by Rev. Judy Chan

Scripture: Psalm 36:5-10, Luke 14:15-24, Revelation 7: 9-17

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Introduction

The theme for this year’s Refugee Sunday is “A Place at the Feast”. This may seem an odd choice given the many political, economic and social crises facing our world. How can this be the time to talk of abundance and celebration?

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Likewise, for refugees and asylum seekers, the global situation continues to be dire. According to June 2025 statistics, there are 42.5 million refugees and over 8 million asylum seekers worldwide. Included in those numbers are the 15,000 people in Hong Kong seeking asylum. They have been forced to flee from home due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order.

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How can ‘a place at the feast’ make any difference for them? They are separated from family and country, struggling to cope financially and emotionally. They face a harsh today and an unknown tomorrow.

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In light of this reality, God offers hope. As we will see, feasting involves more than simply eating, drinking and being merry. In the Bible, God provides feasts to feed both souls and bodies as the people gather in thanksgiving for divine protection and provision. Through Jesus Christ, God’s saving power is extended to all humanity through his own flesh and blood. As the church, we are called to embody God’s hospitality to those seeking safety, dignity and a place to call home. Therefore, on Refugee Sunday 2026, let us learn what it means when the people of God in every age gather for holy feasting – a sacred communion where everyone, including refugees and asylum seekers, has a place.

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Feasting in the Bible

The word ‘feast’ in Hebrew means appointment or a fixed time or season. Feasts in the Old Testament were God’s sacred appointments with Israel to a banquet both spiritual and literal. They were special times of commemorating God’s redemptive acts during periods of extraordinary hardship. Painful memories of slavery and 40 years of wandering in the wilderness were transformed into annual celebrations of divine deliverance. Among the most prominent are Passover, Pentecost and Sukkoth (Booths). But even beyond remembering, feasts were given by God for spiritual renewal in the present. The purpose is to restore the people’s love for the holy in the here and now.

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In the New Testament, Jesus spent a lot of time eating and drinking with others. He dined with both high and low, rich and poor.  He considered these divine appointments too, whether with Pharisees or tax collectors. It was during the feast of Passover that Jesus hosted his most important meal. In his last supper he took the traditional symbols of bread and wine and transformed them into signs of the new covenant sealed by his sacrifice on the Cross. Henceforth, whenever his disciples gathered to break bread and drink the cup, Jesus commanded them to do so “in remembrance of me.”  In other words, the Last Supper is the First Feast in the Kingdom That Has Come.[1]

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But that’s not all. The Last Supper also anticipates the final feast in the Kingdom of God. When Jesus declares, “I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God,” he expands the Jewish vision of the glorious Messianic banquet of heaven. The Last Feast will now be the marriage supper of the Lamb, the celebration of the permanent, joyful communion of God with the faithful through Jesus Christ. There will be no more tears, fears or death. Only a feast of the best. A feast for people from all peoples. A feast forever.[2]

Feasting with Refugees

When we understand the background of feasts in the Bible, it’s not hard to see why refugees and asylum seekers have a place at God’s Banquet.

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1.  They are among those from every nation, tribes, peoples and languages “…who have passed through all the sufferings of life and all the persecutions the world could dish out. They have known hunger and want, pain and suffering, fear and death. History has seen the mighty river formed by their tears.”[3]  

2. They are among those whom God desires to bring spiritual healing, a love for the holy. They are eager to accept a divine invitation of welcome, acceptance and belonging, the ones that the Host invites to move up and sit in the seat of honor at the marriage feast.

3. They are among those who reveal God’s eternal purposes even in the midst of human chaos and tragedy. Nothing will stand in the way of God’s ultimate plan to heal a fractured world, end suffering and reunite humanity made in His image. In Jesus Christ, God promises a better ending. We can be a part of that better ending by choosing to be in solidarity with forcibly displaced people, seeing the world through their eyes, and working together for justice and peace so that everyone has a chance for a future with hope.

A place at the feast for refugees – that is God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. A place at the feast with refugees – that is Jesus’s invitation to everyone to break bread and share life together at his table. A place at the feast through refugees – that is the Spirit urging us not to refuse the divine invitation to love’s banquet. God’s honored guests have already arrived. Will you be there too?

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Feasting with Refugees in Hong Kong

The 15,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong come from different lands such as South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Their lives here are tough with minimal financial support from the government, no right to work, and a long, drawn-out legal process in order to receive refugee status. The waiting time can be anywhere from three years to over 10 years. Only a fraction of the cases are successful. Even then, Hong Kong cannot be their ‘forever’ home as the government does not grant permanent residency to any refugee. Successful claimants must be resettled in a host country. Unsuccessful claimants can be removed from Hong Kong and sent back to their country of origin. There they may face the same hardships and dangers that they sought to escape in the first place.

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As their plight here came to the attention of some churches and NGOs, the situation began to improve. Over the past 20 years, an amazing network has developed involving religious, humanitarian, civic, legal and other groups that work faithfully in partnership with refugees and asylum seekers themselves. Still there is much more that needs to be done in order for them to move beyond mere survival. Like everyone, they deserve lives of dignity and purpose. That requires a safe environment, decent living conditions, protection of their human rights, and a caring community.

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There are many opportunities in Hong Kong to befriend and to support refugees and asylum seekers – through volunteering, donations, advocacy, and yes, even table fellowship. If you want more information about who is involved and how to get involved, you can find a wealth of resources from Refugee Ministries at https://www.rmhk.org/. Let’s join hands to love and serve God and our neighbors together on World Refugee Sunday 2026!

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A Prayer for Refugees

God of grace,

Watch over all refugees

Embrace them in the pain

of their partings.

Into their fear and loss, send love.

Open our eyes that we might

see You in them.

Open our hearts that they might

see You in us.

Open our arms that we might

welcome refugees to a safe haven

as You stretched out Your arms

and invited everyone home.

Amen.

Source: Exodus World Service

[1] Diana Butler Bass, “The Last Supper is the First Feast”, Apr 17, 2025, https://dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/the-last-supper-is-the-first-feast

[2] Bobby Jamieson, “The Lord’s Supper: A Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet”, 9Marks, Dec 22, 2020, https://www.9marks.org/article/the-lords-supper-a-foretaste-of-the-heavenly-banquet/

[3] Eric D Barreto, “Not Just About the Future (Revelation 7:9-17)”, Apr 11, 2016, Odyssey Networks,

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/onscripture/2016/04/not-just-about-the-future-revelation-79-17/