Let’s imagine: if nearly thirty Christians, each one agonizing over the ecological stress and degradation in the region they call home were to meet for the first time, what would happen? They might learn together, share their hearts and minds, cry out for God’s intervention, even in tears, and envision some concrete steps to address the agonies and express hope in Christ. That was what actually happened at the first ever A Rocha-sponsored event in Hong Kong on a beautiful Saturday in mid-April.
At that inaugural meeting of the HK Christians in Conservation group (formed as part of A Rocha International’s facilitating efforts in SE Asia), concerned Christians from all walks of life, both local and expat, convened and conversed. Amongst them were ecology educators, marine biologists, conservation advocates, organic farming practitioners, a local eco-tour organizer, an international corporate executive, seminarians and youth workers. They were joined by A Rocha team members from the UK, Singapore and Canada, including co-founders Peter & Miranda Harris.
The gathering started with the sharing of participants’ individual particularities, and ended in Holy Communion together, declaring their shared foundation in Jesus Christ and concerns over God’s creation, despite their differences in denominational traditions, approaches in environmental concerns, even ethnicity. The event was over, but a movement of creation care by Chinese Christians, seemingly modest and insignificant at the moment, might have just begun in Hong Kong!
在香港的一個週六
請嘗試想像：接近卅位為著他們稱為家園的都會地區，因飽受生態環境壓力及破損而哀鳴的基督徒，首次聚首一堂時，會有何事發生？他們會一起聆聽學習、彼此分享心聲、交流心得、同心祈求上主介入，甚至為此流淚飲泣，並共同願景一些實質的行動，展現在基督裡受造大地獲得更新釋放的盼望… 這正是 A Rocha 首次在香港協辦的聚會中的一些實錄。
這次「香港基督徒生態保育關注組」首屆退修集思會，在四月中一個晴朗的週六舉行，不同背景但分擔共同關注的基督徒，有本地土生土長的，也有來自其他國家在此間工作定居的朋友，大家濟濟一堂，他們中間有生態教育老師、海洋生物專家、保育議題倡導人士、有機農耕工作者、本地生態導賞活動負責人、跨國企業行政人員、神學院師生及青年工作導師等等，A Rocha 團隊成員，包括創辦人 Peter 及 Miranda Harris, 也分別從英國、新加坡及加拿大前來參加。
聚會以參加者分享各自的獨特願景及身份開始，最後卻以聖餐作結，表明各人雖然在信仰傳統、環境關注取向及方法、甚至族裔背景上或有差異，大家仍能在基督耶穌為共同根基上，及關懷屬上主的受造世界的大前提下同心合一。這次退修集思會雖然已經曲終人散，然而，一個華人基督徒的生態保育運動，可能已經從這個看似微不足道的起點，靜悄悄地在香港開始！
