我想告訴人們，我們聖安德烈教會沒有難民計劃，沒有難民牧師或事工，也沒有神奇的難民基金（儘管成百上千的人會告訴你不然）。我為甚麼要這樣說？嗯，因為這是真的。我們是在彌敦道一三八號聚會的教會，眾所周知，教會不是建築物，而是其成員。聖安德烈的成員即使碰巧是難民，他們也與其他成員一樣，一視同仁。
弗雷澤（Frasier）是我們教會的成員之一。他是一名難民，但他也是一名教師、牧師、朋友和基督徒。在我記憶所及，他都是我們教會的一員。
弗雷澤開始時參加週四上午九時三十分的崇拜，和晚上男子團契。他是一個很棒的夥伴。他結交朋友，定期來教會，並且是男子團契的忠實成員；他們在那裡學習聖經，互相祈禱，一起生活。他們甚至偶爾喜歡喝杯雪莉酒。就是這麼簡單──也這麼複雜。
弗雷澤是我們教會大家庭的重要成員。他像其他成員一樣的接受教牧關懷、門徒訓練和紀律。教會成員和同工支持他應對生活中大大小小的挑戰。如果弗雷澤不是信徒，我們就會向祂傳福音，像跟其他進門的尋道者一樣。我們有三十位像弗雷澤這樣的成員，我們為每一位都感謝神。
儘管總有改進的空間，我相信在週末和平日聚會中，我們的會員也受到這樣的對待。我們會著意歡迎來賓，熱情問候，介紹他們給其他會眾。我們重視幫助他們參與教會活動和門徒訓練小組，沒有任何區別。這可能包括志願服務、加入小組，或像我們其他人一樣參加禮拜活動等。雖然有時彼此存在文化和語言障礙，但這對我們的城市或我們的教會來說，並不是甚麼新鮮事。實際上，正是教會成員的多元使教會更加堅固。這樣我們可以擺脫被視為「只是」難民或尋求庇護者的負面標記，更確實地被視為在彌敦道的基督教會聚會的成員。
或許這種想法太理想化了，但當我們思考這些問題時，試圖關心我們的成員以及他們在這個城市面臨的情況和挑戰，很容易感到無助。如果你和我一樣，看到巴勒斯坦被迫流離失所的人們悲慘景象，以及阿富汗人民經歷接二連三的地震後所遭受的災難，你會心碎。更不用說城市中的難民問題，有統計指，截至二○二二年城市中的難民和尋求庇護者有大約一萬四千人。然而，我們都清楚且深感遺憾的是，實際情況和社會政策遠未有所改善。
面對像弗雷澤和這城其他人看似無望的處境，人會置身挫折之中；我在耶穌關於末世最有力的話語中，找到了安慰。在路加福音廿一章5-11節，當他談到聖殿的毀滅和末世時，他說：「當你們聽見打仗和動亂的事，不要驚惶；因為這些事必須先發生，但終結不會立刻就到。」（編按：《和合本修訂版》，下同）在這些啟示性的語言中，我們得到了旨在保證教會在最具挑戰性的環境中、保持對上帝的信任的話語。戰爭、饑荒和流離失所是可怕的事情，然而，耶穌在描述這些可怕的事件時，告訴他的聽眾不要害怕。
儘管路加福音廿一章5-11節的語言和意像都是毀滅性的，但它卻是一段充滿希望的經文，其基礎是相信上帝不僅仍然存在於世界上，而且正在引導這世界，這些事情必須在祂回來並糾正錯誤之前發生。對於我們的教友來說，在看似不可能的情況下，我們希望有一天主會回來並糾正事情。情況很糟糕，但我們不必失去希望。因此，我們盡一切所能，期待以賽亞給我們的偉大邀請：「來！你們所有乾渴的，都當來到水邊；沒有銀錢的也可以來。你們都來，買了吃；不用銀錢，不付代價，就可買酒和奶。」（賽五十五1）。有一天，上帝的子民將會有一場宴會，他們都可以來，他們不需要付錢，所有這些罪惡、死亡、饑餓、流離失所都將被忘記，因為我們將永遠享受上帝的國度和上帝本身。
我希望弗雷澤和其他人，在我們的教會學到了這種希望，我們的教會成員也知道弗雷澤是像他們一樣的成員，我們共同面對挑戰並彼此扶持。我希望我們所有的成員都知道，在一個被罪惡破壞的世界中，上帝拯救了我們，並且有一天將一切置於祂的主權之下。對於我們的難民和尋求庇護者來說，這是寶貴的想法。
作者為聖公會聖安德烈堂副牧師(Associate Minister)。
本文屬「與難民同行．難民不爛」系列，原文及譯文由難民事工小組提供。
小組由香港的基督教教會和機構組成，一直以來支援在港難民和免遣返聲請者在房屋、教育、心理、生活上的需要，幫助他們融入社會。
英文原文：
No Refugees Here. Members Only.
I like to tell people we have no refugee programme at St Andrew’s Church, that there is no pastor or ministry worker for refugees and there is no magical refugee fund (although hundreds would tell you otherwise). Why do I tell people this? Well because it's honestly true. We are the church gathered at 138 Nathan Road and as we all know a church is not a buildings but its members. The members of St Andrew’s who also happen to be refugees are the very same as every other member.
Frasier is one of our church members. He is a refugee, but he is also a teacher, a pastor, a friend and a christian. He has been a member of our church for as long as I can remember.
Frasier began attending the 9:30am service and the men's fellowship on Thursday nights. He is a great guy to have around. He has made friends, comes to church regularly, and is a faithful member of the men's fellowship, where they study the Bible, pray for each other, and do life together. They even enjoy the occasional sherry. It's as simple and as complicated as that.
Frasier is a valued member of our church family. He receives pastoral care, discipleship, and discipline just like any other member. The church members and staff support him in all of life's challenges, big and small. If Frasier were not a believer, we would reach out to him with the gospel as any other seeker who comes through our door. We have thirty members like Frasier, and we are grateful for each one.
While there is always room for improvement, I like to think that on Sundays and at our midweek gatherings, our members are treated as just that. We are intentional about welcoming people, greeting people warmly when they arrive, and introducing them to other members of the congregation. We prioritise helping them get involved in church activities and our discipleship groups without distinction. This could include things like volunteering, joining a small group, or participating in worship services just like we would anyone else. And while there are cultural and language barriers at times this is nothing new for our city or our church and if anything makes our church stronger through our diverse congregation. In doing so we can shed the stigma of being seen as “just” a refugee or asylum seeker and more profoundly as a member of Christ's church gathered on Nathan Road.
This may be too idealistic but thinking about these issues it is easy to feel hopeless as we try to care for our members and the situation and challenges they face in the city. If you are anything like me you see the images of the displaced in Palestine and the tragedy that has befallen the Afghani people following the third earthquake in swift succession and your heart is broken. Or grim statistics concerning refugees in the city where 14,000 refugees and asylum seekers were estimated as of 2022. Furthermore, as many of us are aware and lament, the practical situation and social policies are far from improving.
Amidst the frustration of what often feels like a hopeless situation for our people like Frasier and others in the city, I have found solace in some of Jesus' strongest words about the end times. In Luke 21:5-11, as he speaks to the destruction of the temple and the end times, he says, "When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away." Amidst the apocalyptic language, we are given words meant to assure the church to keep their trust in God even in the most challenging of circumstances. War, and famine and displacement are dreadful things and yet Jesus while describing these terrible events, Jesus tells his listeners not to be afraid.
Despite its language and imagery of destruction, Luke 21:5-11 is a passage of hope, grounded in the belief that God not only remains present in the world but is directing it and these things must happen before he returns and sets the record straight. Amidst what seems like impossible circumstances for our church members, we have a hope that one day the Lord will return and make things right. The situation is terrible, but we do not need to lose hope. So in the meantime, we try to do what we can and look forward to the great invitation that Isaiah gave us: "Come, all you who thirst, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!" (Isa 55.1) One day there will be a banquet for God’s people, they can all come, they won’t have to pay and all of this sin, death, hunger, displacement will be forgotten because we will enjoy the Kingdom of God and God himself forever.
Frasier and others have hopefully learned this hope at our church and our members have learned that Frasier is a member just like them and we face the challenges and support one another together as we do it. All our members hopefully know that in a world marred by sin God has saved us and will one day put everything under his Lordship. It is a precious thought to our refugee and asylum seeker members.
Darren Pollock
Associate Minister
St Andrew’s Church
