On China
It will be a fun post because I am getting involved in British politics.
Last October, I pulled a Jonah-style stunt in mainland China to stop the Book of Revelation. Before my flight to Hong Kong, I had the longest night in the first 27 years of my life. I submitted my application to naturalise as a British citizen the month prior. I was waiting for a decision from the Home Office. It was supposed to be the fruit of 11 years of work since I arrived in the United Kingdom at age 16. I fought my entire world, including my parents, to get to where I was. I had studied for four undergraduate degrees in the last decade, had a computer science degree from the University of Oxford, cared for my two younger siblings by providing financial support to their studies in London, and worked 3 to 4 full-time remote software engineering jobs simultaneously with a mid-six figure pretax income. I walked away from over a decade’s effort by boarding that flight back to Hong Kong. I essentially walked away from my entire life. I did that for a simple reason—unfaithfulness.
Bankruptcy was inevitable due to my former business partner’s unfaithfulness. I tried every single friend I had. None came except Him. Bankruptcy would have a significant impact on my citizenship application. My former business partner and friends were effectively burning down my life’s work by refusing to help, even though I had served them faithfully for years in our relationships. I did not look back even once when boarding that flight.
A faithful witness was the main sponsor of my global tour. She has been there since day 1 of this faith journey. We went to Chinese primary school and junior high school together. We had known each other for nearly two decades. And we exchanged messages once or twice a year before this journey. I considered her an acquaintance rather than a friend. She made a five-figure transfer the moment I asked for her help. She said she had always known she would help me with something someday. She is also the friend who dreamed about me in a war that matched details in the Book of Revelation. I had to Bible bash her into getting her first Bible.
You might not believe it, but I was not into playing with fire, poking the bear, walking on thin ice, or pulling the tiger’s tail. I had a lot of weird and eccentric adventures, but I was also a stickler for health and safety. I am the kind of guy who has half a dozen backup plans and can come up with a dozen more on the spot.
I went to the Hong Kong Baptist Church before crossing the border into mainland China. He locked me out of my hotel room with my first KJV Bible, my Caribbean passport with visa-free access to mainland China, the OpSec phone, and just enough cash to cross the border when I went to the Hong Kong Baptist Church. I cried halfway through Pastor Xander’s prayer. I felt nothing but peace and resolve after the prayer. The hotel staff had to break into my hotel room twice to help me get back in. I took a nap before getting on my way.
My faithful witness met me at the border. She tried to talk me out of my mission, but I made my decision. I opened my first Bible, read the Book of Jonah word by word, and prayed outside the police station in Shenzhen before turning myself in. An hour later, I stood outside the police station feeling utterly confused. I did not have a backup plan for that. The Book of Jonah also said it was supposed to be a three-day journey. The slacking would be way too obvious. One of the three things He promised was to take me where I wanted to go. I had always wanted to visit Shanghai and Beijing. It happened to be the week of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Beijing was the lions’ den and in extra lockdown. Shanghai next?
I checked into the Shangri-La Hotel in Pudong, Shanghai, took a nap, had dinner and walked to the nearest police station. The police chief was fuming to be woken up and called in at 4 AM. He offered to buy me breakfast three hours later and asked me to wait patiently a little bit longer for his colleagues at the religious management bureau to start work. I signed and fingerprinted police statements after discussing epistemology and arguing over the wording to accurately reflect my intentions and the message I brought them. I was offered a ride back to the hotel and advised to enjoy my holiday and head home. I hoped to take the train from the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to Shenzhen. I could not get a train ticket as the week-long national holiday was about to end. The Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport was next door. Go big or go home. Beijing next.
I checked into the Four Seasons Hotel in Chaoyang District, Beijing and repeated the same routine. I met the friendliest police officer ever. I was in and out of the police station in Beijing within 10 minutes. Mission accomplished.
Say what you will about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They brought over a billion people out of poverty. I did not need to watch my back when wandering the city streets at 3 AM. Chinese constitution had an interesting amendment in 2018. The CCP has an interesting political motto—when people have faith, the nation has strength, and the country has a future.
Maybe we can learn a thing or two from China.
Matthew 13:1–17
The Parable of the Sower
[1] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. [2] And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. [3] And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. [4] And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. [5] Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, [6] but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. [7] Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. [8] Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. [9] He who has ears, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
[10] Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” [11] And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. [12] For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. [14] Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
[15] For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. [17] For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (ESV)
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