Traveling is a popular stress reliever after the pandemic. However, is it merely an excuse to be a tourist, an escape from the pain and worries of everyday life through consumption and enjoyment, or is it a way to embrace the uncertainty of being in a foreign place and touch your heart’s true desires?
Day 1 Tour Photo
Bible Study Group
This year’s Bible study took students on a journey through four stages of life by reflecting on the experience of traveling: （a）Orientation: We experienced the beauty of the world through Tung Chung travel simulation, but the journey was often not what one expected; （b）Disorientation：One of the Bible Engagement sessions revealed the suffering, exploitation and trauma underneath the glamorous world through an art exhibition, contrasting with the chosen Psalm, illustrating that life has lost its direction due to the drastic changes in the macro-environment in recent years and the various encounters in life; （c） Reorientation：Traveling and life’s journeys involve unknowns and uncertainties, even tension and pain. As one of the small group Bible studies mentioned, can we see in Christ’s Passion that He revealed Himself as the Son of God through His suffering? （d） Pilgrimage：Through our guests’ sharing and dialogues, along with the liturgical worship, we were reminded that we do not walk this journey alone, but that those around us and believers throughout the ages have also walked this path. Therefore, in the midst of our uncertainty, we should still be open to the Lord and enjoy true stability in Him.
Students’ Sharing
Bible Engagement session, Under the Sun
On the first night of Bible Engagement, we entered the exhibition to see all the labor and suffering in the world, causing us to question our own beliefs and whether beauty and goodness still exist. We were left with a sense of powerlessness and disorientation. When studying Psalm 73, I shared with the psalmist the difficulty of understanding the comfort of the wicked. Yet the moment the psalmist encounters God, he declares that God reigns. Indeed, we must hold on to God for truth in the midst of darkness. At this moment, the psalmist chooses to take the same side as God, not to be assimilated into the world, and not to close his eyes to the world. We have to be courageous in choosing the path we take, even if it is different for everyone. What moves me is that we are not alone on this journey, and in the midst of chaos, there are companions as well. If there is a time when we go astray, God will remind us, so that we can reorient ourselves to be witnesses for Christ in this generation.
Ashley, LU Student
Bible Engagement session, Sword of Truth
The camp taught me that “joy” was not what I thought it was. In the past, I used to sing “Praise in season and out of season” in worship, believing that I should be joyful in the midst of suffering. However, in reality, even with constant surrender and confession, God rarely makes people happy right away. I discovered that the way to make myself happy in the past was to isolate myself from my environment, so that I wouldn’t be involved if it didn’t matter to me. Therefore, at first, I didn’t get involved in the “disorientation” that the camp talked about. It was not until I talked to the staff workers that I realized I had not empathized with others in the past. Perhaps another way to be truly joyful is to stop disconnecting from people. True joy is not the absence of sorrow, but the fullness of grace.
Terrence 中大學生
Morning – Liturgical Services
As Christians, our faith is constantly challenged by situations in our society, and Jesus teaches us to go out into the community and not stay in our comfort zones. In the process, we can get lost and lose sight of God. At the camp, I realized that my mind and my heart were not in synchronize. I knew God’s justice and mercy very well in my mind, but I still didn’t understand or accept it in my heart. However, God reminded me through the Bible study that His plan is not what people might think. When God does not seem to be working, there are still countless lives that are blessed by Him.
