牧者心聲
更有愛
周曉暉牧師
2022 年 9 月 24 日 / 25 日
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「我希望北宣家更有愛。」一位組員談及已屆70 週年的北宣家時有如此期望，這句話令我思索良久。
這世代不乏愛的談論，成長階段聽流行曲，「愛」往往被描述為兩情相悅、我喜歡你、你愛慕我的感覺，而最動聽的情歌，更是那些追憶往昔得不著、遙不可及的情感想像。近代的曲詞，更直白地把愛化約為激情與欲望。人長大了，雖不再輕易為感情事所困，但會否仍因社會文化所模造、媒體所定義的愛而有種種迷思和偏差？
在屬靈的家中，「彼此相愛」會否也被簡單看為好感動、好熱情的氛圍？若只以感覺為憑，這種愛走得不遠，也不長久。
使徒約翰說：主為我們捨命，我們從此就知道何為愛，我們也當為弟兄捨命（約壹三 16）。
主在十架上捨己，成為愛的典範。希臘文的「愛」字是 agape，有人將 agape 翻譯為「甘願放下自己」，這是最貼切不過的。聖父「甘願放下自己」，讓獨生愛子為我們犧牲；而聖子也「甘願放下自己」，為我們捨去自己的生命。因有神的愛，我們就懂得如何在祂的真理中愛別人。
教會固然要有溫馨友愛的一面，但更應因著領受了「神的愛」而體現出以上這種與別不同的愛。換言之，「彼此相愛」就不僅僅是溫馨滿載的相聚、有來有往的情誼、或是互相包容體諒的文化。
我們若要「彼此相愛」，就不能迴避耶穌甘願走上十架的榜樣和做法。但放下自己看法和利益，為他人捨己，談何容易？然而，正因為基督為我們死，叫我們得著如此的愛，所以我們就被賦予「甘願放下自己」的動力，問題只在乎我們會否選擇效法基督而行，少為自己，多為人。
新約裡 agape 及其同源字共出現了 310 次，而在約翰書信中就佔了五分一，有 62 次，可見約翰是對應當代教會的需要而作出教導。在堂慶年第四季的講壇，我們會多思想「神的愛」，10 月下旬開始，我們會透過研讀約翰壹書，認知自己的生命有神的愛燃點，進而能在充滿隔閡的世代中活得更有愛。
文首那位組員的期盼，我其實甚為認同。親愛的北宣家，敬祝生日蒙恩！甚願北宣家在未來的年日，能在愛神愛人的實踐上越臻圓滿。
"I hope we'll have more love in the NPAC family," one member expressed this wish when we chatted about the 70-year-old NPAC family. This remark stirred up thoughts in me for quite some time.
There is no lack of discussion about love in this generation. In the love songs I heard when I was growing up, "love" was usually portrayed as mutual delight in one another, the feelings of I liking you and you adoring me. The most moving ones are often those about the imagined feelings of unrequited, unattainable love when looking back to the old days. More recent lyrics even simply reduce love to passion and desire. When we grow older, we are not as easily bothered by matters of love. But do we have myths or misconceptions about love as a result of how it is shaped by popular culture and defined by the mass media?
In the spiritual family, is "love one another" simply considered as a kind of very touching or passionate atmosphere? Love that is based only on feelings will not go far nor will it be sustained.
The Apostle John has said: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." (1 John 3:16)
The Lord sacrificed Himself on the cross and became the role model of love. The Greek word for "love" is agape, which is translated by some as "willing to lay down oneself." This is most appropriate. The Father was "willing to lay down Himself" and let His only beloved Son sacrifice for us. The Son was "willing to lay down Himself" and give His life for us. Because of God's love, we would know how to love others in His truth.
While the church should be warm and friendly, the kind of unique love mentioned above should all the more be manifested in us because we have received "God's love." In other words, "love one another" is not confined to warm gatherings, reciprocal friendship or a culture of mutual tolerance and understanding.
To love one another, we cannot avoid following the example and practice of Jesus who willingly went for the cross. Indeed, it is far from easy to lay down one's perceptions and interests and give oneself for others. However, since Christ died for us, and with such love, we are empowered with the motivation to be "willing to lay down ourselves." It depends on us as to whether we would choose to imitate Christ and put others before ourselves.
In the New Testament, phrases with the word "agape" appear 310 times, and one-fifth of them, that is 62 times, are found in the epistles of John. We can see that John taught this in response to the needs of the contemporary church. In the sermons of the fourth quarter of the Anniversary Year, we will give more thoughts to "God's love." From the second half of October, through studying 1 John, we would know that with our lives being lit up by God’s love, we can live our lives with more love in a generation full of estrangements.
The hope by the church member at the beginning of this sharing is one which I very much agree to. Dear NPAC family, blessed birthday! It is my hope that in the days and years to come, we will make strides in loving God and loving man.
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