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Parker J. Palmer’s Ethics of Hospitality

Parker J. Palmer's Ethics of Hospitality

CHIU Shung Ming

Given that Hong Kong is in a state of political uncertainty, with continuing discord in the post-Occupy era, the citizens inevitably live in a fragmented society filled with alienation and conflicts. The problem of fragmentation makes us disconnect from others, or even easily treat others as our enemies. The author attempts to call attention to the need of constructing a theological ethics of hospitality in a convincing way by introducing Parker J. Palmer's thought, because he is regarded as one of the most promising theologians, who makes a notable contribution on this area.

Three concepts are very significant throughout Palmer's books. They are wholeness, connection, and paradox, and thus we cannot understand his ethics of apart from them. Therefore, the author will explain the relationship between these concepts in the first part of this paper.

Fear of strangeness is natural in our common experience. Maybe we need to protect ourselves and, furthermore, having a sense of security is our basic need. However, if we refuse to meet strangers and only live in our private and lonely world, both our individual life and the society cannot grow in connection and wholeness. In Christian faith we understand that our identity is not to be found only in our differences from others, but in our common humanity, because all of us are made in the image of God and thus we are related as brothers and sisters in our God, the Father. We are created as social beings, so we need to learn to receive the others (including strangers and enemies) in our public life. According to Palmer, public life is the necessary condition of politics, especially for democracy. Moreover, the heart plays a significant role in public life and democratic politics. The heart of democracy is a heart imbued with love, with readiness to receive strangers and live together with them.

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Message from the Editor of Issue 51

Editor's Notes by Ng Kwok Kit In recent years, many Hong Kong people have been plagued by various negative emotions. Internationally, the trade war between China and the United States has brought about a political crisis, the war between Russia and Ukraine has caused inflation, and the COVID-19 epidemic has led to lockdowns. Locally, the anti-extradition bill turmoil has torn apart interpersonal relationships, changes in the political situation have given rise to conflicting emotions, and parting sentiments have emerged amid the wave of immigrants in Hong Kong. All these have directly and indirectly affected the mood of Hong Kong people, and the city seems to be shrouded in a thick haze. A 2023 statistical study pointed out that the happiness index of Hong Kong people ranks last in the Asia-Pacific region; especially young respondents have the lowest happiness index and are generally pessimistic about life. As a church community sent by God to be salt and light on the earth, how should we respond to the times and bring light to a dark world? This issue of "Sandow Journal" is themed "Living Faith in Hope" and hopes to bring enlightenment to modern Christians in difficult situations through scholars' research on the Old Testament, the New Testament and spiritual theology. ...