29th November 2014
Dear brothers and sisters,
I drove and followed the queue to Bristol in the wind and the rain on Tuesday evening to attend the ‘Living Water’ Fellowship meeting.
We have known each other for over 20 years; the Living Water Fellowship was formed by a group of Christian students from Hong Kong. People come and go, but they still keep the Hong Kong style: trendy, creative and vanguard, and they continue to spread the gospel in the campus all through the years.
The theme of the night was ‘Is faith conflicting with reasoning?’ It’s a hindrance for non-Christians because students are brought up through reasoning and reasoning only. ‘Faith and Reasoning’ is also a puzzle for Christians. ‘Where are You, God?’ we always ask when we meet social conflicts, personal temptation, natural and man-made disasters.
I joined their dinner at half past six. The students take turn and work together in different roles (planning the menu, buying and preparing food, setting up the venue and the table) to serve according to their gifts. I enjoyed the tomato onion with minced beef very much and I noticed that everyone ate their food quietly without any comment, but enjoyed talking to neighbours. The dessert, sweet potato ginger soup kept us warm from the wind and the rain.
Brother Lawrence learnt the lesson of submission in the kitchen. He hated kitchen work, but through it, he learnt to deny himself, from there, he met and knew and enjoyed God. Loving God, he got the strength and was filled with joy and thanksgiving through simple and humble tasks like cooking, serving and washing-up.
The chef student asked me, ‘What is your best dish, Pastor?’ I shyly answered, ‘Nothing special, I learn to cook congee every week.’
May you all eat well and be filled with joy and peace!
In Christ,
Sam Wong