection, his heart was content and glad." He interprets this as John the Baptist preaching openly and with integrity, willing to sacrifice himself for righteousness.
In another piece reflecting on John 4:35-38, he writes about witnessing an abundant harvest and feeling contentment in his heart despite being a prisoner. His mother also contributes to the collection with her own poems expressing her yearning for righteousness and her efforts to satisfy her son by copying verses for him.
Cao shares that he encountered Christianity in college through Dr. Wu from the People’s Hospital who shared the gospel with him. This marked the beginning of his spiritual journey. Despite stumbling along the way, he found comfort in knowing that hardships could not separate him from Christ's love.
His time in prison was marked by joy and personal growth despite challenges. However, Cao notes that one thing that saddened him was when visits from his mother were cancelled due to pandemic restrictions.
The writings end with a poem by Cao's mother reflecting on her son's imprisonment: "Five years my filial son has lost his freedom... Like a hero, he swiftly answered the call to the front line... The difficult years have not been spent in vain... After two more years, he will travel to the ends of the earth."
