(Continued on p. 2)

English Quarterly Newsletter

33 Granville Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2368-7123 Fax: (852) 2724-2131e-mail: hkcc@hkcc.org.hk Website: http://www.hkcc.org.hk

Editor:Judy Chan

HONG KONG CHRISTIAN COUNCIL

As Close As Lips and Teeth

� e following sermon was written by � e Rev. Wong Ka-fai for “Eco-Concern Sunday” observed on June 2, 2019. Rev. Wong is the Director of Pastoral Programme and School Chaplain of the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, � e Chinese University of Hong Kong. � e title “As close as lips and teeth” comes from a Chinese proverb which means if one of the two (seemingly) independent things are in trouble, the other would also be jeopardized.

Scripture: Haggai 1: 1-11

Key Message: Most of us prioritize pursuing a good life for ourselves and our family over the Lord’s commands. � is results not only in a shortchanged reward for our e� orts but also the su� ering of God’s creation. We should know that the welfare of human beings and that of God’s creation are closely interwoven, as close as lips and teeth. We can – and we do – share blessings and su� erings together.

Introduction

“Living a good life” is what we pursue for most of us. Working zealously for a better life for oneself and our families is an attitude approved by the society. On an administrative level, “Development is the Absolute Principle” is upheld by the government as their primary policy, and likewise, this is embraced by the majority.

Rev. Wong Ka-fai

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11

When we assess if a society is growing or not, the focus always falls on its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) – how it fared compared with that of last year’s. � e completion of one a� er another massive infrastructure projects testi� es to the a� uence of the government. Indeed, development in this direction has bene� tted many – not only does it create jobs, it also brings convenience for its residents and enormous pro� ts for some industries. As we grudgingly pay the price of development (such as prolonged working hours, competition-induced stress and sacri� cing our play and rest times), are we mindful of the consequential damage we are imposing on God’s creation?

If our well-being is dependent on God’s creation much like lips and teeth, are what we are doing contributive to a life of “living together” or “dying together”? � e message that the Lord conveyed through the prophet Haggai to the Jews returning from captivity, at closer inspection, holds as much admonition today as it did then.

The Plight of Man

In 6th century BCE, Haggai knew how the returned Jews lived. A� er years of captivity, denied of a country and a home, people were thrilled to be back and in their elated state, � nished the foundation of the second temple expeditiously. Yet, in the face of the obstruction from enemies (see Ezra 4) and as life settled, they preferred a life of comfort (Hag 1:4 living in “paneled houses”). While this was an innocent wish in itself, by its preference, they had reversed the priorities of their lives. � e Jews excused themselves by claiming that the time was not right (Hag 1:2 “the time has not yet come”) and stopped all rebuilding works for over ten years.

Rebuilding the temple was not just a hardware infrastructural issue, or that the Lord needed a glamorous building to re� ect His glory. Rather, the temple was the Lord’s dwelling place (1 Kings 8:29). It was here that the Lord met with His people. � e temple a� rmed the belief that the Lord was among the Jews. More importantly, rebuilding the temple symbolized their solemnity in following the Lord’s commands (which the Jews had disregarded for many years). “Consider how you have fared” was repeated in v5 and v7. On the one hand, this referred to the rebuilding works; on the other, it reminded them that they needed to be mindful of their behaviors and values and make adjustments accordingly. � is was basically what the Lord said through Moses to the Jews who were about to enter the promised land (Deut 32:46-47).

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(Continued on p. 4)

Our situation nowadays bears some similarities with that of the returned Jews. We look a� er our livelihood and emphasize prosperity over other matters and values. Worse still, we even prioritize these over adhering to the Lord’s teachings, thus deserting the Lord’s grace at one’s side. We labor painstakingly in exchange for a comfortable life, because it is a proof of our competence and hard work. We boast over our society’s economic powers and massive infrastructures, because these represent our wealth and strength. In contrast, we care little about the values of God’s Kingdom: upholding justice, caring for the others, helping the weak and accompanying the grieving. Perhaps we too would feign “the time is not right”, just as the Jews did, and overlook the importance of living according to the values of the Kingdom of God. If everything is down to the materialistic and the market price, other than an economic existence, what intrinsic values are le� to our lives?

Ruins and Drought

� e prophet Haggai, in channeling God’s teachings for the Jews, confronted them with a hard truth (Hag 1:6 “You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your � ll; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes.”) When one’s life priorities are reversed, one toils in vain.

� is injustice happens when we fail to actualize the values of God’s Kingdom. Plough as one may, the harvest is disproportionate to one’s labor. One possibility for this is the deceit and exploitation rampant in the system. � is illustrates why the rebuilding of the temple (rebuilding a society that places the values of God’s Kingdom at its core) should precede that of maintaining one’s personal livelihood.

In this passage, the two Hebrew words which are translated as “ruins” (v4 and v9, from ב ֵר ָח ) and “drought” (v11, from ב ֶר ֹח ) share the same three-letter root. From this we know that the biblical author intended to juxtapose the “ruins” of the temple with the “drought” that God’s creation (Hag 1:11 “the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and animals, and on all their labors”) was subjected to. In other words, when we overlook the values of God’s Kingdom, God’s creation su� ers with us.

Let us ponder for a moment. For a comfortable life and the growth of the society, we produce colossal wastage (such as kitchen waste, construction waste and so on), fell tree a� er tree, emit escalating amount of greenhouse gases which warms up our planet, and pollute our oceans by extensive land reclamation works. What will come out of all these?

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On May 6, 2019, the UN’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released the summary of the most comprehensive ever global assessment report on the state of biodiversity on earth. It pointed out that human activities are the main culprit to the unprecedented destruction of our earth’s life-supporting and self-restorative ecosystem functions and services. It is estimated that of the 8.7 million animal and plant species, 1 million are facing threats of extinction, and along with it, the devastation of nature on which human life depends.

If we are to change the status quo, we must reprioritize our life. We must place living out the values of God’s Kingdom over a feel-good lifestyle. Otherwise, yes, we may have a few more years of comfort, but we brew an existential crisis for the future.

Conclusion

Be it the returned Jews or us, we tend to place our personal pursuit of a comfortable and easy life for ourselves and our families as the top priority while forgetting the Lord’s commands. � e result is not only a shortchanged reward, but also the su� ering of God’s creation. We should be mindful of the intimate relationship we have with God’s creation – as close as lips and teeth – we can bring blessings or su� erings unto each other. While there is still time, we have to face our problems squarely and correct them, so that God’s creation may continue to re� ect His glory and we � nally reap what we sow.

(English translation by Shirley Lam)

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This spring, our Eco-Concern ministry held two activities to bring people closer to God through the city’s natural environment. � e � rst event took place on March 31 in a local farm in Tai Po Lam Tsuen. Over 30 participants joined the “Worship in Rice Land” event. � ey came from di� erent churches, youth fellowships and families. � e youngest was four years old, the eldest 60 plus. Minister Lo Chi-wing of Fanling Gloria Lutheran Church led the worship followed by three farmers’ sharing a message. � rough outdoor worship under the big tree, participants could re� ect on their connection with God, humans and other creatures. Many shared how close they felt with all living things when they can open all senses – hearing the sounds of birds, touching the soil, smelling the leaves and � owers. � is connection with God’s beautiful creation in a worshipful setting awakened the need to protect nature in daily life and to encourage their church to do so too. A� er the worship, the participants drank organic tea from local farm products, a fruitful day for body, mind and spirit.

� e second event was a “Retreat with Trees” held on April 4. � e activity was hosted at the Bradbury Retreat Centre managed by HKCC in Cheung Chau. Ms. Ginny Tam (Applied � eatre Worker) facilitated mindful exercises by using imagination and the engagement with trees. � rough listening to trees, participants connect with God, nature and one another. � is was the � rst time for most of them to experience such activity with trees and full of surprises. � e questions posed by the facilitator included:

All in the family

(Continued on p. 6)

NatureBack to Leung Wai-man

Worship in God's creation

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A� er lunch, Ms. Tam led the group on a tree tour. She prepared a story and poem about trees, sharing in di� erent spots along the tour to open up their bodily senses, connecting with God and nature. One fairy tale said that, from an old village in south � ailand, when a baby is born, he or she could commit to cultivate a tree for a lifetime, as the same, the tree could cultivate the baby for a lifetime. Each participant was asked to choose a tree to re� ect on how much it nurtured one’s life.

At the close, participants gave a role play to present the journey of trees, using their whole body and � ve senses to interpret their learning. � e day le� all feeling refreshed and stimulated with new discoveries of the power of trees and their vital contribution to the well-being of our earth and ourselves.

Ms. Leung Wai-man is the Project O� cer of HKCC.

Retreat center

Role Play

Talking with trees

Touching nature

• If the tree talks to you in secret, what does it say?

• If the trees want to invite you to go to their party and get to know each other, who are their friends? How do you introduce yourself?

• If the tree passed away, what did it contribute in its lifetime?

• What do you see through your eyes, what do you smell through your nose, what do you feel through your skin, what do you taste through your mouth? How does your body feel?

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HKCS Director Yvonne Chak (front row, fourth from le� ) and o� ciating guests

Leung Kee Cheong, former Principal of Fresh Fish Traders'

School, shares his touching stories.

HKCS Joins Hands with 1,600Schools to Create Caring Culture

Since 2005 HKCS has consecutively organized the Caring School Award Scheme to commend and honor those outstanding schools devoted to the promotion of caring culture. The accumulated number of awarded schools including secondary schools, primary schools, kindergartens and special schools is over 1,600.

� e 14th Caring School Award Ceremony was held on May 11, 2019 at the Education Bureau’s Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre. � is year HKCS created a new award category “Kindergarten: Caring Home-School Cooperation” Award. � e aim is to foster a culture of open communication in preschool and build a strong support network for preschoolers and their parents.

A caring school culture facilitates healthy growth and the development of students. � e scheme promotes a caring culture in school and gives recognition to teachers and school personnel, who put dedicated e� orts to establish a caring environment for their students.

HKCS Sta� Association is delighted to announce that seven enthusiastic colleagues from di� erent units have been elected to stand on the executive committee to serve from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. � e newly elected Chairperson Lee Tze Ching, Principal of Wayfoong Nursery School, said, “I feel grateful for being part of the committee and hope to organize more activities with other energetic committee members in the future.” � e Association aims to build a caring and amiable environment, connecting with colleagues through a variety of welfare and activities.

New Staff Association Committee Connects with Colleagues

Members of HKCS New Sta� Association Committee

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On May 4, 2019, a seminar entitled “Food and Water for Life” took place in the beautiful setting of Tao Fong Shan in Shatin, New Territories. � e event was co-sponsored by the World Council of Churches, Amity Foundation, Hong Kong Christian Council and Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre. Welcome speeches were given by Elder Dr. Wong Fook-yee (HKCC), Mr. Qui Zhonghui (Amity) and Dr. Tong Wing-sze (TFSCC).

� e keynotes speakers were Rev. Dr. Olav Fyske Tveit, General Secretary for the World Council of Churches, and Dr. Manoj Kurian, Coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. Rev. Tveit spoke on “� e Ten Commandments of Food” to examine the most critical facets of food through the lens of faith. He also shared practically how the Bible guides us to live in a sustainable manner and as a blessing to the world, with regards to food. Dr. Kurian spoke on the topic of “Living Planet, Food and Humanity”, charting the history of humanity’s quest for food and its impact on the environment and the life of the planet.

A� er a break for a mindful eating exercise, there were two responses from academics. � e � rst was given by Dr. Kim Sung-hyun of Hong Kong Lutheran � eological Seminary; the second by Dr. Yam Chi-keung of the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, � e Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Approximately 60 persons attended, including a representative of the Water Supplies Department of Hong Kong, which partners with the Amity Foundation’s Living Water Campaign. Dr. Tveit also was received by di� erent Christian organizations and institutions in his � rst visit to Hong Kong. He visited Hong Kong Christian Council and attended at a lunch gathering with the HKCC Executive Committee and ecumenical friends on May 3.

Photo Credits: Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre and HKCC

Rev. Dr. Olav Fyske Tveit

Food and Water for Life

Food and Water for Life participants HKCC lunch with Rev. Tveit

Dr. Manoj Kurian

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