Forgiveness and love
When probing deeper into the nature of the Shanhsing Church, you learn that the church once experienced a period of great turmoil, and then found rebirth in fire. Chiang Hsien-hui, who led the transformation of the local church, recounts how it went through a troubled period when there were questions about the personal character of the minister. It was a big controversy in the village of 400-500. Chiang was then working in Hualien for the city government, and she would frequently get calls from her mother back in the village. Her mother's flustered and helpless voice slowly became a call for help that she could not ignore.
Looking for help, Chiang reverted to her childhood habits and got down on her knees to pray. After praying several times, she suddenly felt a marvelous sensation that she had never experienced before spreading throughout her body. "There was a great love, a great power pushing me forward." She recalls that at that moment she made up her mind to leave Hualien City and return to her tribal village, and together with her relatives and neighbors learn how to understand, forgive and most importantly love.
"When they found it in their hearts to forgive, a lot of members of the congregation experienced this kind of greater love," says Chiang in her soft voice. "This kind of love is contagious. It seemed as if the entire village had received a strong push; and it was as if nothing would be right unless we went out and loved!"
In order to become a vessel for transmitting the greater love of God, this group of Aborigines began to change their own behavior. Apart from no longer drinking or chewing betel nuts, the villagers, who previously had little contact with outsiders and a bit of an inferiority complex, started to go boldly outside the village, looking everywhere for opportunities to help people.
"In retrospect," says Chiang, "what we were doing back then was 'holistic community building': bringing people together and concentrating their power, rebuilding their sense of empowerment, improving the environment, helping them help themselves." This period of training provided a firm foundation for the holistic community building work carried out later by the Cornerstone Community.
Yet, although those who experience pure love will be stimulated by it, it may not move others. Chiang discovered that although they were sincere about "sharing," after a point their efforts weren't working. "It was a terrifying feeling-we wanted to do even more, but we struggled to find the right words. We wanted to share, but those with whom we wanted to share wanted us to leave!"
With these frustrations, they prayed, hoping that God would place in their good hearts a mouth that could speak. They prayed and prayed, until the Reverend Hsu Chien-cheng arrived, bringing a lot of new ideas and ways of doing things. It was then that they realized just how wonderful were the ways of God.
Mothers in the congregation organized the Chiehchuang Workshop, where they use needle and thread to show their devotion to God.