Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street. A few weeks ago, a Chinese court sentenced businessman and politician Jimmy Lai to 20 years in jail. Because he is 78 years old, that amounts to a life sentence. Of course, jailing dissidents is a standard operating procedure for communist dictatorships, but Lai is no standard dissident.
A billionaire with connections around the world, he could have escaped to Paris a long time ago, or maybe the US, or maybe the Caribbean. But instead, he chose to stay in his adopted home of Hong Kong, even after Beijing took control. As Mark Clifford put it in an appropriately named book about Lai, The Troublemaker, quote, instead of flinging, he doubled down. In his last five months of freedom, he live streamed weekly video programs featuring politicians, diplomats, journalists, and religious figures. He preferred to go to jail for freedom and democracy rather than abandon the city that he says, quote, gave me everything.
Lai was born in the late 1940s between the end of the Second World War and the Chinese Revolution. As a child, his mother was persecuted by communist authorities, and he witnessed the beginnings of the state-sponsored famine that occurred between 1958 and 1962 and claimed tens of millions of lives. In search of a better life, he snuck into the British territory of Hong Kong with only a few dollars in his pocket. After sleeping on the floor of the textile factory where he worked, he eventually moved up to management and finally to ownership. He was both self-made and self-taught and continued to expand his business interest even to the point of supplying department stores.
Across the U.S. And still not satisfied, Lai established a weekly magazine and a daily newspaper. Though both reflected a If It Bleeds It Leads tabloid style of journalism, they also covered his growing philosophy about free markets, free elections, and free speech. Especially after his conversion to Christianity, Lai's publications have defended democracy, freedom of religion, human rights. When Britain handed Hong Kong to China in 1997, they made a deal that was known as Two Systems, One Country.
The deal was that while China would remain communist, Hong Kong would retain its unique liberties. Many in the West assumed that Beijing would never risk its golden goose by altering the deal at all. But in 2020, as the world was distracted by COVID, the national security law was enforced in Hong Kong. Elections, freedom of the press, freedom of association, trials by jury, these were just some of the rights that were dropped in the name of protecting citizens. All the while, Jimmy Lai stood for and with the people of Hong Kong.
He supported them as they protested, not only with his media empire, but also with his financial backing and even his own physical presence on the streets. It's difficult to understand why Beijing would demand such complete loyalty. But that's a consistent characteristic of dictatorships. Dissent is not an option. Dissenters are punished.
A worldview that embraces that there's truth higher than the leader or the movement. is its greatest threat. As Francis Schaeffer wrote, quote, no totalitarian authority nor authoritarian state can tolerate those who have an absolute by which to judge that state and its actions, end quote. given the geopolitical situation there and Beijing's commitment to make an example of him, lies unlikely to ever again see the freedom for which he has fought so long. We should pray for him in his confinement.
and ensure that his story is not forgotten to the world. And we should imitate him by insisting ourselves on those things that are eternal and true. After all, every single Christian is called to live out our convictions, even if it costs us as greatly as it has Jimmy Lai. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with Breakpoint. Today's Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr.
Timothy Padgett. If you're a fan of Breakpoint, leave us a review wherever you download your podcast. And to download or share this commentary with others, go to breakpoint.org. Hi, I'm Adam from Texas, and I'm a cornerstone partner because now more than ever, all followers of Christ must be able to stand up for their faith and speak truth and love to the hurting world around us. The Coulson Center has helped not just my wife and I become better apologists.
but it has supported us in countless conversations with our children. My prayer is that they will be equipped to boldly engage with the culture and shine brightly for him and the world throughout their lives. If you would like to join myself and over a thousand other people in becoming a Cornerstone partner, Visit Colsoncenter.org slash monthly.
