Jerzy Popiełuszko

Notable HK democracy protester Agnes Chow (周庭) went public in December on her 27th birthday about her exile to Canada, plus many ingenious arrangements by the HK National Security Police. Those are now documented in the media.
No point to document here.

She is now a dissident in exile.

Commentators did their bits.
An old man Lau Siu Kai (劉兆佳) suggested that she might be like “bubbles”.
Like so many bubbles before her—Wang Dan (王丹), Wu’er Kaixi (吾爾開希), Chai Ling (柴玲) of the Tiananmen Massacre, Lau suggested that no foreign dignitaries now would even consider useful speaking to them, remote from 1989.
Basically their political capitals were gone like bubbles.

Perhaps true.

But that’s not this piece is about.

Agnes Chow is a free person.
Not just physically, but in choices.
That should be respected.
Irrespective of whether she would become a bubble.
History will be witness.
The LORD will repay.

On the other hand, those who choose to stay in HK have the same rights.
History will be witness.
The LORD will repay.

Various people have multitude of reasons to stay in HK.
To name a few:
To be a voice.
To be a candle.
To care for aged relatives.
To receive medical care.
To earn to support family.
To make a living.
To continue in vocation.
To complete a mission.
To pursue one’s career.
To live in a place one loves.
To enjoy people and food.
To show solidarity with others.
To show support to government.
To show patriotism.
To refuse to live in foreign land.
To do whatever one wishes.

All these, plus others, are not subject to judgement.
They are free choices.
History will be witness.
The LORD will repay.

This piece doesn’t dither on if it is “right” to “forsake” HK and HK people.
Or is it nobler to stay.
Same arguments were thoroughly thrashed during the 1997 emigration saga.

It instead focuses on a single group who chooses to stay.

Narrow it down a bit.

It is not to relitigate those reasons already mentioned earlier.

It’s to focus on a particular reason and vocation, not for judgement, but for dissection and examination.
What’s that?
It’s “to stay in HK to live true to one’s vocation”.

To further narrow it down.

Your vocation is a cook? Fine. Keep cooking Chinese food.
Your vocation is a builder. Fine. Keep building your best.
Your vocation is a driver. Fine. Drive safely.
Your vocation is a musician. Fine. Make music.

You have the right to remain silent.
But, if you claim you are staying behind in HK for one single reason alone: your vocation of a Catholic priest or Protestant pastor?
Fine.

Jerzy Popiełuszko.

Jerzy Popiełuszko (Jan 10, 1983; Autor nieznany, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Nowadays most know that the priest was murdered in October 19, 1984.
By Polish government agents.
Even those who don’t know can easily find out from the internet.

He stayed behind in Poland to be with the Solidarity Movement.
He paid with his life.
Not seeing success yet.
Not only with protests, sermons, celebration of masses, he didn’t hide his opposition to and criticism of the communist regime.
Even under martial law.
As a Catholic priest he was able to give mass, an occasion for mass gathering.
That he did.
The vocation of priest.

He too had to preach.
Sure, he could have sanitised his sermons.
But he didn’t.
The vocation of priest.
His sermons were on Radio Free Europe.
Sermons broadcasted couldn’t be silenced.
The preacher could.
So he was ultimately murdered by secret police.

He became a martyr.

Not all people in HK could or should emulate the Polish Catholic priest.
So far no candidate has emerged from church circles.

But for those who claim they are staying behind in HK for one single reason alone: the vocation of a Catholic priest or a Protestant pastor, here is your mirror:
Jerzy Popiełuszko.
Just look at the mirror.

The point here is not to lay down your life.
Though your Lord specifically warned about it.
So don’t use that as a straw man and retreat to your shell.

The point is this:
As a priest or pastor, weekly or even daily, you speak truth.
Truth can’t be muted.
Neither camouflaged.
Nor sanitised.

Jerzy Popiełuszko never muted, camouflaged nor sanitised truth.

I suppose he could have sanitised his sermons.
But he didn’t.
The vocation of priest.

If it’s too dangerous or unfit your personal/family plan, there’s a way out.
You have the right to remain silent.
Leave your priest garment or collar.

At pretty much the same time Agnes Chow publicly stated her desire to become a dissident in exile, the former Dean of Chung Chi College (崇基神學院學院) YING Fuk Tsang (邢福增) remarked in his farewell talk about his early retirement.
At the age of 58!
（https://news.mingpao.com/pns/副刊/article/20231203/s00005/1701534561811/周日話題-中大神學院前院長邢福增-早休追隨「浪子心」）

There must be responsibility with that position that has become incompatible.
Rather than not speaking truth and at the same time enjoying the remuneration and respect, early retirement became an option.
He left the office behind.

Sure, there’s no way to know if YING will continue to preach every Sunday in churches while not criticising injustice in HK.
No guarantee but certainly it will soon become evident.
Like so many Professors, pastors and senior pastors.

But one may argue, “Do I as a preacher have to engage in polemics against an unjust government every Sunday?”

Well, that depends if that injustice has already seeped into the DAILY life of its citizenry.
And, just exactly how many times, or %, over the period of 2019-2023, did you in preaching confront government wrongs!

The true answer ultimately is only known to you, and the Lord who commissioned you.

History will be the witness.
The Lord will repay.

The Prophet Malachi once wrote, “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.” (Mal 1:10, NLT)

Jesus implemented that with the cleansing in John 2.

Preaching from pastors that skirted the elephant in the room, in the pretext of “smart as snake”, about those ills the international community and commercial world have already recognized, must have sounded like pig squeals under slaughter from the Jerusalem Temple.
Just as nauseating to the One who will repay.

There’s no need to become Jerzy Popiełuszko.
There’s a less demanding choice.

Stop preaching in church.
You have the right to remain silent.
Silent is silent; not selectively silent.

Attend church but don’t preach.
Go on cruises but don’t preach.
Do whatever but don’t preach.

Be like Zechariah the father of Johnny the Baptist.
Only speak God’s truth.

Declining preaching invitations is only onerous to a soul with inflated self importance.
To a humble soul, it smells freedom.