A Sorrowful Season

Return of Sewage Pumping Station Issues

As the new school term began last year, my intuition told me that the coming academicyear was not going to be an easy one.

In June of last year, we learned about the government’s plan to construct a major sewage pumping station just 5 meters away from the seminary’s main entrance. In fact, this delicate issue had been haunting us from as early as March 2009 when I had just taken office as President. Residents nearby took the initiative to approach the seminary, hoping to oppose the project jointly as a neighborhood.

The seminary was initially willing to fulfill our civil duties and accept the plan of having the station built near the seminary if in fact it was the most appropriate location for this public facility. However, as we investigated this issue, we found that the site selection by the Drainage Services Department(DSD) is not entirely justified. It is seemingly the result of a consideration of convenience rather than a thorough consideration of the best possible site for the pumping station. Therefore, we urge the Drainage Services Department to consider another site to ensure that residents nearby are free from any adverse impacts and that the natural ecologyof our beautiful bay will not be harmed.

Part of the beautiful bay next to the seminary had been listed as “Site of Special Scientific Interest” for its unique geological feature. The large area of mangroves and wetland is more than just a natural habitat for wildlife such as chameleons, bats, egrets, mudskippers, etc. It is also a great holiday hangout for local Hong Kong people. The seminary has expressed our views to the government that we are willing to accept the pumping station to be built in close proximity if there are no other better options in site selection, and if the project can pass the environmental impact assessments. We have been communicating closely with both residents nearby and the DSD throughout the years, and closely monitoring the progress of the project, in hopes of fulfilling our civil duties in supporting government administrations while striking a balance among the interests of all the different parties involved.

Escalation of the Problem

Comparing the different sites proposed by the DSD in 2009 and 2014 respectively, the current plan proposed in 2018 has the most significant impact on the seminary in terms of the proximity and scale of the project. The location of the pumping station has moved from 60 meters south of the seminary, as proposed by the government in 2009, to a significantly closer proximity of 5 meters north of the seminary in the recent 2018 proposal. The scale of the project has also been expanded from a design flow of about 12,500 m3 per day, as proposed in 2014, to about 20,600 m3 per day in 2018.

Should the 2018 proposal be given a go-ahead, we believe that irreversible and serious impact will be brought upon the teaching and living environment of our seminary, as well as upon the natural ecology and environment of the bay nearby.

Unresponsiveness of the Government

For many years, the seminary has communicated in a most “civilized” manner with the various administrations, merely expressing our views by official means of correspondence, instead of making our voices heard in the mass media and letting public opinion serve our purposes. When considering our experience in interacting with the government for the past ten years, we did notice a significant change in the attitude of the government in recent years. Ten years ago, mail was sent and replies were typically returned quickly. This time, however, no concrete or substantial replies have been received since we learned of the updates to the project proposing that the pumping station is to be constructed just 5 meters away from our main entrance and, as recommended by our Campus Environmental Consultation and Development Committee, we have eagerly tried to liaise with the government through correspondence for more than a year. I have a feeling of a turn for the worse considering such circumstances.

Construction Work Is Destructive to the Body and the Mind

On top of all that, the property developer responsible for a major residential development project to build 9500 flats in Shap Sze Heung, has started the initial preparation works such as building bus terminals and widening the roads nearby the seminary since mid-2018, causing a significant increase in air and noise pollution around our campus. Students, teachers, staff and their families that reside in our dormitories are increasingly starting to suffer from skin, eye and respiratory problems. Those most seriously affected have chosen to move out of our campus to avoid the polluted environment. A rough estimate indicated that at least ten people in the seminary have been and continue to suffer from respiratory diseases during this period. I myself have had to live with a persistent cough for the past eight months since the beginning of 2019. I have spent many sleepless nights owing to my cough. It was so bad that it even caused my doctor to suspect me of having lung cancer; thankfully, a thorough examination carried out in the hospital recently ruled out that possibility.

Additionally, jarring vibrations have also become a part of the daily life of students and staff on the campus since May this year. Our bodies are intolerant of continuous strong vibrations from the construction work around the campus. Some teachers have had difficulties concentrating on their work with the extent and continuity of the vibrations while there were even students vomiting as a result.

Work Begins before Site Approval?!

From our observations since May this year, we have witnessed the construction work carried out on Nin Ming Road (approximately 5 meters away from the faculty dormitory) where government contractors have begun building a tunnel boring machine shaft for laying sewage pipes at the site selected for the pumping station while official environmental impact assessments are still waiting to take place. This indeed causes concerns and suspicions that the government already started the advance works of the sewage pumping station even though its site selection has not yet been approved. The seminary has therefore corresponded again in July with the Development Bureau and the Environment Bureau as well as twelve relevant departments, inquiring about the issue of constructing a pumping station 5 meters outside the seminary. It has been three months since the mail was sent and we are still eagerly waiting for their replies.

In summary, our teachers, students and staff are suffering physically and psychologically as the seminary faces challenges and an overload of stress from the proposed construction of the pumping station 5 meters outside our campus as well as the various construction works nearby by the property developer.

Surrounded by Loving Forces in Evil Days

Our beloved teacher and missionary, Rev. Dr. Jerry Moye, passed away from illness in March this year and the entire community of our seminary grieved over our loss. In addition, several teachers and their family members were suffering from fatal illnesses during the academic year 2018-19. Meanwhile, both my parents had been admitted to the hospital one after another. What’s more, the controversy of the “extradition bill” has been fermenting and intensifying in Hong Kong.

Saddened by Dr. Moye’s death, we have all tried to move on with our lives embracing the hope of resurrection. Though missing this great teacher makes us sad, alumni, students and teachers of the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (HKBTS) shall always remember deep in our hearts the message of “Transfiguration” which he had shared with us.

Hong Kong has seen unprecedented conflicts since mid-summer this year. Ongoing protests and violence have left our society at a difficult crossroads. Insults and bickering illustrate the widening social rifts in Hong Kong and some churches are facing the risks of splitting. Our teachers have not made any unanimous declarations or discussions during the summer. Yet we were all filled with the Holy Spirit and made appropriate responses in our own roles. I did wonder, “Is the theological knowledge which our teachers equipped their students with sufficient or relevant? How should our students deal with the current situation?” I asked our teachers these questions and they replied that they had no idea.

Edification

Our teachers returned to campus in August and joined the Faculty Retreat. The theme this year is “HKBTS’s Response to the Challenges of the Times.” The theme had been decided long before the “extradition bill” crisis started, yet it happened to be such a timely topic given the situation that our society is dealing with today. The faculty came to a consensus from God during the retreat, namely that we are to keep our focus on teaching, both in the seminary and in churches, so that the congregation may understand how to face the challenges of our society. Faculty members may stay true to their conscience and publish their thoughts accordingly. We believe the means of response does not have to be a joint declaration, and edification can also serve the purpose.

Foundation for “Down-to-earth” Faith Practices

After the Faculty Retreat, our teachers and students took part in the Spiritual Formation Camp before the new school term commenced. “Prayer” was chosen long ago as the theme of the camp by the Spiritual Devotion Department of our Student Union. Our teachers were a little upset before the camp, worrying that students may find the topic prayer being fairly “in the clouds” in the present time. However, our teachers thought that prayer is the most “down-to-earth” faith practice at this time.

The theme was explored in three different sessions, namely “What Is Prayer?” by our chaplain Rev. Brian Lam, “How to Pray for the World?” by Dr. Freeman Huen, and “The Theological Foundation of Prayer” by Dr. Sarah Shea. We all attended these talks with a grieving heart and put prayer into practice.

An evening prayer meeting was held in the second night of the camp, where the Student Union led us in a prayer for the different needs of this disciple community for the new school year, and the needs of the seminary were the last items on the prayer list. I was inspired and shared with our students how we have been consistently dealing with different major social issues (such as the “Container Terminal Labor Dispute,” the “Moral and National Education Controversy,” and the “Occupy Central Movement”) in recent years. I also shared with them how we may choose to respond in different ways to all sorts of controversies over major ethical issues arising from various tragedies and trials in life, but reminded them that prayer must always be the base of our action, and only on this base can we give appropriate responses. I hope they would understand that as each person in their own unique situation is faced with different problems, they would surely have different perspectives and considerations, and hence different response.

On that occasion, with consent previously given by Dr. Andres Tang, I disclosed what Dr. Tang was confronted with: he was experiencing emotional pain as his wife was dying. I then asked Dr. Tang to share with us his thoughts. Everyone went up to him and consoled him as the night wrapped up. I observed from afar and saw love and sincerity among us. Meanwhile, I noticed the empathetic Rev. Brian Lam, who lost a good friend coincidentally this very day ten years ago, was also quietly grieving. Life is full of such grievances, yet in them are also filled with God’s grace.

Prudence and Practical Wisdom

In the Opening Convocation Ceremony on August 27, I spoke on the topic “Blessed Are Those Who Find Wisdom,” explaining that prudence is the first of all the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance) as the other three virtues are closely tied to prudence. Without prudence, no right decision can be made. Without prudence, there is no knowing of what fortitude is. Without prudence, one knows not what an act of justice is. Without prudence, one does not know how to balance our lusts and desires, and keep our integrity in life. In the Christian context, prudence is practical wisdom (phronēsis), “having the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (ref. Phil 2:5-8). It is characterized by discernment through humility. With a humble heart, we can pray before God, learn his will and also pray and seek his will with others in the community. A humble person must pray before and after making any decisions.

Two days later, the first All Seminary Prayer Meeting for the new school year was held. Rev. Brian Lam brought us to reflect on: who was present a year ago but was absent that day at the chapel. After we realized who left us and considered the current plight in Hong Kong, Rev. Lam shared with us the hymn “Von GutenMächten” which was originally a poem written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the end of his life for his mother in late 1944. Part of the translated text is: “Still matters of the past are pressing our hearts and evil days are weighing down on us….God is with us at dusk and in the morningand most assuredly on ev’ry day.” Every word and phrase brings comfort to our weeping souls.

Theology Salon

Dr. Andres Tang and I demonstrated what a “theology salon” was at the chapel on September 3. The idea of holding a theology salon came from the annual meeting of the President’s Council in April. As churches are eagerly seeking for theologia (the wisdom of theology), we think about sending our teachers into local areas in the new school year, serving two to three local churches at a time by examining issuesthat concern all of them. Hopefully these issues are within the research and interest scope of our teachers, so it would not be too demanding for them. And the issues would be discussed in a conversational manner. I would act as the host with one or two teachers sharing their thoughts and interacting with the audience. This learning style is what I always refer to as “edification” where education is taking place in a steady, gradual and subtle manner. It can refresh churches and bring positive changes in society.

With the above ideas in mind, Dr. Tang and I attempted to have our teachers and students sample what a theology salon is like during the chapel. We had no idea that Rev. Lam would mention Bonhoeffer in the All Seminary Prayer Meeting when we were preparing for this “chapel version” of theology salon, and Rev. Lam definitely knew nothing about how Dr. Tang and I would have a conversation about Bonhoeffer at the chapel that followed. In the theology salon, Dr. Tang corrected the misconception of some people that Dietrich Bonhoeffer had played an important role in the assassination plot on Adolf Hitler. Dr. Tang also spoke on some important ethical ideas of Bonhoeffer, such as how he stressed the unity of the church and how the church should be united when facing social issues. We had a very meaningful exchange of views, but the time constraint of our chapel meeting prevented the discussion from reaching its full strength.

New Start of the New School Year

We hope our students would understand the unique perspective and thinking of the seminary through their first-hand experiences in the Spiritual Formation Camp, Opening Convocation Ceremony, All Seminary Prayer Meeting and the theology salon. We will keep on reviewing and reflecting. Now our teachers are also ready for churches’ invitations to hold a theology salon.

As classes started in August, I shared my thoughts in both faculty and staff meetings of how I had a heartfelt warmness in me: despite the sadness of the past academic year, the new academic year is a new start where the seminary will continue to meet and overcome new challenges. Even with the pumping station issue, social unrest, and death of dear ones, the seminary shall continue to turn our eyes upon God’s grace, focus on nurturing the next generation of pastors and faculty through edification, as well as living out the best of ourselves, and strive to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.

Yes, we must walk humbly with our God, as this is of utmost importance!

Nov 2019