Reflections: June 2020

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 28 June 2020, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, by Timothy Chan. The scripture readings that day were Genesis 22:1-14, Psalm 13, Matthew 10:40-42.

Good morning friends! Today we read a dramatic story in the book of Genesis. God is testing Abraham, asking him to sacrifice his own son Isaac as a burnt offering. Even though God has stopped him at the last minute, it was definitely a stressful experience for him. Today, I am going to focus on this story, for I find some similarity to the situation we are facing in our world today. Maybe we are like Abraham, or Isaac, feeling powerless and vulnerable in the situation, but can only trust in God’s provision and promise. Before we look into the scripture, let us pray.

Creator God, you are the God who knows our fear and weakness. We pray that through your word, we can find strength and faith in you again, so that we could be your faithful follower. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

This story begins with ‘After these things God tested Abraham’. What are these things? I guess these things are the many stories and adventures Abraham experienced since he was called by God. In Genesis chapter 12, God has called Abraham, and promised him a great nation under his name. Since then, God has blessed him with many things, and has developed a close relationship with Abraham. He was given a son, Isaac, through his wife Sarah, who was barren for many years. These are all good things, wonderful things, just like if God wants to give me land, nice house, nice car, and a child, I wouldn’t say no! But his time, God is asking of a totally different thing, He is asking Abraham to offer his most precious thing to Him, his son Isaac, to be a human sacrifice, as a burnt sacrifice. I am sure Abraham would feel stress, and I feel stress for him too.

Abraham is in a very vulnerable situation. He has wealth, but he couldn’t prevent it from happening. He couldn’t fight back. Most of the time when we face problems which are too difficult to solve, we would choose to run away, but Abraham knew he couldn’t run away from God. We wouldn’t know the struggle he had when he heard of this request, but he didn’t hesitate. He woke up early in the morning, and started preparing for this quest. He brought his son, and asked him to carry the woods for burnt offering. During this time, his son Isaac asked him. “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Poor Isaac did not know it was him to be offered, and Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” His son did not doubt his father, even when he was bound. The scripture didn’t give us detail on whether Isaac tried to resist or not, or if he was willing to be sacrificed. But we can be sure that in this story, Isaac did not have a say. At the moment Abraham was about to kill his son, an angel called to him “Drop your weapon!” or would it be in Chinese, “刀下留人!” Then God was like “Oh, it’s a test only, I don’t mean to harm your son. Now, take that ram instead to be the burnt offering.”

We have no idea why God is testing Abraham, and seems this test is a bit out of line, it is too stressful! But if we are in the midst of the situation, what would we do? If we have no idea whether the trial is a reality or a test, how would we respond? I guess this is what I find similar to the situation we are facing today. Both Abraham and Isaac were in a very vulnerable situation, they did not really have a choice. They were forced to give up the most valuable thing to them. Abraham has to give up his son, and Isaac has to give up his life. While other people look at it as an insane request for a human sacrifice, Abraham somehow remains hopeful that God would prepare a lamb for them. Abraham has no choice, but to put his trust in God’s goodness and promise. He was probably thinking “If God has promised me a great nation from my offspring, one way or another, God will keep his promise.” The worst situation has presented itself to him, but he chose to believe in the goodness of God, and he did not run away from God. Isaac was in a vulnerable situation, this vulnerability is characterized by unknown. He has absolutely no idea what was going to happen, but he trusts in his father.

In Hong Kong and in many parts of the world, uncertainty is looming over too. We are uncertain about the future of this city, we are not sure what is this National Security Law, we have no idea when this pandemic would end. We are not sure if all these are the punishment from heaven, or is it a test? Or is it a joke? Could it be a blessing, or could it be a curse? It is the same when I first read about this scripture, “did God really ask Abraham to sacrifice his son?” There are many ridiculous things happening in our life right now. Many times in our life, we find ourselves in a vulnerable situation. The question, what would you do about it. As I said earlier, you could run away from your problem, you could turn to all these pleasures the world can offer, to numb your feelings. You could also blame others for the situation. Brothers and sisters, you could also trust in God. Trusting in God may not give you a solution and free you from suffering immediately. Trusting in God is a decision that you would not compromise your relationship with God to the difficulty and temptation you are facing. Even though there are difficulties, challenges, heart-breaking moments, and uncertainty, you would not be using these as an excuse to give up your conviction and commitment to God.

Abraham was called the Father of Faith. However, many times, he did not choose to trust in God under stressful situations. When God promised him that his wife Sarah was going to give birth, Abraham laughed in disbelief! When God promised him that he would have his own offspring, Abraham listened to Sarah, and have a child with the slave girl. When Abraham was under stress, he lied, saying Sarah is his sister in order to keep his life. Abraham is like you and I, we tend to use our own way to deal with our problems, but that’s a sign of us lacking trust in God. If they trusted in God, they would not have a backup plan to have a child through their slave girl Hagar. If he had trust in God, he would not lie saying Sarah is his sister. After these things, God tested Abraham. After both failures and blessings, God tested Abraham. In vulnerable situations, would he choose to run away, or use his own “smart” way to handle, or he would put his trust in God? This is the challenge God has given to us all this morning. In such vulnerable and uncertain situations, are we going to compromise? Or are we trusting in God’s promise and goodness?

Last week, the committee of Mission, Outreach and Ecumenism had a meeting in church. We talked about how the church should respond to the National Security Law. Each one of us shared our concern over this matter, some of us are worried, some of us are being cautious. Then one of the committee members said “instead of worrying too much, maybe we should ask one question “who are we?”, “what makes KUC KUC?” and I would extend this question to, “in the face of difficulty, what does it mean to be a follower of Christ?” Are we going to compromise our value and belief to be the conscience of our society, and to be the voice for justice and equality? Or do we let the fear and uncertainty overwhelm us, and begin to do self censorship? As a community of Christ, we have to ask, “who are we?” “what do we stand for?” It is definitely not an easy question to answer, and I didn’t intend to stress you. I am preaching so that we can learn from Abraham, to put our trust in God when we are vulnerable. Only if we can embrace and accept our vulnerability, God would make his strength perfect in our weakness. For his grace is always sufficient for us.

God is good, for He is the God who can turn curse into blessing. If we look at this story from a broader perspective. It is the moment God has officially banned human sacrifice, replaced by animal sacrifice. That is when Abraham praised God as “God the provider”. Not only did he abolish human sacrifice, He sent his only son Jesus Christ, in replacement of Isaac, and countless animals, to be the perfect sacrifice. Jesus Christ died on the cross in our place, to reconcile humankind with God. Jesus has become the center of all relationships, he connects us with strangers, his face is found in the least within our community, his face is found in the vulnerable, the poor and the weak.

In the Gospel reading this morning, Jesus said “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous;”

Jesus is trying to extend his identity to the one who has sent him, by welcoming Jesus, we are welcoming God. By welcoming a prophet, you would receive a prophet’s reward. What does it mean by welcoming and receiving Jesus, the prophet and a righteous person? I think Jesus is not only talking about hospitality. By welcoming God into our life, we are welcoming his value, his love and his image into our lives. By welcoming God, we are sharing what God has. In the word of the Orthodox Church’s teaching of divinization, that “the Son of God became man so that we might become God." Of course we can never be God, but by welcoming God into our life, we are in this journey of becoming like God, to radiate his love and yearning for justice and peace, to be the light and salt in this world.

By welcoming strangers and the vulnerable in our community, we are reaffirming the love God has for all humanity. It is not easy to fully open up to strangers. It does not mean we need to satisfy all their needs, and in fact, we could not do that, only God can satisfy all our needs. However, a cup of cold water is a gesture of welcoming and hospitality, a sign of solidarity and support. Many of us have experienced some boundary issues, how much and how far should I help someone? During my theological training, in the class of Christian counselling, the teacher reminded us that the goal of Christian service is to help people to realize the love and presence of God in their lives. Through providing financial help and different forms of assistance, we are trying to connect and include the vulnerable and marginalized into the community of God’s love and presence. But first of all, do we see the face of Christ in the face of the vulnerable? Can we identify Christ in the midst of our society? Are we willing to extend the love of God to the people who are in need? I pray that God would say to us all on the day of judgement that ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

Brothers and sisters, I am not sure what challenges and difficulties you are facing now. Some of them are personal, some of them are social. But no matter what, I pray that we can all embrace and accept our vulnerability, and put our trust in God’s promise and goodness. In the face of uncertainty and fear, let us remind one another not to compromise our value and identity as a Christian and a community of Christ. Just as Christ has died in our place, are we able to find the face of Jesus in the least among us, and to extend our hospitality and love to them? But remember, we are not doing all these alone, but through welcoming Christ in our lives, God is with us. Just as apostle Paul said in Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who is against us?” May God grant us strength and faith in this time of trial. Amen.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 28, 2020

The God who answers

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 21 June 2020, World Refugee Sunday, by Tony Read. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 86:1-10.

A prayer of David.

¹Hear me, Lord, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.
²Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;     save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; ³have mercy on me, Lord,    for I call to you all day long.
⁴Bring joy to your servant, Lord,     for I put my trust in you.

⁵You, Lord, are forgiving and good,     abounding in love to all who call to you.
⁶Hear my prayer, Lord;     listen to my cry for mercy.
⁷When I am in distress, I call to you,     because you answer me.

⁸Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;     no deeds can compare with yours.
⁹All the nations you have made     will come and worship before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory to your name. ¹⁰For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
    you alone are God.

The God who answers

This Psalm is described as a prayer of David. At one time in his life there was a period when he was hunted down by King Saul and hiding out in the wilderness and forests of Israel. King Saul had become paranoid and insecure about his position as King and believed that David was plotting against him. Knowing that Saul was also a homicidal maniac David was advised to flee for his life. So there he was David, an innocent man, accused of political subversion and treason, trying to keep one step ahead of the kings posse, and fearing for his safety. David was political refugee and at one stage even had to seek refuge even amongst the Philistines who were the enemies of Israel.

We are not sure if this Psalm was written around this incident but we can be sure that this would have been the sort of prayer he would have prayed. You see David knew what it was like to be poor and needy – perhaps not in financial terms - but definitely poor in terms of his life expectancy at that moment, and in desperate need of some help. He was just like many asylum seekers and refugees today, fleeing persecution, trying to stay alive, feeling insecure, and with no real expectation for the future.

Despite all this, as he prays, one thing becomes clear in this psalm. He is confident of one thing – that God will hear him. Notice what he says: v1

¹Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.

And again in v7

⁷When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.

The important thing to note here is his boldness and confidence. You see David knew something about God that gave him confidence. That despite his problems, despite the injustice of his situation, despite the danger to his life, he knew that when he cried out to God, he was not just shouting into a big black void. It was not a just a vain expression of helplessness and desperation without any real expectation of help. It was as if he were calling on someone that he knew was just standing there waiting for the call, someone who had all the resources there ready to take action. David knew this from his experience confronting the bear and lion that were trying to take his sheep. He knew from his experience with Goliath who threatened the whole of the Israeli army like some Godzilla from hell. Actually God knew not just one thing about God but two things.

He knew that God HEARD him when he called out to him and he knew that God would ANSWER him. Lets think about that a bit more and see how they were are connected.

He called because he knew God would answer him

and

he knew God would hear him because he was poor and needy.

You see God has a heart condition – its called compassion - compassion for the poor and needy. They are of special concern to Him. His ear is attuned to their call. His heart is full of compassion for them. His eyes are searching for them. Notice this. It was not because David was some special person, not because he was anointed to be King, not because he was full of faith, not because he was a man after God’s own heart …… it was because of God’s heart not his heart.

God’s heart is for the poor and needy and He hates injustice.

If you know an asylum seeker who is in desperate need and doesn't know where to turn for help, then tell them to cry out to God, cry out to God for them, cry out to God with them because God is a god who hears and answers

David also knew that God heard the cry of the oppressed because he had heard the amazing story of Israel’s release from slavery in Egypt. It became the foundational narrative of how God deals with injustice in order to redeem his people. It all came about because God heard the cry of his people who were in slavery. It is the story that will resonate with many, many, asylum seekers perhaps not in direct circumstances but certainly in the emotions and feelings that they have experienced.

Exodus 1:11-14

¹¹So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.¹²But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites ¹³and worked them ruthlessly. ¹⁴They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

This is story of injustice – but it was also a story of God’s redemption. Listen to what God was up to

Exodus 3:7-10

⁷The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. ⁸So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ⁹And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. ¹⁰So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

As you take in the full horror of what was happening here I want you to notice the four faces of injustice

1. Political injustice – the Israelites were an immigrant, ethnic minority in a large imperial state. They had originally come as famine refugees and found welcome in Egypt (Deut 23:-8) But government policy did a U turn in a later generation, and economic asylum turned into a prison house of political hatred, unfounded fears, exploitation and discrimination. Exodus 1 echoes through the stories of many such ethnic minorities in the modern era, suffering the suspicion and systematic oppression of host states.

When the Hebrew slaves cried out to God they were crying out for political justice

When God released them he was making a political statement by condemning and defeating the forces of political discrimination and racial hatred. Redemption was strongly political in its nature

2. Economic injustice - the sharpest pain of the oppression was economic. The Israelites were being exploited as slave labour, on land not their own, for the benefit of the host nation, for its agricultural and building projects. (Ex1:11-14). It was their outcry against this that brought their plight to God’s attention cry and precipitated the compassionate intervention of God. God heard their cry for economic justice

When God released them from this exploitation he was making an economic statement by condemning slavery in the strongest terms and gave them a new economic system that was intended to outlaw such oppression within Israel itself. It was particularly in the economic realm that the Israelites were to live redemptively, in response to what God had done for them. Redemption was strongly economic in content.

3. Social Injustice – The horror story of Exodus 1 moved on from economic exploitation (which failed as tool of population control) to attempted subversion from within (via the midwives) and finally to state sponsored genocide (extermination of all male Hebrew babies by orders of the government Ex 1:22). This lack of freedom and endurance of economic oppression are now compounded by vicious invasion of family life and the denial of fundamental human rights. We don't have to look far to see this repeat itself in our modern world.

Redemption picture - So when God redeemed his people from the intolerable hell of suffering, it lead to the inauguration of a society in which limitation of government power, respect or human life and basic rights and passion for social justice were built into its founding documents. Redemption was a social transformation.

4. Spiritual Injustice– In this passage the Hebrew word for service as a slave is the same Hebrew word for that is used for worship. So there is a great contrast between their life as slaves of Pharoah and God’s heart for them. In fact at one point in the story God says to Pharoah “ Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you ‘Let my son go so he may worship me’”, implying that Pharoah was taking from the Israelites what rightly belonged to God.

When God released them from under Pharoah’s control he was giving them freedom so that they could worship him.

Redemption picture – What was God wanting to achieve here? It wasn't just freedom for his people that God was after but a whole new relationship, and God recognized that it would take something pretty disruptive and dramatic to break them out of the power hold on their lives so that this could happen. Now, today as Christians we like to spiritualize, personalize and internalize everything and just see this as a picture of the power of our own sin being broken by Jesus victory on the cross so that we can receive salvation and live our own personal, internal, spiritual lives for Jesus.

However, what I want us to see here is this:

1) God’s compassion and concern for those suffering injustice. I want us to note his recognition of the debilitating effect that injustice has on a person’s opportunity, desire and freedom to be able to worship God; to sense his concern. “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering” (Ex 3:7)… “and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them” (v9). God is concerned about suffering. He realizes that humanity needs a redeemer, and he is prepared to do something about it.

2) The devastating affect of injustice. How it ties their hands, captures them, blinds their ability to see God, restricts their choice to worship him and prevents them from receiving God’s blessings. In fact we could take this further and say that ‘Yes God gives us free will to receive him and worship him but that for ‘the poor and needy’ that choice is loaded against them.

3) Release before redemption. God’s purpose in all this drama was to redeem Israel, to bring them back to him to, to establish them as his people, give them a new land, develop a new relationship through worship, birth a new nation, his people. But in order to do that had to first get them out of their slavery before they could receive his redemption.

4) Redemption came through human hands. Yes it was all God’s work. It was all his power. It was all his miracles. But it only happened when a very scared and poorly equipped man, Moses, reluctantly decided to put his faith in God and stand up before the mighty power of Pharoah

Prayer

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 21, 2020

“We Are One Family”

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 14 June 2020, Wai Ji Sunday, by the Rev. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that day were Roman 5:1-8.

Last year Wai Ji Christian Service celebrated its 40^th anniversary at Kowloon Union Church with a thanksgiving service. We arranged for holy communion, and everyone who attended the service — including staff and service users — were welcome to receive the bread and grape juice that symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Through that, we expressed our unity as one body in Christ, and experienced union with God.

That experience with holy communion was so good that in organizing this year’s Wai Ji Sunday with Michael and other colleagues, we came up with the theme, “Union with God.” The original plan was to center the whole service around holy communion and convey our message through the sacrament.

But life is unpredictable. The coronavirus outbreak that began in the beginning of the year in Wuhan turned into a global pandemic, reaching every corner of the world, including our city of Hong Kong.

Due to public health reasons and to reduce the risk of infection, we decided to cancel the holy communion arrangement. But I still hope to share today’s message under the theme “Union with God.” The sermon title is “We Are One Family.”

Simply put, “Union with God” means “I’m in God, God is in me.” That sounds a bit abstract, so I use “home” or “family” as a symbol to illustrate it.

What characterizes a home or a family? Is it the parents? Is it the siblings? Is it a comfortable environment? Maybe. But these are all surface level. In Chinese, home and family are the same word. At the core of both is love. Then what is love?

Today’s Bible reading comes from Romans 5:1-8. It brings us a message about love, shining light on it and serving as a reminder.

I personally love Romans 5:1-8, especially verses 6 to 8.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”

Before I came to Christ, I was very annoyed by how people in church kept saying everyone is a sinner. I had always thought I was a good person, that I had integrity, that I was nice to others. I regularly volunteered to help others. What sin could I have? But one time in a sermon, I heard these verses. My heart was filled with the light of the Spirit and profoundly changed. When I thought I was doing well and without flaws, I had already committed the sin of pride and being full of myself.

More importantly, even as I realized I wasn’t perfect, that I would make mistakes and have flaws, Jesus Christ still accepted myself and other sinners unconditionally, to the extent that He sacrificed His life. It is this forgiving, self-effacing, sacrificial love that melted my whole being and saved me from the self-centered isolation from the God who created me. I was thus able to rebuild an intimate relationship with God.

Today I’m especially touched as I get to share and encourage all of you with the verses that moved me to make the decision to believe in God and follow Jesus Christ for life.

God’s great love was thoroughly manifested in Jesus’ unconditional acceptance and sacrifice.

We are all beloved sons and daughters of God who created heaven and earth. He knows that we encounter many difficulties, tragedies and misfortune, whether natural disasters or human-made catastrophes. But God never did abandon us as orphans. He came to this world and bore the pain with us. Jesus Christ descended among us while we were still weak, wronged and even left Him. He held nothing back as he suffered and died for us, sacrificing Himself.

Every year, Wai Ji Sunday is a special occasion for us to once again see that God, who unconditionally loves us.

God loves each and every one of us. God does not compare which one of us is smarter, has more accomplishments, earns more, or is more educated. God does not play favorites. In God’s creation, we are all beautiful, valued, dignified — we are all His treasures. In God’s eyes, everyone is unique.

Everyone who’s created by God, no matter how meek or small they may appear to the world, even if they break the law, they can receive Christ’s unconditional love. And they can joyfully, freely worship God, singing and dancing to praise Him, just like the service users did today.

During these difficult times amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it is in helping, sharing generously with and supporting each other that we manifest our love in unity in Christ.

When we love each other, we live out the true meaning of “We Are One Family” of our faith in our life. This love can help engender endurance and hope, because we know we are not alone. We have God, and we have one another.

Wai Ji staff and volunteers continue to provide loving service to service users. The parents and family of these mentally challenged children and adults stand by their side. In their acceptance and sacrifice, I see the presence of Christ.

Finally, I would like to conclude with Romans 5:2-5.

May Kowloon Union Church and all the staff, volunteers and parents at Wai Ji be strengthened by God’s word and Christ’s love. May they continue to be of one heart; in such uncertain times in Hong Kong, may they stand by the mission to serve the vulnerable brothers and sisters among us, in order to build a loving, inclusive and equal family and world in unity.

Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. (Romans 5:2-5)

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 14, 2020

Who will put out the fire?

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 7 June 2020, First Sunday after Pentecost, by Dr. Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro. The scripture readings that day were Genesis 1:1-2:4a; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13.

An episode of a TV program called Last Week Tonight with John Oliver featured Bill Nye, popularly known as The Science Guy. His topic was on climate change. Nye supplemented his brief speech by showing a globe model that was burning. He declared, “The Earth is on fire.” He tried to blow the fire out, but he could not do it. Distressed, he turned to the audience, and said, “I didn’t mind explaining photosynthesis to you when you were twelve, but you are adults now, and this is an actual crisis. Any effort to save the planet must be made right now.” So, who will help put out the fire?

In 2019, wildfires have dominated the media. In a brief video clip, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring System maps the areas of the planet that experienced wildfires over the last 12 months. Wildfires raged across Africa, Australia, California, Indonesia, Syria, Siberia, Alaska, the Arctic, and in Benguet, Philippines even as the COVID-19 pandemic was raging. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring System recorded at least one hundred separate and recent wildfires. The fires have burned homes and tens of thousands of acres of land. The usual explanation for most of these unprecedented catastrophes is the “unusually hot and dry conditions” of the regions. Of course, there were stories that some unscrupulous people torched the forests in the Amazon, Malaysia and Indonesia to give way to some mining and plantation projects such as coffee, cocoa, palm oil, or cattle ranches for our steak and burgers. The wildfires have released hundreds of megatons of carbon dioxide into the air. The Indonesian fire alone pumped out 708 megatons of CO₂. In April, the temperature in my hometown reached 42⁰ Celsius. That was the highest temperature we have ever had in our area. Literally and metaphorically, the Earth is on fire! Who will put the fire out? And why can’t we help put out the fire?

Let us go back to the Creation story. The reading was rather long, and the story is familiar. According to the Genesis story, God breathed the “wind” (ruach) or spirit over the face of the waters, over chaos, and created order. God created, not through magic. And the Earth emerged as a beautiful planet among the other planets in the galaxies. There was evening, and there was morning. There were mountains, seas, trees, birds, cattle, and all kinds of living creatures. And God saw that it was good! And then, entered the latecomers, the human beings. Scientists said that for 10,000-12,000 years, during the Holocene period, the climate was generally stable. But at the advent of machine inventions, and industrialization, especially at the turn of the 20th century, overwhelming alterations of the atmospheric, geologic, hydrologic, biospheric, and other earth systems took place. Greed and acquisitiveness led to the anthropogenic or human-influenced activities, and now we are in the period of the Anthropocene. And what is the result? The Earth is on fire!

Each one of us might probably say, “Oh, No! No, I am not guilty of bringing in the Anthropocene!” But we are caught unawares! You and I are all complicit in the destruction of the Earth, in one way or another. Our consumerist values, our choices of food, and our lifestyles have led to the destruction of Mother Earth. The wealthy nations and their companies/corporations intensified their race to get access to Mother Earth’s resources, scoured her bowels, and raped the land. What for? To feed their insatiable greed for profit. But also, to feed people's/our materialist desires and wants for unnecessary goods and unhealthy foods. But we are not conscious of the consequences of our desires. For example, when we buy something, how many of us would ask: where did this item come from? How did the production of this item impact the Earth? How did the production of this item impact the lives of the communities, and the workers?

A UK-based scientist said that “the shift into the Anthropocene tells us that we are playing with fire, a potentially reckless mode of behaviour which we are likely to come to regret, unless we get a grip on the situation.” And yet, when the Earth defenders all over the world try to stop these “reckless behaviour,” they get murdered. And we keep silent because we are beneficiaries of the products of these anthropogenic activities. So, can we put out the fire if we are the beneficiaries of the economic and political systems that put the planet into the fire? Why did we come into this stage?

Dominion, subdue and stewardship?

I just would like to focus on some keywords in Genesis 1:26 and 28, namely, God said: “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; . . . be fruitful . . . fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea. . . ” Question: If we are created in the image of the Creator Triune God, why are we destroying the good earth that God created? Where did this destructive tendency come from?

First, I think humanity has forgotten that they/we, are created beings. The Triune God created us in God’s image. But then, we refuse to remember that we are earthlings. We have been so proud and arrogant. We think all other earthlings on this planet are at our disposal. Consequently, instead of reflecting God’s image, we fashion God in our own image. Patriarchy, for example, has created the idea that man is the proper image of god and demanded subservience from women and the rest of the creatures.

Second, we refuse to see the Godself revealed in Creation. Theologians have debated over the notion of God being revealed in nature. Some argued that such a view is pantheistic, and it is not acceptable. But then, around the 1950s, the destruction of the Earth was moving speedily to a peak. The ecotheologians began to counter-argue for panentheism: that God reveals the Godself in nature, although nature and the universe do not exhaust the meaning of God.

Third, we do not understand what the writers of Genesis mean with the word dominion (rada) and subdue (kabash). Associated with the concept of stewardship, the idea of “dominion” and “subdue” became a license for human beings to exercise power over the Earth, instead of caring for the Earth. Humanity assumed they are the owners of the Earth. And what is the result? The Earth is on fire!

So, what now?

Shall we be just bystanders and watch the Earth burn literally? Is there anything we can do? How can we make sense of our faith understandable in our discourse and action, particularly concerning the Earth? Let me share some points for further reflection on this World Environment Day.

First, let us remember that we are earthlings. We are not the center of the world. Life is, and there is no life without the Earth. Being created in God’s image means we must understand that God’s creation is good. Our task is to maintain its goodness. Now, how about rada/dominion, and kabash/subdue? Frankly, I had problems with these words, and I tried to find other images or metaphors elsewhere in the Bible. I find these words problematic because I see these as the source of humankind’s arrogance. But since this is the lectionary text for today, I must wrestle with these words. Dominion and subdue were associated with ben bayith, which literally means “child of the house.” The common term is steward, or perhaps, a housekeeper, in contemporary times. A steward is a trusted person who takes charge of the property or affairs of the true owner. To be a trusted person, a steward must understand the mind, the values, the concerns, and visions of the true owner. Even as earthlings, we are called to be ben bayith, stewards who would practice dominion in the sense of taking charge of God’s creation, rather than lording it over and exploiting the Earth. We are called to subdue the Earth in the sense of making the goodness of the Earth flourish. And God will see it is good.

Second, we must practice an environmental ethics. Environmental ethics ins one that holds on to the moral principles anchored on our faith in a God who is good, just, and life loving. Environmental ethics is about caring and accountability. These are moral principles should guide our conduct in our relationship with the Earth and with each other. For example, we might consider shifting our concept of “taking care” to “giving care” or “caring for” the Earth and for our fellow earthlings. We need to be conscious of our accountability for any harm or wrong that is done to the Earth. It is good that today, there are people who advocate that ecocide - the destruction of nature - must be regarded as a crime. We also need to learn from the indigenous peoples. They are front liners in defending the Earth because they regard the Earth as their mother. Along this line, ecofeminists have re-imagined the Earth as God’s body. If we take seriously the spirituality and ethics of the Indigenous People and the ecofeminists' view that the Earth is God’s body, perhaps, we will be mindful not to inflict harm to the body of our Mother, the Earth reveals the Godself. Think of this: how can you throw rubbish into God’s face? How can you desecrate our Mother’s body that is manifest in the seas, forests, mountains and more?

Third, let us go back briefly to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Paul established this church, but when he left, he was sad to hear that the church in Corinth were having troubles – there were fake “super apostles” peddling different teachings. So, in this letter, Paul called upon the Corinthians to settle their conflicts over different worldviews, and doctrines, and to transform themselves. Paul asked the Corinthians to put things in order, and to be reconciled with one another symbolized by the greetings with a holy kiss. (Of course, we cannot do that now due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the protocol of social distancing!)

The situation of the church of Corinth is not far from the situation of many churches today. There are conflicts – doctrinal, personal, political, power struggles. But a church entangled with internal problems could not attend to God’s mission. So, Paul’s exhortation is still relevant to us today. We, as earthlings, are part of the ecology of the Earth. Remember that ecology is rooted in the concept of household (oikos) and the relationship of organisms to one another and their physical surroundings. The Earth is God’s household, and we are called to put things in order so that we may live in peace. “Order” is about of justice-making both for human beings and other earthlings. It does not mean National Security Law and/or Anti-Terrorism Bill. These do not help put order in God’s household. Surely, the ministry of defending the Earth these days is risky because there are those powers-that-be that dominate and seek to amass power and wealth at the expense of the people and the Earth. On the one hand, how many churches as institutions, and as people, are engaged in justice-making and peacebuilding? I am glad I am part of KUC, a church that tries its best to help in putting things on this Earth in order. On the other hand, how many Christians, church-going people are involved in industries, businesses, and other activities that led to the destruction of the Earth?

Celebrating a Wonderful World

Sisters and Brothers, as we celebrate the World Environment Sunday, may we remember that we are earthlings tasked to main the goodness of God’s creation. May we practice environmental ethics that cares for the Earth and be accountable for any harm done to the Mother Earth. And lastly, may we remember to put things in order in God’s household – the Earth.

As we come to the Lord’s table, let us remember that in commemorating the Passover, which was his last supper, Jesus lifted and celebrated the Earth by using elements from the fruits of the field – the wine and the bread. But can we celebrate and partake of the wine and bread when the Earth is on fire? Will you be willing to help put out the fire – literally and metaphorically?

Yes, I believe we can, if we ask for God’s forgiveness and reconcile ourselves with Mother Earth, and with God who is revealed in nature.

Remember Paul’s call: “Put things in order.” You and I are called to put out the fire. We have the assurance that the God of love and peace will be with us. Let us all do this together so we can hopefully find ourselves, along with other earthlings, basking in a reconciled, flourishing, wonderful world.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 07, 2020

Reflections...

Vulnerability and Faith

The God who answers

“We Are One Family”

Who will put out the fire?

Archives