Happy birthday Chen Mingyen

Chen Mingyen has turned 80.  His age is calculated according to traditional Chinese reckoning, which automatically makes you a year old when you’re born.  For those of you who’ve read the book Still Red, you’ll know he’s one of the three main characters. 

Recently I had the privilege of attending his birthday banquet in celebration of this milestone.  As I sat there listening to different people talk about the influence Pastor Chen has had on their lives and the help he’s given them over the years, it made me think about my own time with him.  Compared with those who spoke that night, it’s been brief.  Brief but ever so rich.