Hong Kong artist and celebrity Wong Cho-Lam recently released his first gospel documentary where he talks about his experience evangelizing young people.
As a celebrity actor, singer, and host, Wong Cho-Lam gained popularity among mainland China and Hong Kong fans for his comedic talent and versatile performances. Not only is he recognized for his achievements in the entertainment industry, he is also respected in his personal life for his emphasis on family values. Wong also often shares his personal Christian faith.
People who seen Wong in his shows have an impression that he’s always full of energy. However, Wong admits that he is actually very traditional in his bones, and would be “old-school” in his mentality.
Since he was young, he’s seen the stage as a place to chase after his dreams. It’s not just where he finds his value, it is also a temporary escape from the troubles of life. When he performs, Wong is able to leave behind the pressures of life, and get a couple minutes, sometimes hours, to breathe.
In 1997, Wong accepted the Christian faith. Since 2006, he started actively involving himself in missionary work, joining overseas mission tours almost every year. In his heart, the stage of preaching has become an altar of sacrifice. “The key point is, whose altar is this?” He said, “My thanks, my glory, they need to go to my [Father and father] in heaven.” Every time he preaches from the altar, he feels like a lamb, proclaiming the gospel with humility and thankfulness.
Wong believes that, different people need to be able to understand each other better, and he wants to become a bridge between them. He said: “Many times, we have unnecessary misunderstandings because of differences in our age, background, jobs, and thoughts. It doesn’t have to be this way.” Wong believes that bridges don’t need to be built by making everyone the same. Rather, people should find one another’s strengths and weaknesses, and a bridge helps them compliment each other.
In his gospel documentary, Wong remembers a scene from his childhood. When he was in elementary, he saw the testimony of the founder of Hong Kong Artistes Christian Fellowship (Hong Kong ACF), and the seed of faith was sown in his heart. He often recalls that testimony and the impression it left on him. Since then, Wong has told his own testimony at the Hong Kong Coliseum, even though he felt unworthy. “If one day when I [preach], or somehow, somebody’s faith was changed, was planted, because of the sharing I gave, that would be the most touching thing,” he said.
For Wong, the role of a bridge is unique and irreplaceable. As he traveled for work, he realized that he is able to more easily connect the resources and churches of each place together. It takes him one phone call to connect two churches. He said: “I just hope that I can give what little influence I have to connect more people together, even if it’s just a small contact point, it is still better than misunderstandings and walls.”
