Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on 25 June 2023, by Cecilia Yeung. The scripture readings that day were 1 Kings 17:17 - 24, Psalm 146 and Luke 7: 11-17.

Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ,

 

Today, we gather together to celebrate Refugee Sunday, a day which we set aside to acknowledge and pray for the millions of refugees around the world. 

 

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you today, mindful of the many refugees around the world who are facing unimaginable challenges and hardships. We ask for your guidance and wisdom to help us understand your love and care for the most vulnerable among us.

 

I don’t always wear glasses, but I love wearing them sometimes. This is colour-tinted sunglasses. I have other glasses as well, such as ski glasses. I got one for watching a 3D movie at IMAX. They all serve different purposes. These lenses can affect how we look at things and perceive things.

 

I believe that the same may apply to how we look at the Scriptures for today.  What lenses we use to see and read can shape our attitudes towards compassion, diversity, justice, and morality, and impact our ability to empathize with others. Eventually, it affects how we live out the Scriptures.

 

The passages from 1 Kings and Luke share a common theme of miraculous resurrections performed by prophets. One is Elijah, and the other is Jesus. Both stories involve the death of a young man and the grief of his mother. The stories also demonstrate the power of faith. The widows’ faith in God was tested when their sons died, but they continued to trust in God's goodness and provision. The stories also demonstrate the compassion of God, who intervenes in the lives of his people in times of need.  When their sons were restored to life, their faith was strengthened, and they were able to see that God had not abandoned them. 

 

There is no doubt that the miraculous raising of the young man from the dead takes centre stage in both passages, and for good allegorical reasons. These passages bear symbolic signs about the messianic meaning of Jesus, and the authority of Jesus over all impossible circumstances. 

 

The scenes of Raising a son from the dead could be the lens that connects us to the emotional agony of the widows and the divine compassion in response to the trauma of the grieving mothers. Our emotional and spiritual senses tell us to trust that God will somehow comfort us with the same power. 

 

We believe in the power of the Lord, but we are human beings and we are too weak. This is simply too far away from us because our life experiences and social realities tell us that raising a son from death is not likely to happen.

 

We really want the Bible to speak a relevant and personal message to us and to our day. And that is indeed what the Bible is for.

 

Sunglasses look cool, but I wouldn't want to wear sunglasses all the time. Because these colour-tint glasses do not allow me to see the vibrant colour of God’s justice on earth. I want the glasses that show me the fullness of God. 

 

In particular I want to see the colour that is called “justice”. Justice is not about seeking political upheaval for the sake of revolution. But rather justice is about reading and doing God’s word. It is about seeing the world with compassion, and doing the word (or work?) that helps bring forth liberation and freedom.

 

In Psalm 146, we read a hymn that praises God for his justice and compassion for the oppressed. The psalmist reminds us that we serve a God who "executes justice for the oppressed" and "gives food to the hungry" and "sets the prisoners free." This God is not indifferent to the suffering of his people but is actively working to restore justice and dignity to those who are oppressed. 

The psalmist also reminds us that our hope is not in human leaders or institutions but in God who alone is able to bring about lasting change.  We must trust in God's power and grace, knowing that he is able to bring about transformation beyond what we can imagine as we work towards a more just and compassionate world. In my limited experience in serving in the refugee and asylum seeker community, it's by the grace of God, his compassion that led me to keep going, wanting to see more of his work for the refugees. 

 

Look at the story from Luke today, when the crowds were expecting the widow’s grief, and a miracle of raising the son. Justice called us to see the world with compassion.  

The widow who had lost her only son and was likely facing a very difficult future without anyone to care for her. When Jesus saw her, he was moved with compassion and told her not to weep. He then approached the dead man and commanded him to rise. The man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 

 

By giving this woman back her son, in the context of her time, not only does Jesus heal her sorrow and loss, but he has changed her entire social and economic future. Because In Jesus' time, a widow was a woman whose husband had died, leaving her without any means of financial support or protection. 

 

Widows were often among the most vulnerable members of society, particularly if they had no male relatives to care for them. They were typically excluded from many aspects of social and religious life and were often forced to rely on charity and the generosity of others to survive.

 

Look at the audacity of the widows who lost their sons. 

In both passages, both of these widows showed great audacity in approaching Elijah or Jesus with their requests, asking for their dead sons to be raised from the dead. They were both in desperate situations and had nothing to lose by asking for a miracle. 

 

The pain, suffering, loss, trauma, anxiety, uncertainty, social and economic status and even vulnerability, fear of relying on community, or even anger are real feelings. Having these feelings also leads them to be fully human as God has created them to be. Truly embracing our real emotions as human beings.

 

Their bold faith and emotions interacted with the divine, and were rewarded, as both their sons were raised from the dead. This is our God whom we put our faith in. Do we have the audacity to ask God for what is justice in his kingdom?

 

Today's sermon is titled "Restoring Justice". These passages speak to the theme of justice and how we, as Christians, are called to respond to the needs of those who are suffering. Kowloon Union Church has always placed great importance on “restoring justice” in society and caring for the poor, weak, and marginalized groups. I want to make use of this Refugee Sunday to share with you all what KUC has done for the refugees throughout these 100 years. 

 

In the 1960s, China was in the midst of the Great Leap Forward, which ultimately led to a catastrophic famine and political persecution. As a result, many Chinese people fled to neighboring countries, including Hong Kong, which was a British colony at the time. KUC provided material assistance to refugees from mainland China and also provided educational opportunities for children from impoverished families.

 

1975 was the year when the Vietnam War ended. One of our church members, Pastor Le Thanh Nhon, fled to Hong Kong during the fall of Saigon and was able to minister to many Vietnamese refugees arriving in Hong Kong. He and the congregation continued to meet in our sanctuary. KUC received about 35 refugees into baptism and the Christian fellowship of our church. 

 

2008: Refugee ministry began to serve those who fled to Hong Kong from Southeast Asia and Africa, until today. We have served hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees over the years.

 

Sisters and brothers, do you see the historical significance of KUC?  In 1922, about 200 residents living in the Kowloon district collectively signed a letter to the government, requesting land to be provided for the construction of an interdenominational church in Kowloon, similar to the Union Church in the Hong Kong Island district, to accommodate the gathering of believers in the Kowloon area. 

 

Since then, this church has nurtured many lives and communities, including the asylum seeker and refugee community. Can you imagine, throughout this century, thousands of prayers were offered for the refugee community on this premise by the people like you and me? The history of KUC tells us that… What we are doing today, could be answers to the prayers from the past. What we pray for the refugee community today, could be something we hope for in the future. 

 

As we reflect on the plight of refugees around the world, we must remember that each of them is someone's son or daughter, someone's mother or father. Our care for refugees doesn't stop at merely knowing the total number of refugees in Hong Kong, which is 14000, but that they are human beings created in the image of God.

 

As Christians, let us be willing to open our hearts and our communities to those who have been displaced by war, famine, and persecution. Within our strength, we provide food, shelter, and clothing to those in need, to advocate for their rights, and to work towards a more just and equitable world. But our response must go beyond mere charity.

 

Let us also work towards restoring the dignity and identity of those who have been displaced. We must recognize that refugees are not just passive recipients of aid but active agents of change in their own lives and communities. Just like the widows in the passage today. They come with bold faith and audacity to ask for the restoration of justice. 

 

Let us listen to our refugee friends’ stories, learn from their experiences, and work together to build a more inclusive and just society. Use our voices to speak out against the policies and practices that cause displacement and marginalization. 

 

As we seek to restore justice in the world, we must also remember that justice begins from God through our work. Let us begin by examining our own lives and asking ourselves if we are living in a way that reflects God's justice and compassion.  May we all work to address the systemic injustices that exist in our own neighbourhoods and cities. 

 

Restoring justice is not just a task for governments or NGOs but a calling for all of us as Christians. As we go out into the world, let us be guided by the example of Jesus, who saw the suffering of the vulnerable and marginalized and was moved with compassion to respond to their needs. May we follow in his footsteps, seeking justice for the oppressed, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and caring for the sick and the vulnerable. Restore the dignity and identity of those who have been displaced by recognizing their stories and empowering them to be agents of change in their own lives and communities.

 

Amen.