The teachings of Confucius, which promote a knowledge of the heart rather than a set of rules, seem to me to be as fitting a foundation for Christ and his kingdom as the Law of Moses.

Jesus said, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17). When we come to a foreign land in the name of Jesus, we should thank God that a law already exists which can find fulfillment. Or do we think we have first to hammer the laws of Moses into people? This would be to stand above God, whose spirit has been at work long before we Christians showed up!

Excerpted fromThe Hidden Christ. Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt, from Christ in the World, Letters to China No. 35, July 1902.