by Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J.
When we were preparing for our trip to Sichuan, several of us had concerns about the spicy diet there. How would that be for us? How should we prepare ourselves for that? Personally, I can have spicy hot food as long as it is not too hot. But some of our companions simply could not tolerate any spicy hot food.
Therefore, I advised them to start trying some hot food before the trip in order to build up tolerance. And they might want to bring medication in case of diarrhea and upset stomach. You would think that was good enough advice….
But God helped us differently through our hosts. We knew that, in general, the people of Sichuan enjoyed intensely spicy hot food at meals, so much so that our ‘slightly hot’ would be considered practically tasteless. Yet, our hosts were so considerate that many of the dishes served were mildly spicy or not spicy at all. In fact, I had to add chilli sauce to the plain ‘cold noodles’ prepared for me! Now, one can imagine how our accompanying hosts must have ‘suffered’ throughout our five-day trip.
For me, this was good hosting and an empathic arrangement. Even though there were a few hot dishes in each meal, our hosts were careful to ensure that most of the dishes could be enjoyed by their guests who came from a ‘milder’ region. The interests of their guests came first.
For me, the ‘guests’ in Hong Kong to whom we can show more sensitivity and hospitality are refugees or displaced persons, tourists, and students who come from abroad but study here. I am sure there are other groups which also deserve sensitivity from us. Allow me to focus on these three groups in this article.
Displaced persons are those who are forced to leave their homeland due to some threatening political, economic, or environmental factors. Hong Kong may well be a transient spot for them, even though in many cases their transience could well be over 10 to 20 years. Children grow into young adults, and mature adults become elderly. How they are treated in our homeland will have lasting effects on their lives. We can help make those effects more nurturing or even contribute to our common good.
For many tourists, Hong Kong may be their first ever visit, and we would like them to return many times. What impressions do we want them to have of us and our beloved home? Do unto others as we want others to do unto us. When we travel abroad, how would we want our hosts to interact with us, or help our encounters with them be memorable and meaningful?
The government has, on different occasions, brought to our attention that Hong Kong is an international hub for excellent education. That this is a city that attracts many students from outside Hong Kong, including those from the Mainland. These students are, directly or indirectly, our future. Either as new Hongkongers, trans-territorial partners, or partners for a world-in-the-making. They are the ones who will construct the future together with our own in the years to come.
As Pope Leo XIV appealed in his inaugural and new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, we must avoid becoming those self-referential builders of the Tower of Babel. These builders denied God and the beauty of unity in plurality, while focusing on hegemony and divisive egoism.
The alternative and preferred approach is to become synodal builders of the new wall of a ruined Jerusalem. As synodal builders, we are in communion with one another and with Christ, the grandeur of humanity, being our centre and Head. He sanctifies our guests and us through our attentive encounters with them.
Finally, let us be excellent and endearing hosts to the displaced persons, tourists, and non-local students living among us, for who we are, good people of Hong Kong.
+ Stephen Cardinal Chow, S.J.
