Chung Chi Pong ：“Abraham is the earliest ‘Hakka man’.”

In the second keynote lecture, Dr. Chung Chi Pong, who calls himself a “Hakka man,” believes that only when a person understands their identity will they understand their mission.

He said that Abraham, the “father of faith,” was the earliest “Hakka man” and a model of a “pilgrim on the heavenly journey.” When he heard God’s call to go out, he did not even know where he was going. The Lord Jesus Himself was also a lifelong “sojourner” and one who had “no permanent home.”

Christians’ identity in this world is that of the “scattered” (1 Peter 1:1), “sojourners” (1 Peter 1:1; 2:11), and “foreigners” (1 Peter 2:11). However, God Himself will ultimately, like a good shepherd, lead His sheep (His people) back to their homeland (Ezekiel 34:11–16). At the same time, the identity of Christians before God is that of the chosen people, and their mission is to proclaim the virtues of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9–10).

People generally think that “Hakka men” have characteristics such as stubbornness, competitiveness, being strong-willed, aggressive, prideful, and unwilling to admit defeat. But are these truly so? Dr. Chung believes that if these traits are indeed present, they can be positively used for the challenging task of evangelism.

He emphasized that the gospel mission of Hakka Christians is both particular and universal (Acts 9:15; Matthew 28:19). There is no conflict between the two; instead, they complement each other.

As the saying goes, “Man proposes, God disposes.” The Apostle Paul deeply loved his fellow Israelites, yet the results were not very successful (Romans 9:1–3). Only by continuing steadfastly in faith (Romans 11:25–26), and ultimately trusting and submitting to God’s will and sovereignty, can one be truly free from the heavy burdens of the heart.

Finally, as encouragement and reminder, he pointed out that Christians should live by “truth, goodness, and beauty” (Philippians 4:8), use “faith, hope, and love” (1 Corinthians 13:13) as the motto of life testimony, and adopt eternity as their historical philosophy and worldview (Isaiah 40:6–8).

Provided by Sarawak Methodist Methodist Messenger