Hong Kong’s Greatest Blessing
I was absolutely mesmerized and inspired by Jackie Pullinger and her book, Chasing the Dragon: One Woman’s Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong’s Drug Dens. The amount of faith involved with her missionary journey was far bigger than the mustard seed of my own. Her display of the gifts of the Spirit was powerful and her unconditional love for the people of Hong Kong was beautifully Christ-like. This book surprisingly captivated me and caused me to do some more digging into who Jackie Pullinger was and what this Walled City was all about. The following videos provided excellent info for each of these: https://youtu.be/3H0p4yy0NbY (The Interview with Jackie Pullinger) and https://youtu.be/dj_8ucS3lMY (City of Imagination: Kowloon Walled City 20 Years Later).
I love how Jackie’s story starts out with advice from her pastor friend, Richard…“If you had a job, a ticket, accommodation, a sick fund and a pension, you wouldn’t need to trust Him. Anyone can go that way whether they are Christians or not. If I were you, I would go out and buy a ticket for a boat going on the longest journey you can find and pray to know where to get off.”[1] What bold advice, and the fact that she did just as he said, even bolder. Her example of blind faith and her tenacity to follow God’s calling even in the midst of roadblocks was inspiring. I don’t know very many young women who would get on a boat not knowing where she would get off without the backing of an established missionary agency. But as her friend, Richard, said and Jackie took to heart…“You can’t lose if you put yourself completely in God’s hands, you know…If He doesn’t want you to get on the ship, He is quite able to stop you—or to make the ship go anywhere in the world.”[2]
One of my favorite quotes by St Francis of Assisi is, “It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”, which is often misquoted as, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”[3] I have always loved this concept of being the Church to those around us instead of just doing Church. Jackie happens to agree when she states, “My mission was to help the Walled City people to understand who Christ was. If they could not understand the words about Jesus, then we Christians were to show them what He was like by the way we lived.”[4] I feel this concept is lost on many Christians when they are spending more time preaching at or condemning people instead of loving them like Jesus did. Jesus didn’t seem to have to be right, He just lived a righteous life and brought people to Him through His love and compassion. Jackie makes another powerful statement that affirms this when she says, “I needed to find Christian workers who loved the people they were working with more than the activity through which they were trying to reach them.”[5] Her unwavering commitment to unconditionally love the people she was ministering to was extremely powerful and contagious, and I love that she set a clear expectation for others in her ministry to do the same. Her ministry definitely lived out Matthew 25 by loving the “least of these”[6]
Another of my favorite concepts comes from Henry Blackaby in his book, Experiencing God, “We don’t choose what we will do for God; He invites us to join Him where He wants to involve us.”[7] I remember feeling so relieved when I first heard this concept because it took the pressure off of me from making sure I figured out what I was supposed to be doing for God so He could bless it. The idea that God is already doing His work in the world and I just need to look around and see where that is and join Him in what He is already doing was exciting to me. It also made me realize I was sometimes being presumptuous in deciding what I was going to do for God when I asked Him to bless my efforts instead of seeking where He was already at work. Jackie again confirms this idea when she says, “Instead of my deciding what I wanted to do for God and asking His blessing, I was asking Him to do His will through me as I prayed in the language He gave me.”[8] Her strong connection to the Holy Spirit and her willingness to be obedient to Her voice created powerful situations for her to experiencing God’s mighty power in ways many Christians never do. I was amazed that page after page of her book contained one miracle after the next. In my limited experience with those who struggle with addictions, I can see why it was incredibly shocking for those in her ministry to see someone detox from heroin addiction and not experience the horrendous side effects that are usually expected. I can also see how God used this repeated miracle to bring many young men into her ministry so they could find freedom from the drugs as well.
I absolutely loved the book and I can’t wait to meet this incredibly inspiring woman of God in Hong Kong. She has much to teach us about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, living in obedience to His voice, and loving the people God brings across our path.
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[1] Jackie Pullinger, Chasing the Dragon: One Woman’s Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong’s Drug Dens, (Baker Publishing Group, Kindle Edition), 35.
[3] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-arpinricci/preach-the-gospel-at-all-times-st-francis_b_1627781.html
[4] Jackie Pullinger, Chasing the Dragon: One Woman’s Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong’s Drug Dens, (Baker Publishing Group, Kindle Edition), 56.
[7] http://www.blackaby.net/expgod/
[8] Jackie Pullinger, Chasing the Dragon: One Woman’s Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong’s Drug Dens, (Baker Publishing Group, Kindle Edition), 65-66.
About the Author
Jake Dean-Hill
Currently a Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice. Ordained minister with 10 years of prior full-time church ministry experience and currently volunteering with a local church plant. Also working with companies as a Corporate Leadership Coach.6 responses to “Hong Kong’s Greatest Blessing”
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Jake,
“Being the church” instead of just doing church is a great introduction for your post. The “way we lived” is the incarnational presence of Christ that passes all understanding, transcends cultures, and cuts through all barriers. I have seen the Holy Spirit use humble lives like Jackie reach the hard side of life and it always inspires, convicts, challenges, and even questions our status quo as ministers, missionaries, lay leaders, and marketplace Christians.
I can believe in the miracle of detoxifying an individual without the overt side effects of the drugs or alcohol. However, I believe the individual would need to achieve a God determined level of sobriety in mind and spirit, at whatever threshold the Lord has set, for a salvation event to occur.
I am excited to see Hong Kong and hopefully connect with the St Stephen’s ministry that Pullinger has invested her life and ministry into for the Kingdom.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Thanks Mike
Hi Jake,
Thanks for your Blackaby discourse. He has influenced me in the same ways you describe.
I am still amazed that we get to possibly meet Pullinger in London. What a finish on our final trip together…
Thanks Jay. Actually I thought Jason said we get to meet her in Hong Kong.
Great post as always Jake! I love the spirit of your thinking and writing. You and Jean had similar sentiments regarding our pattern of condemning rather than loving. We’re supposed to be critical of ourselves while lifting up others. Instead, we’re critical of others while lifting up ourselves.
Thanks Chris.