Well-known Bible teacher and bestselling author Francis Chan says “strong believers” in Hong Kong are sharing the gospel amid the coronavirus outbreak. And yet, he says, too many Christians are isolating themselves out of fear.
The Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender President Preston Sprinkle tweeted an update he says he received from Chan, who moved to Hong Kong with his family in February.
“So many people here in HK are terrified and paranoid,” Sprinkle reports Chan as saying. “It’s so sad to see but a great opportunity for the gospel- as long as the believers show themselves to be different, fearless. The strong believers are walking around with the poor and handing out masks while sharing the gospel. Meanwhile too many Christians are isolating themselves. It’s a test of our faith- not to be foolish but to show that we fear nothing, especially not death. And we are anxious about nothing. Btw- two days in and we love it here. Miss you guys but there is so much opportunity here.”
He announced his decision to move in November 2019, shortly after going to Myanmar on a mission trip.
What Chan didn’t know at the time of his announcement was that the coronavirus would erupt in China and slowly spread into various nations across the globe. As of this publication, the coronavirus has killed over 3,000 and infected 90,000. CNN reports that five people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S., with more than 90 infections nationwide.
Hong Kong has had fewer than 100 cases of the coronavirus so far, according to NPR. But Hong Kong borders China’s Guangdong Province, which reports over 1,300 cases of the virus, now called COVID-19.
