Childbirth

On an unusually blue-sky afternoon in March 2015 I stood with seven intrepid explorers from Highland on the ancient stones of the Forbidden City. Our visit fell several days after the Chinese New Year. This holiday left factories vacant and the smog they produced dormant. The workplaces rested like giant napping dragons. For a few glorious days we joined Beijing’s twenty-one million in celebrating crisp air and clear skies.

Our guide, a native of Beijing, shared tales which brought the venerable palace to life. The Forbidden City was the geographical, economical, spiritual and emotional center of Beijing. From its heart pumped life to the rest of the city and the region. Built as the home of China’s emperors, the “forbidden” in Forbidden City meant that most were banned from entering. Unless your status was unusually high up, its gates remained closed up.Read More »The Good News of Christmas-Part 1 (Luke 2:7)