From gangster to preacher

David Lu's (呂代豪) conversion from mafia gangster to evangelical pastor shocked his family, friends and, maybe most of all, his victims.

Once a member of the Bamboo Union (竹聯幫), Taiwan's largest organized-crime syndicate, Lu spent nearly 10 years of his life mired in violence before converting to Christianity in 1979. His autobiography, The Sword and the Sheath (收刀入鞘) has been available for the last decade and, next year, Hollywood director David Chang is bringing the screenplay adaptation to the screen.

By 15, Lu had caused enough distress to his family and his central-Taiwan hometown of Wugu (五股) that his father enrolled him in the Chinese Military Academy in Kaoshiung. After three years spent mastering his martial-arts skills, Lu was kicked out for leading a group brawl.

His talents were immediately put to use as a debt collector for the Bamboo Union. "I was very good at this job. I loved fighting and I loved money even more. I would tell my bodyguard to take me to a gambling house or brothel so I could borrow money."

"Borrow," Lu said, laughing, "that's what we called it, but of course we never paid it back."

His career ended early in 1974, when he was arrested for robbery at 19 and sentenced to five years in a reformatory. But no reform took place there, as Lu swapped contact information and tips with inmates.

"It's like a criminal middle school. In prison you share tips about how not to get caught next time," he said.

Lu also taught himself English and Japanese because, in his words, "all professional hit men speak Japanese and English."

In 1977, less than three years into his sentence, he escaped and returned to Taipei. A wanted criminal with a NT$300,000 reward being offered for his capture, Lu was promoted to a senior position within his old gang. Hungering for wealth and power, he purchased a rifle that he claims to have only fired three times, once severely injuring a man. His record for armed robbery is lengthy and brutal, but he has never been charged with murder.

In the same year, Lu was arrested and sent back to prison. Shortly after, he was tried and convicted of kidnapping and robbery, a crime he claims to have never committed. Facing a 14-year sentence, Lu's only thoughts were of escape.

"The first time I escaped, I only had three years left; now I had 14. How could I do it? It was the worst time of my life. All I thought about how I was going to get out of there," he said.

To pass time, he befriended a powerful gang member nicknamed Achilles. Lu's job was to write letters to Achilles' five wives, but one day Lu received a letter addressed to him. It was a letter from Ruth Chen (陳筱玲), the sister of a man he encouraged to join the Bamboo Union.

In the beginning he disregarded Chen's religious propaganda and was content to have any female correspondence. A year and 200 letters (from Chen) later, something changed. Achilles died and Lu was reborn.

"He [Achilles] was so powerful. I watched him walk in and within a year, he was carried out. His death shocked me. And I started to think about my life."

The loss of his mentor left a gap filled quickly by religion. Through his correspondence with Chen, his interest in Christianity increased and, before he knew it, he was making a deal with God.

"I said, `God if you set me free from this prison, I will serve you.'"