牧者心聲
台灣地震的反思
程續戰牧師
2024 年 4 月 27 日 / 28日
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一個寧靜的清晨，我仍半夢半醒，這時手機傳來一個令人驚怕的警示：
「地震速報04/03 07:58左右花蓮地區發生顯著有感地震，慎防強烈搖晃，就近避難［趴下、掩護、穩住］。」
我慌忙叫醒身旁的丈夫，我們雙腳無法站穩，在強烈的搖晃中，我們立時跪在地下禱告：「主啊！地震了，我們好害怕，求主救我們！賜我們平安！」當刻，我們知道主是我們惟一的幫助。過了約一分鐘，強烈的搖晃停止了，我們以為危難已解除，哪知餘震仍不斷出現，一小時後，我們到地下吃早餐，這時再來了一次比前一刻更強烈的震盪，使我們震得東歪西倒。雖然餘震仍不斷發生，家人也勸我們盡快回港，但我們心中卻有一份莫名的平安，使我們決定繼續留在宜蘭，因為我們要完成今次去台灣的使命——向我90歲的大伯父傳福音。地震再一次提醒我們：「趁著白日，我們必須做那差我來者的工；黑夜將到，就沒有人能做工了。」
當晚，我們夫婦聆聽著大伯父高低起伏的生命故事，我和丈夫默默地禱告，留意著甚麼時候可以自然地與他分享福音。感謝主引導著我們，原來大伯父很渴望能擁有真、善、美的人格，我表示讚賞，並請教他：「我們是否能靠自己成為一個真、善、美的人呢？」然後我邊禱告邊分享：「大伯父，我好欣賞你有美好的心志，聖經有一處也告訴我們，我們要立志為善，但我們卻很難做得到；然而，主耶穌確實是一位真、善、美的神，假如我們願意信靠祂，祂就會幫助我們成為像祂模樣的人。」說話時，輕微的餘震又再一次一次地發生，我們再與大伯父分享：「我們無法控制生命的長短，如果今早我們身處花蓮，我們不知會遇上甚麼的事。大伯父，你願意相信耶穌嗎？」我們以為他會如以往一樣藉詞婉拒，因此對他決志信主沒有寄予太大期望，然而，大伯父卻開口說：「我信耶穌！」我們感到很驚訝。感謝天父對他的愛，回想這幾年，除了我們曾向他傳福音之外，他的恩師也對他有莫大的影響，他幫助過世的恩師編輯紀念文集時，發現原來恩師也是一位虔誠的基督徒。大伯父閱讀和整理恩師的生平，而主也藉此預備了他的心。因此當我們再次向他分享福音，他就願意決志信主。
誠然，「當將你的事交託耶和華，並倚靠他，他就必成全。」（詩三十七5）
One quiet early morning when I was still sleeping, I received a shocking alert on the phone: "Earthquake Express: Major earthquake detected in Hualien County around 04/03 07:58. Watch out for vigorous shakes. Shelter in place (crawl, take cover, keep steady)."
I hurriedly woke up my husband who was by my side. We could not stand still. Amid vigorous shakes, we knelt down to pray: "Lord! it's a quake. We are very scared. Save us, Lord, and give us peace!" At that moment, we knew that the Lord is our only help. A minute later, the strong shakes subsided. We thought that the crisis was over, but the aftershocks kept coming. An hour later, we went downstairs to eat breakfast. There came another shock, which was even stronger than before. We were thrown off balance. And although the aftershocks kept happening and our family urged us to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible, there was peace that surpassed all understanding deep in our hearts. We therefore decided to stay in Yilan to accomplish the mission for this trip to Taiwan – to preach the gospel to my 90-year-old uncle. The quake reminded us again: "As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work."(John 9:4)
That night, my husband and I listened attentively to my uncle's stories about the ups and downs in his life. My husband and I prayed quietly in our hearts, awaiting the time when we could share the gospel with him naturally. Thanks be to God for His guidance, my uncle longs to have a personality of truthfulness, goodness and perfection. I expressed appreciation and asked him: "Is it possible for us to achieve truthfulness, goodness and perfection by our own efforts?" Then I prayed in my heart while I started to share: "Uncle, I appreciate your positive aspiration. The Bible tells us that although we desire to do what is good, it is very difficult for us to carry it out. However, the Lord Jesus is the God of truthfulness, goodness and perfection. If we are willing to put our faith in Him and depend on Him, He will help us become more and more like Him." While I was saying all of this, slight aftershocks came one after another. We continued to share with my uncle, "There is no way we can control how long we can live. If we had been in Hualien this morning, anything could have happened to us. Would you, then, believe in Jesus, Uncle?" We thought he would refuse with excuses as before, so we did not have high hopes on his coming to faith. However, my uncle said: "I believe in Jesus!" We were very much surprised. Thanks be to our Heavenly Father for His love for him. Looking back at the last few years, we were not the only ones who had shared the gospel with him. A teacher he deeply respected also greatly influenced him. When he helped compile a commemorative anthology for his late teacher, he found that his teacher was also a devout Christian. My uncle read his teacher's articles and compiled his biography. The Lord had prepared his heart through the process. That was why when we shared the gospel with him again, he was willing to put his faith in the Lord.
This is so true: "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:"(Psalm 37:5)
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