Ma Kwok-tung

The Lord came to him one night

By James Chen

Ma Kwok-tung, who has appeared in Christian television programmes, is an exorcist.

However, Mr. Ma is more than that. He is a missionary at the Hong Kong Christian Short Term Mission Training Centre and the writer of many books about The Bible and God.

As of today, the 40-year-old Mr. Ma has been exorcising for 14 years. He first performed an exorcism when he was 26.

To Mr. Ma, his 20s was a time of being lost and found — a time when he experienced both the darkest period and a significant change in life.

Question: What were you doing when you were in your 20s?
Answer: I was a Form 6 student at that time. I worked in a shipyard after graduated from college.

Q: What were your main concerns at that time?
A: I always asked myself questions like why I was born, how I could contribute to the world and where I would go when I am dead. I was totally lost. Different people have different answers to the above questions, but I don’t know which one to believe. Some people told me to study hard so that I could contribute to society when I graduated. But that sounded too naïve to me.

Q: How were your days in your 20s?
A: Sometimes I went to church with my family, but as soon as I walked out of the church, I threw myself back to the life I had been leading — I smoked, I drank, I went to nightclubs and hung out with gangsters. Those were the darkest days of my life.

Q: You made friends with people from the triad society, didn’t you?
A: Yes, I did. I felt safe when I was with them. We hung out together and played together. I felt as though I were being accepted and appreciated. We dated girls together and we often showed off how many girlfriends we had. But something happened one night and it changed me.

Q: What happened that night?
A: Each time, after walking out of a nightclub, I came across the question “Are you happy now?”, and I felt lost. I found myself leading a life devoid of meaning. The “happiness” vanished as soon as I walked out of a club.One night, a night I will never forget, I was listening to a sermon in a church. I cannot recall what the sermon was about, but I remember I cried when I listened to the hymn called “He is My Lord”. I sang with the choir and I broke into tears. I was sorry for the life that I had been leading. When I left the church, I was filled with joy. My life changed overnight.

Q: Why did you take exorcism as your job?
A: When I was studying theology in college, some people came to my professors and asked them to exorcise ghosts. My professors asked me to help them out. This is where I gained the knowledge and experience as an exorcist.

Q: Is the work dangerous?
A: Many jobs are dangerous. But I know God will bless me because I believe in Him.

Q: How dangerous is your work?
A: Once when I was forcing evil spirits out of a woman, she suddenly came up to me intending to bite me. It was really dangerous. There was another time when I was in my office, and suddenly I had a feeling that I should leave the room. As I walked to the gate, the ceiling of my room suddenly collapsed. A steel tube fell on the seat where I sat.

Q: What are your gains and losses as an exorcist?
A: I still cannot afford a car with a leather sunroof, which was my dream car when I was in secondary school. But I do not see this as a loss. I got my soul saved. I can help people and share my beliefs with them.

Q: Did you ever meet the guys you knew in nightclubs later?
A: Yes, I did. I met one of them in Wong Tai Sin Temple. He is selling incense sticks now. I realised that if I had not become a priest, perhaps I would be leading a life just like him.

Q: So now do you have answers to questions that confused you when you were in your 20s — say, why you were born?
A: God creates everything on Earth so that I can experience it. He gives everyone a mission to complete throughout his life. That is the answer to why I was born. I can contribute to the world by sharing my beliefs with people and helping them to save their souls. Where will I go when I’m dead? I will go to heaven, for sure.

Q: What would you like to pass on to your child?
A: Good values. I hope that he will be a good preacher.

Courtesy of Ma Kwok-tung

Mr. Ma says that being in his 20s was the darkest period of his life.

Courtesy of Ma Kwok-tung

Mr. Ma hopes that his child will be a good preacher, as he is himself.