{"id":17953,"date":"2018-06-07T01:40:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T08:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=17953"},"modified":"2018-06-07T01:58:01","modified_gmt":"2018-06-07T08:58:01","slug":"%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af\/","title":{"rendered":"\u9999\u6e2f"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Steve Yui-Sang Tsang\u2019s Modern History of Hong Kong<\/em> offers a perceptive 156-year historical look at how a small fishing port developed into the seventh largest stock exchange in the world while balancing the superpower influences of Imperial Britain and Communist China. Tsang has a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford and currently serves at the AOAS China Institute for the University of London. Tsang\u2019s inside-out narrative style transports the reader along a two-century cross-cultural journey. He shows how an obscure sea-port island that started as a \u201csafe haven\u201d for dissidents and political refugees survived and grew into a complex international metropolis that overcame the complex influences of British rule and Chinese influence.<\/p>\n

The people of Hong Kong endured discrimination, poverty, wars, and inequalities. Nevertheless, their God-given spirit of existence helped them prosper and become a geo-specific socioeconomic culture that created its own global space; surviving the transition of power from Colonial rule into a Chinese Special Administrative Region. This post will look for ways to leverage Tsang\u2019s historical insights and humanitarian themes to help prepare for the 2018 LGP Hong Kong Advance. My goal is to develop a Tsang-style viewing lens so that I can discern, respect, and see the current contextual leadership needs and ministry challenges in Hong Kong\u2019s evolving global culture. Satan\u2019s spiritual warfare influences are intertwined within Tsang\u2019s historical narration and I will watch for examples of how this evolving Euro-Asian nation survived with just a small remnant of Christian believers.<\/p>\n

Pattern says that Hong Kong is the \u201cconsequence of the opium trade, encouraged by Britain\u201d so they could pay to rule India and buy goods from China.[1]<\/a> Pattern says there are three take-a-ways from Tsang\u2019s book; (1) Hong Kong is liberal but not democratic, (2) Hong Kong is an open and modern society that wants to live in harmony with Confucian tradition, and (3) Hong Kong is engaged in a global economy that has made unparalleled economic and political progress.[2]<\/a> Tsang\u2019s insights on \u201cone country, two systems\u2019 formula\u201d adds to the complex context and conclusions on the book.[3]<\/a> This constitutional 1-2 principle was designed by the People\u2019s Republic of China in the 1980\u2019s.\u00a0 While a one-China socialistic theme drives the principle, their application allowed Hong Kong to retain a capitalist driven economy under its unique Colonial-Confucian mixes of political, legal, and religious identities.[4]<\/a> How do you lead through all of that? What type of Christian leadership makes the difference here? I deduce the basis for Hong Kong\u2019s underlying success comes from dedicated servants and their ministry of presence and then their survival through struggles that reflect the image of Christ to others.<\/p>\n

Morris says that Hong Kong was \u201calways a base of Christian evangelicalism\u201d citing New Life Literature as a proselytizing organization that helped move Bibles into mainland China.[5]<\/a> I found it interesting that Morris described Hong Kong as a \u201cRest and Recreation Center\u201d for all occupations from weary American soldiers to \u201cspiritually exhausted Christian missionaries.\u201d[6]<\/a> Morris\u2019s book shows how the West influenced Hong Kong\u2019s advance in many ways. For example, the first Christian church (Baptist Chapel, 1842), the first ice (1847), the first 1,000 room hotel (Hong Kong Hilton, 1962), and the introduction of the first automobile.[7]<\/a> The ministry challenges are varied in scope and need. Hong Kong\u2019s dominant religion is Buddhism and they provide large charitable and social welfare services from young to old. Next there is Taoism (simple living and harmony with nature), Confucianism (living under religious, ethical, and philosophical teachings), followed by Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, and Christianity (Roman Catholic and Protestant).<\/p>\n

I had to search outside of Tsang\u2019s book to get more information on the influence of the Basic Law but was encouraged to find that it guarantees the freedom of religion. I think it is good to know that since we are taking our LGP proselytizing Cohorts there in a few weeks! While Christianity was the only official religion, prior to the transfer of sovereignty, recent polls and government reports show only about 12% of the population who profess Christianity.[8]<\/a> Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau lists Good Friday, Easter, Buddha\u2019s Birthday, and Christmas as public holidays.[9]<\/a> They get three out of four at least for Christian holidays!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I think Hong Kong\u2019s survival spirit comes directly from their Christian Colonial beginnings from both the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant church and missions that were established in 1841. The visible ministry of presence from the priests and pastors, brothers and sisters, parishes and churches, schools and kindergartens, and hospitals and drug rehabilitation centers were the \u201cChrist-in-me\u201d differences that made the difference.[10]<\/a> I served in similar contexts in Asia and Africa where the Buddhist\u2019s or the Muslim\u2019s fed the stomach of the needy with food, but it was the Christian\u2019s who fed both the stomach with food and the soul with the Gospel hope of Christ. \u00a0As of 2016 there are about 900,000 professing Christians in Hong Kong![11]<\/a> I look forward to hearing from one of them, Jackie Pullinger, and the St. Stephens Society who meet and minister to the needs of many, including those with addictive behaviors.\u00a0 http:\/\/www.ststephenssociety.com\/index.php<\/p>\n

In conclusion this post helps me begin to see the tremendous leadership challenges and ministry needs for our LGP8 cohort who could-would be called to serve in Hong Kong or any Asian based honor-shame culture. Morris says the people of Hong Kong have a \u201cpowerful aptitude for belief.\u201d[12]<\/a> They believe in gods, ghosts, signs, auguries, and supernatural faiths ranging from \u201csophisticated theological dogma to everyday superstition.\u201d[13]<\/a> The underlying superstitions and fears in Hong Kong\u2019s predominate honor-shame culture adds to their spiritual warfare problems and needs that I see as an opportunity for armor of God ministries. Please join me and \u201carmor up\u201d for our 2018 LGP8 Advance. We will be entering a fantastic ministry dimension that awaits our faithful obedience, faith, and service to God\u2019s Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Stand firm \u7acb\u573a\u575a\u5b9a,<\/p>\n

M. Webb\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Christopher Patten. “Eastern Promise. (A Modern History of Hong Kong (1841-1997)).” New Statesman 133, no. 4686 (2004): 43.<\/h6>\n
[2]<\/a> Ibid., 44-45.<\/h6>\n
[3]<\/a> Steve Tsang. Modern History of Hong Kong<\/em>. (London: I.B.Tauris, 2007) 247.<\/h6>\n
[4]<\/a> Ibid., 217.<\/h6>\n
[5]<\/a> Jan Morris. Hong Kong<\/em>. (Vintage, 1997) 270.<\/h6>\n
[6]<\/a> Ibid., 277.<\/h6>\n
[7]<\/a> Ibid., 111.<\/h6>\n
[8]<\/a> Religion and Custom. \u201cHong Kong: The Facts.\u201d (Hong Kong Government, May 2016) 1.<\/h6>\n
[9]<\/a> Ibid., 3.<\/h6>\n
[10]<\/a> Ibid., 1.<\/h6>\n
[11]<\/a> Ibid., 3.<\/h6>\n
[12]<\/a> Morris, Hong Kong<\/em>, 122.<\/h6>\n
[13]<\/a> Ibid.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steve Yui-Sang Tsang\u2019s Modern History of Hong Kong offers a perceptive 156-year historical look at how a small fishing port developed into the seventh largest stock exchange in the world while balancing the superpower influences of Imperial Britain and Communist China. Tsang has a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford and currently serves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[658,1260],"class_list":["post-17953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hong-kong","tag-tsang","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17953"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17961,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17953\/revisions\/17961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}