It started out when I read a book called Peony by Pearl S. Buck.
The Jews lived in this story in the province of Honan in China and kept the covenant.
They were bondmen in Egypt and the leader Pharoah wanted to destroy their religion.
It made me think of a recent book I have read called Comrade Chiang Ching by Roxanne Witke. She was married to Mao Tse Tung. Mao's use of cultural revolution was an offense against the Party and the state. Chiang Ching was also a influential leader and though hated became very popular. Not like Peony who was only a flower girl.
She was competing knowing that her role in society was not enough after Mao's death . Peony had in her heart to influence a character named David to win his heart and marry him.
In Chiang Chang's situation the marriage to Mao which would promote her in the vanguard but things went the other direction. In Chiang's religious life she leaned both towards the Marxism and Confucian traditions though both did not go together agreeably.
In Peony's life was a strict Judaism religion.
In Chiang's life she was undefeatable there was nothing she could not conquer.
In Peony's story they felt that the people had forgotten the language of the Lord and there was not anyone who could read the word of the Lord.
Many had read the works of Mao and they were welcome to but it would come from her point of view. And Mao had written several poems.
At the end of Peony the people of the Honan province have to escape for David's love for Peony a bondmaid. This almost reminds me of the scattering of God's people leaving sources behind such as scrolls and artifacts. Things that we can learn more about a difficult time.
