The City of Darkness, an excerpt from The Mind of a Missionary
The edge of Kowloon Walled City in 1993.
Image: Ian Lambot / Wikimedia Common
The ultimate goal of missions is the glorification of God. A high value for His honor drives missional living both at home and abroad—in our “Jerusalems,” “Judeas,” “Samarias,” and to “the ends of the earth.” The extravagant grace of our great King includes His people in His glory; thus, every believer in the body of Christ matters. God gifted each of His children with their unique faculties to make a difference in the world. Our roles are different, but our goal is the same: love God and love others. “Let me give you a new command: Love one another,” Jesus said. His words revealed His high regard for counter-cultural Kingdom living. “In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are My disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”[xxiii] If Jesus’ words seem too simple, you may be overcomplicating your missional calling.
The more you yield to the influence of God’s Kingdom, the easier it is to deviate from the adverse currents of popular culture. The naysayers may remain, and your negative internal monologue will endure. But as you set your mind on Heavenly thoughts, the power of social influence wanes. Jackie Pullinger was about to prove this truth to the pimps, prostitutes, gang members, and drug addicts in the Kowloon Walled City. Her ministry of love ran counter to the expected social norms; the City of Darkness was no place for this young British woman, many thought. But Jackie was not deterred. Into the dragon’s lair she went, shining the light of God’s Kingdom in Hong Kong’s darkened alleys.
PR 
“The City of Darkness” is an excerpt from chapter 5 of The Mind of a Missionary, pages 89-96. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Notes
[i] Elizabeth Sinn, “Kowloon Walled City: Its Origin and Early History,” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch, vol. 27 (1987).
[ii] Charles Goddard, “The Clearance” in City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City (Watermark, 1999), 208– 11.
[iii] Dan Nosowitz, “Life Inside The Most Densely Populated Place On Earth [Infographic],” Popular Science, April 19, 2013, https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-04/life-inside-most-densely-populated-place-earth-infographic.
[iv] Diana Preston, The Boxer Rebellion (Bloomsbury Publishing, USA, 2000), 370; Claude MacDonald, the British representative during the convention, picked a ninety-nine-year lease because he thought it was “as good as forever.”
[v] Peter Wesley Smith, Unequal Treaty 1898-1997: China, Great Britain, and Hong Kong’s New Territories (Oxford University Press, 1998), 12.
[vi] Jackie Pullinger, Chasing the Dragon: One Woman’s Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong’s Drug Dens (Hodder and Stoughton, 1980), 38.
Category: Ministry, Winter 2019
Followers
Fans
