Why would a Hong Kong Chinese boy be named Jeremiah?

As I read a book, I tried to understand the background of the author. I think it help me a lot in understanding and evaluating the book. Thus, I think I should tell a bit of my story along with GOSP4EL blog.

In 1985 I went to China Baptist Theological College in Tai Kok Tsui of Kowloon, I didn’t realize that I would be in Bible Translation ministry.  And my name was not Jeremiah.

In the class of “books of prophets” Dr. Ambacher, who used to teach the book of Isaiah as example of the course, was using the book of Jeremiah. I thought that was the only time he did in his many years of teaching the courses. In the course I was very impressed by the book and the prophet Jeremiah. One day I was on the ferry to City Hall for a concert and there was a kind of urge or calling for me using Jeremiah as my name. Then I started using Jeremiah as my name, while some teachers and students thought it was kind of strange.

Sometimes, later I thought I was too bad and I didn’t know how to speak. I was not good enough to be a full time minister.  One day I went to Dr. Ambacher’s office and told him that I am going to quit. I still remembered that he told me that he loved me. That’s the first time in my life, I heard from a person that he loved me. He asked me to finish the study no matter I would be a business man or do something else. But I told him that I was going to a concert that evening, then I would pack and leave next morning. I took the ferry to City Hall with a heavy heart for the concert. As I got the bulletin at the entrance of the concert hall, I was astonished that the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra was going to play Symphony of Jeremiah. The vocalist were singing Lamentation in Hebrew. I had studied a bit of Hebrew at that time, and I knew that the meaning of Jeremiah was God established, appointed, or put in high place. I was not able to wait until the end of the performance. I was crying and left. Next day, I told Dr. Ambacher about what happened and I thought God still wanted me to continue my study. Since then I kept using the name Jeremiah and started the journey with the calling of Jeremiah. 

To be continued …