Rising Chinese Singer Risks Persecution with Outspoken Faith, Captivates World
Courage isn’t usually spelled “pop-star” but if you’re known as the “Taylor Swift” of China and you speak openly about your faith, you represent a rare form of courage in music.
The Chinese Communist party is anti-Christian by policy and by evidence of persecution of those who publicly proclaim they are followers of Jesus Christ.
Faithwire reports that is why singer G.E.M.’s (Deng Ziqi) decision to be open about her religious beliefs has captivated the world.
“G.E.M. is a popular performer whose star rose after joining a 2014 Chinese singing competition called ‘I Am a Singer 2,’ according to Movieguide.” When her career took off like a rocket, she earned her Taylor Swift of China nickname.
“That’s what makes her overt Christian faith so fascinating and compelling. The 31-year-old singer is so open about her beliefs she recently released a 14-song album, ‘Revelation.'”
Christianity Today highlighted the singer sharing her short video about her spiritual journey and describing, in detail, her heavenly song, “Gloria.”
“She said in the recorded message that ‘Gloria’ was actually her real English name, given to her by her father when she was a child. She liked this name very much since childhood ‘because it feels like being full of glory’ and she named the song after her real name to ‘present the real me to everyone without framing.'”
G.E.M. grew up in Hong Kong and attended a Christian school. She went public with her singing in 2008 at age 16 and began a world tour.
Along with her success and fame has come intense criticism and misunderstanding. She’s sometimes broken down at concerts under the pressure and scrutiny and talked about feeling mentally and physically “wasted.”
“But she also admitted on social media that it was her faith in God that kept her through the hardships of her career and allowed her to grow in trials.”
Chicago-based pastor Jiang Shaolong isn’t a music fan of G.E.M, but he is a fan of her courage. “There are commercial and political risks in today’s China for a Christian artist to testify her faith publicly,” Jiang said.
While G.E.M.’s lyrics don’t mention Jesus specifically, a fact that has earned her some criticism from fans in the West, “Deng’s use of biblical vocabulary to express her Christian faith in her song could be a good ‘pre-evangelism work,” said Jane Hao, an advocate for G.E.M.
In the video for her newest release, “Gloria,” the brave singer stands in the midst of a wasteland. She enters the “Afterland” only to face disillusionment, numbness, and pain.
“However, the light of hope gently shines through, and the singer hears a whisper from heaven that was ‘indistinct and healing.'”
The intense challenge for every singer of revealing their thoughts and feelings to a world-wide audience, risking criticism, are certainly magnified for this young woman. The global community is watching her art, her faith, and now her government’s reaction.
With Open Doors reporting that “‘Surveillance in China is among the most oppressive and sophisticated in the world,” G.E.M. deserves more than our admiration, she merits our prayers.
