A Man Named Chen Si

You may have never heard of Chen Si. He’s a man on a mission and a great example for Christians everywhere, even though; he himself might not follow Christ. Chen Si works in Nanjing, China as a manager in a transportation company. On his days off, Saturdays and Sundays, Chen Si calls the Nanjing Bridge his office. His duty, to save lives. In China, suicide is the leading cause of death among 15-34 year old men. The Nanjing Bridge has been nicknamed the “suicide bridge” because of the certainty of death after one jumps over its railing. This notoriety has come about because more and more people have been using it as a jumping spot over the past few years.A little over three years ago, Chen Si watched a news report about a man on a bridge in another city. That man wanted to end his life and was encouraged to jump by onlookers. Chen Si says his heart was hurt after watching that news report. He didn’t just feel sorry, he set out to do something about this terrible problem. Right then and there, Chen Si decided to patrol the local jumping spot, the Nanjing Bridge. It’s there that he finds potential jumpers and saves their lives.

It is not difficult for Chen Si to identify those who want to end their lives. “A person walks without spirit.” he said in a 2004 New York Times article. He has talked many people out of suicide; those are the easy ones. He has had to tackle others to stop them from jumping. There have been a few times when he has held onto a jumper and had them fall from his grasp to die in the freezing waters of the Yangtze River far below. Chen Si has never given up his mission. I commend him for that. I hate to admit it, but I probably would have given up as soon as one person fell from my grasp to their death. I couldn’t take the guilt.

Some of us might think that stopping someone from committing suicide is enough. That would be like Christians thinking, “If we just get someone into our church building, everything will be just fine.” Chen Si says there has to be more than just stopping someone from jumping.
In Louisa Lim’s National Public Radio story on Chen Si, he stated “When I save people, I don’t want to just cheat them into living another day.” By that, he means he will not save someone from death and then send them on their way with a fond farewell. Chen Si helps to change life circumstances. He wants to change whatever hurt and pain that exists in the lives of those he saves. Not only that, some of those he has saved, have gone on to help him save others. He is reproducing himself. There’s another great lesson for Christians.

Chen Si is saving lives. He is helping people with their heartaches and pain. He not only works on a bridge, he is building a bridge for every person he saves. He is taking people where they are at, and helping them span the pain and despair that lies in the river of life before them. He is helping them cross over to the other side where a new life exists. Chen Si does this at great expense to himself, not just financially, but emotionally too. People all over his province have heard about his ability to give hope. His cell phone rings at all times of the night. In addition to his life saving duties on Saturdays and Sundays, he feels the pressure of giving hope to those he can’t even meet. This takes a toll on his marriage (his wife and child do not like his hope giving work). This takes a toll on his health (he now chain smokes). Chen Si needs help.

I see Chen Si as a person who is doing God’s will, whether or not he is a Christian. I want to stand by him, prayerfully, financially, and maybe one day physically. I want to help take some of the everyday pressure away from him. In the very near future, I will be heading up a new ministry in which we hope to have our own mission efforts. I see us helping Chen Si in whatever way we can. I’ve read about Chen Si in news reports on National Public Radio and in the New York Times. Those are not places where a Chinese national would announce his allegiance to Christ. So, he may or may not be a Christian. If not, he should be connected to Christians. Many of us have access to Christians in China. We can help him pass some of those he saves, into the hands of those who personally know the Christ who saves eternally. This would be beneficial for those people Chen Si saves, and for Chen Si himself.

The life of Chen Si is an inspiration to many. In addition to where I’ve read his story, it has also been reported by BBC. Each time Chen Si’s story has been reported, bloggers, poets, and others have been inspired to speak out on his behalf. Chen Si has also encouraged me to do more for others. If I see someone who needs food, drink, clothes, love or friendship; I need to offer those things. As a Christian, I’ve invited people to the church building, but what else have I done? I haven’t been so willing to get dirty by being involved in the lives of those I invite. I’ve come to learn that bridges need to be built all the way across the river. No more of this building a bridge halfway. I want to build bridges that connect people to Christ AND to a life filled with changed circumstances. I want to help eliminate hurt and pain. I may not always succeed, but I need to try.

Chen Si brilliantly reflects Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:34-41:
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Of course, let us invite people to church and study the Bible with them. However, it’s oftentimes better to just be the church to those who need help. Life can be very painful. Let us provide for those physical and emotional needs that can often help make life less difficult. It’s not going to be easy. Chen Si knows that, but he still keeps on going.

Article copyright by Brian Humek 2007