Standing at one of my favourite spots in our city I see many people. It’s not on a busy street corner. I’m high above the rooftops on the 62nd floor of the tallest building of our city. There are cars and motorbikes moving in every direction as they flow through the main arteries of the complex urban road network. Houses and apartment blocks surround me and stretch for miles around. I don’t often get to this spot, but when I do it’s always meaningful. From this vantage point it feels as if representatives of the peoples of Vietnam are spread out in front of me.
The Vietnam of today is a striking fusion of ancient and modern. Cultural traditions passed down across generations now live alongside new trends which have arrived almost overnight via successful influencers on social media. Areas of the city we live in which were once small villages are now consumed by large tower blocks and urban housing developments.
Perhaps when you think of Vietnam, images of war come to mind. The legacy of these conflicts certainly exists and there are plenty of museums where you can find out about what took place. However, today’s Vietnam is not a war-ravaged nation. It is a rapidly developing economy with big aspirations in the region and the wider world.
Come back with me to my vantage point above the city. Looking north and west I can see the mountain ranges of Ba Vi and Soc Son. These mark the beginning of a vast geographical region where many of Vietnam’s minority peoples live. Across the nation there are 53 unique minority people groups, with their own language and cultural heritage. Most of these peoples don’t yet know the wonderful news of Jesus. Often these areas are difficult to travel to, making it harder for these communities to hear the good news of Jesus.
However, I’m picturing the mountains on a good day. More often than not, I cannot see them in the distance. Here’s the reason; pollution. Rapid economic growth and urban expansion has led to increased consumption and population density within urban areas. This is true across the nation, and it is an everyday challenge for anyone who calls these cities home.
Look out again and you will see the vast urban sprawl. Modern high-rise apartments and office buildings strike out to the sky with the sun glistening off glass exteriors. Various shades of red and green from the metal roofs of older town houses which surround them. It’s places like this where the majority people, the Viet Kinh, call home. Making up 85% of the population, they are the people shaping modern Vietnamese society. They are also normal families getting on with everyday lives, seeking to make a living so that one day their children will have the opportunity to go to a prestigious university or find a career that will provide for their families in the future.
Why is this one of my favourite spots? Because I am reminded of all the people. People with unique stories. People made in the image of God. People who don’t yet know all that God has done for them in Jesus Christ.
God is at work and has been drawing people to himself in Jesus. Over the last 100 years, protestant churches have been seeking to share his good news, and we join together in praising God that there are believers to be found in various places across the nation. Growth, however, is small. And this is particularly true amongst the majority Viet Kinh people.
As the church seeks to minister the gospel in contemporary Vietnam, many new challenges present bold opportunities to share the love of Christ. The traditional thought world of Confucianism and the current flavour of communism are crashing against the rising tide of the market economy. Struggles for positions of power and financial prosperity can lead to high stress levels and unwise choices. Sheperd-less sheep are precisely who Jesus has come for.
While the church may be small and there are many people who don’t yet know Jesus, we don’t look at this as an obstacle. Surely, we must see this as a wonderful opportunity to see peoples in the villages and the cities rejoicing in praise to God. As you read, allow the Lord to give you a vantage point to see the peoples of Vietnam as he sees them.
Martin P
Theological educator in Southeast Asia
