The Gospel is Not For Sale

Is there such a thing as a Hong Kong theology? What have the churches in Hong Kong contributed to the world wide Christian faith? The story of Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee can present itself as a Hong Kong theology. For the praxis of HKCIC as a partner in labour movement has helped Christians to discern the signs of the times with fruitful theological insights. HKCIC sees itself as a part of the body of Christ carrying out the mission of God, or Missio Dei, in our situation. The work of HKCIC can be categorized as an outreach program of the church, bringing the good news to the people, the good news being social justice. The Gospel is Not For Sale is no academic exercise of theologization. It is a theology of the people and for the people, especially the workers in Hong Kong. The theological insights do not come from libraries. It is not written by a professional theologian, i.e. someone who has a degree in theology or taught in seminaries. This is a story of a people’s movement constantly struggling with the social and political issues of the day. There are no blue prints or ready made patterns to follow. The praxis of faith and theological insights came from the staff of CIC and the workers. The articulation is done by Raymond Fung, an original who was very much involved with HKCIC till 1980 and in recent decade as the chairperson and committee member. During his tenure as the director of HKCIC he had succeeded in discerning the sign of time. With his gift in articulation, he had made the story of HKCIC an inspiring one. "Is there such a thing as a Hong Kong theology? What have the churches in Hong Kong contributed to the world wide Christian faith? I believe the story of Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee can present itself as a Hong Kong theology. For the praxis of HKCIC as a partner in labour movement has helped Christians to discern the signs of the times with fruitful theological insights." - Joseph Kaung "Yet the book is not mere history. It is a case study of Christian social involvement with explicit reference to the gospel. The Christian faith was not merely the source of motivation for committee and staff. The gospel was a guiding light for the direction of the work and for the decisions taken by the committee. At the same time it became the call for workers to follow Jesus Christ. It was the core around which workers gathered." - Hans Lutz