Jun Yan speaks: "In memory of David Liao."

Dear all,

To wax lyrical on most other people would come out pretentious and false, and yet it seems most deserving and fitting when applied to David Liao. It is testament of the impact and influence of a person when he touches the lives of the numerous people he has met, yet even that is far surpassed when the life he has touched is of someone he has never met, spoken to, nor knows how that person looks like.

For the duration of 5-6 months that I have heard about David, I have had a fairly thorough glimpse into his life through his friends at Central Christian Church's Campus Ministry, and it is a picture painted with vibrant colours and bold strokes, yet utterly down-to-earth and unassuming. For through the stories told by his friends, David had an incredibly active life, excelled in practically all endeavours, brought lots of laughter, and yet defined to me the meaning of humility. It is said that excellence takes "blood, sweat and tears", but many would agree that it takes a great man to remain humble, and in my opinion, David deserves to be called a "great man".

A true test of greatness comes when one faces adversity, and David epitomised the spirit of courage and determination when faced with a deadly disease. Drawing on his faith and support of his loved ones, I am in no doubt that he stared back at the cancer with an intense belief and desire to beat the odds. And even though the odds proved too great, he fought till the very end, never giving up as long as there was still a speck of hope... and we were there cheering him on. This spirit of never giving up, of 自不息, is something I will always remember about David.

Benjamin Disraeli, one of Britain's most astute Prime Ministers of all time, once said that "The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example." David is certainly a hero of sorts in our hearts, and he has left behind the legacy of a great example of how to be a good Christian, a good human, a good citizen, and a good son. Let us not mourn the passing of a great person, a great friend, a great inspiration, but let us celebrate the fulfilling life he had and the memorable times that he has spent with us. And as for me who has never met him, I am sure that years down the road when my memory is fading and I can't remember his name, I will still remember his story of courage and inspiration.

With love,
Jun Yan