Anti-extradition demonstrators march to call for democratic reforms, in Hong Kong, China, July 21, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu.
By Linda Bloom
Aug. 22, 2019 | UM News
As protests in Hong Kong have stretched through the summer, Christians are reacting in two different ways, says a Methodist theological student.
Ben Ho, a doctoral student in Christianity and theological studies at Chinese University of Hong Kong, said churches have continued “to play an assisting role for the protesters,” such as providing spaces where protesters can rest or offering spiritual counseling to both young people and their parents.
Christians also are using “soft” power to encourage the Hong Kong government to respond positively to the appeals of the people, he added. “For example, they organize various prayer assemblies and gatherings outside the government house at which Christians sang hymns and lamented for the current situation,” Ho told UM News in an email.
The Methodist International Church, Hong Kong, has posted “A Prayer for Hong Kong” on its website, addressing both those “who carry the burden and responsibility of leadership at this time of tension and unrest” and “all who are disillusioned with the present and fearful for the future…”
“May we again learn to trust in you, Almighty God, for you will accomplish all things according to your good and holy purposes,” the prayer concludes.
The church also has a weekly prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays to pray for Hong Kong, welcoming “those who would be liked to prayed for or prayed with.”
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