Abstract:
Receiving the Jerusalem prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society in
2009, Haruki Murakami used the egg-versus-wall metaphor in his address, “Between a
high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the
egg.” This metaphor became a symbol widely used among Hong Kong protestors in the
2010s. It not only recommended where Hong Kongers should stand, but also motivated
them to confront the system courageously. Since the implementation of the national
security law in Hong Kong in June 2020, open protest has rarely occurred in the city.
The government considers the law as an effective means to restore Hong Kong “from
chaos to order, from stability to prosperity”, but Hong Kongers have a different
interpretation. The principle of “one country, two systems” has been weakened because
the emphasis on the “one country” has become more prominent. In order to counter the
hegemony of the system represented by the Great Wall, those who choose to stay in
Hong Kong have initiated a new political-spiritual movement characterized by
transitioning from organizing mass social movement to Wei Lu , which means gathering
together and supporting one another, shifting their focus from the external environment
to Chu Xin , protecting their original impetus, developing a lifestyle politics. This
political-spiritual movement goes beyond the traditional forms of political activism and
incorporates elements of friendship, personal transformation, and collective
consciousness. This article aims to reflect on the nature of the Great Wall in terms of
ontological security, the lived experiences of Hong Kongers as fragile eggs and the
political-spiritual movement of Hong Kongers from a theological perspective.
