二○二一年五月一日／二日
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愛惜寄居者
莊明偉牧師
幾年前，一宗香港僱主虐打外傭的事件不但被香港及印尼的新聞媒體廣泛報道，更引起了國際關注，美國《時代周刊》甚至指「印尼傭工是香港的現代奴隸」。當然，另一方面，我們亦偶爾會聽到外傭陷害僱主及家中孩童的新聞，令眾多香港僱主惶恐不安。
香港有 30 多萬外傭，接近一半來自印尼。印尼女傭總人數在十年間上升了八倍。其實每個女傭背後都有一個故事：有些是為了較高的工資而來到香港，以應付她們子女升學或患病家人就醫等需要；有些則想出國闖闖，香港或許能成為她們再到其他國家的踏腳石；有些則想脫離家庭及信仰習俗的束縛……
誠然，不少女傭在港的生活都是艱難的。女傭工作的地方，也就是她們的住處，以致她們不容易得到真正的休息；她們工時甚長，曾經有報告顯示她們每天平均工作 17 小時，僱主不時更希望工人不放假來幫忙做家務；女傭很難滿足到僱主的要求，一些僱主更因不滿女傭而辱罵她們；女傭為了要來港工作而身負重債，不敢輕易辭工……
海外女傭是個寄居群體。聖經教導我們要善待寄居者，利未記十九章33-34節提醒我們不可欺負寄居的，並且要愛他們好像愛自己一樣。以色列人曾在埃及地寄居為奴，被埃及人苦待，神聽見了他們的哀聲，就拯救他們，所以當以色列人進入神預備的地方之時，神特別告誡他們要善待寄居者。同樣，我們也要善待我們當中的寄居者，學習設身處地，為海外女傭著想，離鄉背井、與家人分離、面對異文化，委實是一件極不容易的事。反過來看，若然基督徒能向她們伸出援手，幫助她們經過孤獨和困難，也的確是為主作了美好的見證。
北宣家不少家庭也有聘用女傭，試從神的國度來看，若果印尼女傭在港工作期間信了主，並且在本地教會中得到牧養，接受門徒訓練，她們約滿回國後，就可向伊斯蘭信仰的同胞傳福音作見證。印尼女傭來港打工，暫時離開全球最多穆斯林的國家（印尼超過二億人口是穆斯林），自然可以減少面對家族和社群的宗教壓力，可以更自由地接觸福音。這不就是神所賜的一個機會嗎？
超過 15 萬的印尼女傭已經來到香港，我深信若基督徒僱主有效地以言語和行為見證基督，傳福音的果效肯定比差派宣教士到印尼更大啊！
Pastor's Sharing Loving Foreigners
Rev Kenneth Chong
A few years ago, the physical abuse of a domestic helper by a Hong Kong employer was widely reported by the news media in Hong Kong and Indonesia, which aroused international concern. Time magazine in the US even says the Indonesian helper was a "modern-day slave." Of course, we also see occasional reports of foreign domestic helpers playing malicious tricks on employers or their children. This worries many Hong Kong employers.
There are more than 300,000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, half of them from Indonesia. The number of Indonesian maids has increased eightfold in the past 10 years. Behind each maid is a story: some come to Hong Kong for the higher wages to pay for children’s education or medical expenses of family members. Some want to explore other countries and Hong Kong might be a good stepping-stone. Some others try to break free from the bondage of family and religious traditions...
Admittedly, the life of many domestic helpers in Hong Kong is harsh. They live where they work so they cannot easily get a good rest. They work long hours – some reportedly working 17 hours a day. Some employers every now and then want them to work on holidays. It is not easy to meet the demands of the employers, and some helpers are scolded as a result. Many borrow heavy loans to come here so they dare not quit their jobs hastily...
Domestic helpers are a community of foreigners. The Bible teaches us to treat foreigners well. Leviticus 19:33-34 remind us to not mistreat them but we should love them as ourselves. The Israelites were enslaved and mistreated when they resided in Egypt. Yet, God heard their cry and saved them. So, when they entered the place God had prepared for them, God specially exhorted them to treat foreigners well. Likewise, we need to care for the foreigners in our midst. We need to put ourselves in their shoes and be considerate of them. They have left their home and are far away from their family faced with an unfamiliar culture. It is indeed not easy. Christians will be giving good testimony if they can lend a helping hand to the maids to help them overcome loneliness and difficulties.
Many NPAC families employ domestic helpers. From the perspective of God’s Kingdom, if these Indonesian maids come to Christ during their stay in Hong Kong, and if they are pastored and discipled in local churches, they will be able to testify for God and spread the gospel to their Muslim fellow countrymen upon returning home. Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims (well over 200 million) in the world. Having temporarily left Indonesia, these maids are subject to less religious pressure from their extended families and society and have greater freedom to receive the gospel. Wouldn’t that be a God-given opportunity?
More than 150,000 Indonesian maids are now in Hong Kong. I strongly believe that if Christian employers effectively testify for Christ in words and deeds, the evangelistic efforts will be more fruitful than sending missionaries to Indonesia!
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