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This article was originally published as part of my Beyond the Church Door series in the Florida Baptist Witness.
by Rod D. Martin
July 27, 2015
Christians are familiar with many great figures of Chinese history, such as Lottie Moon and Hudson Taylor. But perhaps they should pay more attention to Zheng He.
Almost a century before Columbus, from 1405 to 1433, China’s Admiral Zheng He led daring voyages of exploration throughout the East Indies, along the South Asian coast, all the way to the Arabian Peninsula and as far as Zanzibar.
He commanded 317 ships and 28,000 crewmen. Columbus’ entire fleet would have fit in the hold of his flagship. He forced nations across half the world to pay tribute to his Emperor, and his treasure ships carried fortunes back to China.
Indeed, China was then the greatest nation on Earth: vast, rich, united, and far more technologically advanced than any possible foe. By contrast, Europe was a backwater, a patchwork of warring fiefdoms, locked in the Spanish Reconquista and the Hundred Years War.
Had Zheng He continued, within twenty years, China would likely have “discovered” medieval Europe, overpowered it and colonized it. Christian civilization would have been subjugated if not extinguished. The New World would have been the New Chinese World. And if you were even alive today, you would probably be a Taoist or a Confucianist, never having even heard the name of the Lord.
But China didn’t continue.
Lacking vision, the Chinese court terminated Zheng He’s voyages. They dismantled his ships and struck virtually all mention of his exploits from the record. Like those at Babel they turned inward: they became convinced not merely of their greatness but of the sufficiency of what they’d already achieved.
Over the next half millennium Europe’s tiny, divided warring states become great nations. They explored and colonized most of the world, taking their faith and beliefs with them. They attained wealth and knowledge far beyond the great advantage China held in 1430. By the end of the 19th Century they’d virtually partitioned China amongst themselves, creating the opportunity Taylor and Moon would never otherwise have had.
Times have changed. Since the 1980s the story has been China’s rise. But China’s failure 600 years ago costs it dearly even today, not only in lost centuries and lost leadership, but in this: a billion Chinese even today are far poorer than the poorest alive in Portugal, Spain, France or England.
Where there was no vision, the people perished.
Today’s China does not see Zheng He as its forebears did. It is racing to make up for lost time: to recover its lost dominance, cultural as much as military or economic. It knows that a race to settle space is just beginning, against lethargic visionless nations it means to beat.
Like individuals, nations follow the leader. Whatever civilization leads the world politically and economically will also lead it culturally and religiously. A nation that ceases to lead, to achieve, to explore, to inspire, will no longer project its convictions but will be dominated by others’ faiths.
Some believe the rapture will solve our problem. Some believed that in 1430 too. Christians are commanded to occupy until He comes. We are not at liberty to rest before quitting time.
Today we face a world of near-equals, many with more vision for our future than we have. If it’s a Christian future we pray for, we cannot neglect “secular” affairs: not only do we have better, life-affirming answers for them, but if we fail to shape them, they will surely shape us. Indeed, are they not already, now?
Zheng He saw the future. The courtiers and priests stopped him. On which side of that divide will we – and our pastors – fall?
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
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