If you watched the Olympic opening ceremonies, you witnessed a small but upsetting detail that has prompted discussion and debate in the media since: the nine-year-old girl out on stage singing “Ode to the Motherland” was not, in fact, actually singing it: she was lip-syncing the song while the real singer, a seven-year-old, was concealed behind stage after officials decided that her physical imperfections (crooked teeth) rendered her unfit for a public performance.

Games organizers confirm that Lin Miaoke, who performed “Ode to the Motherland” as China’s flag was paraded Friday into Beijing’s National Stadium, was not singing at all.

Lin was lip-syncing to the sound of another girl, 7-year-old Yang Peiyi, who was heard but not seen, apparently because she was deemed not cute enough.

source: CNN

Unfortunately, we Christians often make the same sort of erroneous value judgements based on our imperfect ideas of what is worthwhile, valuable and strategic.

We too quickly forget that God often chooses the ‘underdog‘ to accomplish big things (this ensures He gets the credit and it keeps us from thinking we have things figured out!)

Yueyang is not a particularly beautiful, influential or strategic place in China.  Very few Christians are even willing to “waste their time” in a place like this.  However, it is a place exactly like Yueyang where God’s Holy Spirit is going to be poured out and a whole city is going to be transformed.

Please pray that He comes quickly and that many in Yueyang will hear of the hope found only through Jesus Christ.  Ask that as the people of Yueyang come to know the Creator, they will share this good news with others with passion and excitement!

Pray that a great movement of God would begin in an unlikely place and with unlikely people – Yueyang, China.