2020 04 30
作者 Article by: Margaret Loo
在復活節那天，一位住在英國的親戚向我發了一段視頻，是一篇講道，主題是『選擇信心，不選擇恐懼』， 內容談及有關基督徒如何面對疫情的問題。不知爲什麽， 聽了這篇道，很想再學多一點，多一點關於『信心』的教導。我在網上找到了另一篇相關的文章，是3月27日教宗方濟各談論關於疫情的講道。其中的一些教導，確實對我很有幫助，我希望在這裡和大家分享。
新冠疫情在全球曼延的當下，教宗帶領我們反思馬可福音的一段經文話（4：35-41）。教宗指出，疫情令我們被籠罩在黑暗中。 『我們感到恐懼和迷失。』我們就像門徒一樣，他們的船遇上突如其來的風暴， 有沉沒的危險。
門徒感到震驚和絕望，縱使當時耶穌和門徒是同在一條船上。實際上，耶穌正在安然入睡，對天上的父神充滿信心。教宗提醒我們，留意門徒的缺乏信心與耶穌對父神的信任兩者之間的對比。
『老師，你不在乎我們淹死了嗎？』門徒以為耶穌不在乎他們。 也許有時候我們也有這樣的想法。 教宗卻肯定耶穌比任何人都更關心我們。 的確，一旦門徒喚醒了耶穌，他就平靜了大海。 耶穌對門徒說：『你為什麼害怕? 你不相信嗎? 』 也許耶穌在問我們同樣的問題。
教宗說: 『 耶穌呼籲我們對祂要有信心， 要我們回到祂身邊，要我們信賴祂。』教宗繼續解釋說：『耶穌要我們將現在這考驗時刻視為「選擇時刻」，現在不是神審判的時刻，而是我們判斷的時刻：我們現在要區分什麼是重要的，什麼是無關痛癢的……現在是時候， 我們將生命的重點， 重新定睛在與主與人的關係上。…信心始於明白自己需要救恩…』
看來我們可以問自己一些問題。 讓我們放慢腳步，停下來，並虔誠地禱告反思。 如果現在是選擇的時候，對我們來說，到底什麼是重要的呢？在這個人人自我隔離的時期，許多人注意到他們的生活起了些變化，對有些人來說，他們有更多的時間與家人相處，有更多的時間與遠方的老朋友聯繫，並有更多的時間靈修讀經。 換句話說：他們與神與人的關係都變得更好。 或許有點諷刺的是，所有這些變化，起初都是因為我們被迫自我隔離而產生的。 隔離結束後，我們會否選擇繼續保留這些新常態呢？
『讓我們邀請耶穌來到我們的生命之船，把我們的恐懼託付給祂，由祂來戰勝恐懼。因為這是神的大能：祂將我們身上發生的一切，即使是壞事，都變成善的。』
On Easter Day, a relative from UK forwarded to me a video link on a message titled “Choose Faith Not Fear”. The message talked about Easter and the pandemic. Somehow, after reading this message, I feel like learning more, more on faith in this difficult time. I found a message delivered by Pope Francis on March 27. Some of the points from this message really spoke to me and I would like to share them with you.
Pope Francis meditated on the pandemic crisis facing the world, reflecting on a passage from the Gospel of Mark (4:35-41).He noted that the pandemic darkness has taken over our lives. “We find ourselves afraid and lost.” We are like the disciples whose boat was in danger of sinking amidst an unexpected, turbulent storm.
The disciples were alarmed and desperate, even though Jesus was with them in the same boat. In fact, Jesus was sleeping soundly, trusting in the Father. Pope Francis drew our attention to the contrast between the disciples’ lack of faith and Jesus’ trust in God.
“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown? “The disciples thought Jesus did not care about them. Maybe sometimes we also have such thoughts. Pope Francis affirmed that Jesus, more than anyone, cares about us. Indeed, once the disciples called on Jesus, he calmed the sea. Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” Maybe Jesus is asking us the same question.
Pope Francis said “Jesus is calling us to faith….. coming to Jesus and trusting in Jesus.” Pope Francis continued “Jesus is calling us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. It is not the time of God’s judgement, but our judgement: to choose what matters and what passes away ….a time to get our lives back on track with regard to the Lord, and to others………Faith begins when we realize we are in need of salvation. ..”
It seems we can ask ourselves a number of questions. Let us slow down, pause, and prayerfully reflect. If now is the time to choose, do we know what matters to us most? During this period of isolation, many have noted changes in their life. For some people, they have more time to spend with their loved ones at home, more time to connect with old friends from afar and more time for spiritual devotion. In other words: better relationship with man and God. Ironically, all these changes come to us initially because we are forced into isolation. When isolation is over, are we going to choose to continue with these new normal?
“Let us invite Jesus into the boats of our lives…hand over our fears to him…experience that with him on board there will be no shipwreck. Because this is God’s strength: turning to the good everything that happens to us, even the bad things.”