"Pastor John, I'm here."
"Please go inside and rest for a while," he replied. "I'm receiving a few guests and will join you shortly."
Soon, two more women arrived seeking medical treatment. Pastor John, pressed for time, had to postpone our conversation and hurry to the therapy room to continue caring for them.
It is hard to imagine that this pastor—now fluent in Scripture and prayer—had once devoted years to Daoist medicine and Buddhist practice, even preparing to become a monk. People around him praise his medical skill, yet for first-time visitors, the question naturally arises: how does someone who once studied Daoism and Buddhism become a Christian pastor?
After his work paused, Pastor John shared the journey that took him from years of seeking the Dao and studying Buddhism to embracing the Word of God.
From Childhood Curiosity to Buddhist and Daoist Practice
From an early age, John was fascinated by the question: Where do heaven and earth come from? As a teenager, he began practicing Daoist meditation, learning traditional medicine, and training in swordsmanship and tai chi. He also studied numerous Daoist classics, hoping to understand the principles behind the universe.
"At that time," he recalled, "I just wanted to understand where the world came from."
During his studies, he met an elderly Buddhist abbot who said, "You have an affinity with Buddhism. You should try Buddhist meditation practice." John immersed himself in Buddhist scriptures and disciplined practice, even planning to shave his head and become a monk. He contacted the Jade Buddha Temple, then one of Shanghai's most respected Buddhist academies.
Family opposition, however, stopped him. "My mother was firmly against it," he said. "I returned to ordinary life before I could even become a monk." After graduating from technical school, he entered the workforce, but his deepest questions about life and the universe remained.
"In the Beginning, God Created"
A turning point came unexpectedly during the Spring Festival of 1991. Visiting a high school classmate, John noticed a Bible on the table. At the time, he regarded Christianity as a minor religion, not worth serious attention—a judgment shaped by what he had heard during his previous Buddhist and Daoist study. In reality, he had never truly read the Bible.
Out of curiosity, he opened it to the first page. The opening words of Genesis—"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"—struck him profoundly.
In that moment, years of unanswered questions found clarity. The origin of all things was not an abstract "Dao" but the eternal Creator Himself.
"It felt as if I had entered another world," he recalled. "A warm current seemed to flow through my whole body, even though it was winter outside."
Despite years of study in Daoism and Buddhism, John could never trace the ultimate source of existence. Daoist teachings on the Dao and Buddhist ideas of dependent origination left him unsatisfied. Only the Bible provided a definitive answer. When he read God's words to Moses—"I AM WHO I AM"—he finally realized that the ultimate source of all things was neither void nor impersonal but the eternal, self-existent Creator.
"That moment changed everything," he said. "Faith wasn't just philosophy—it addressed the very foundation of life."
From Seeker to Pastor
In the late 1990s, John became a Christian and entered seminary for systematic theological training. After graduation, he returned to serve faithfully in the church, a commitment he continues to this day.
In recent years, in response to practical needs, Pastor John has resumed using the Daoist healing methods he learned in his youth, providing care to family, friends, church members, and even non-believers. Many who have sought treatment have also begun to encounter the Christian faith.
One café owner said, "My mother-in-law could barely walk because of leg pain. Someone told us Pastor John could help. After several treatments, she could walk again, and her pain eased."
Having studied Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism deeply, Pastor John has a profound understanding of Chinese cultural traditions. Once searching for the ultimate "Way," he now believes that true wisdom and guidance come from God Himself.
Through healing, care, and attentive presence, he hopes to be a bridge so that, as people receive help for their bodies, they may also encounter the Creator of life.
Originally published by the Christian Times
- Edited and translated by Poppy Chan
