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二○二○年六月二十六日/二十七日/二十八日                                                                        Click here for English version

停擺,再起動

駱綺雯牧師

一場新冠肺炎,既突如其來,又來勢洶洶,香港人的生活由 1 月底開始便進入停擺狀態,home 變成了 school 和 office,媽媽搖身一變,成為了主婦、老師,但又同時繼續工作。縱然疫情叫人擔心,但這停擺卻帶來少有的空間,讓我們可以反思生命。

在家工作,使我們多了時間與家人相處,孩子們終於可與爸媽一起吃飯。一家人共處一室,自然要更多學習聆聽、包容、接納。一邊工作,一邊照顧家庭,讓我們更敏銳工作、家庭的時間分配。疫情下的香港經濟每況愈下,正是我們學習回應肢體需要、彼此分享、互相支持的好機會。教會聚會網絡化,提醒我們實體的聚會不是必然,我們必須要有紀律去敬拜神,如要保持與神、與人的關係,就需對信仰更委身。神學院的免費網上課程、講座,正好滋潤我們平日鮮有機會去整理的信仰生命。

聖經曾教導以色列人在停擺中積極生活,利未記二十五 21-22:「在第六年,我必命我的福臨到你們,地就會生產足夠三年食用的出產。第八年你們耕種時,仍有舊糧吃;直到第九年,收成新糧的時候,你還有舊糧可吃。」(新譯本)以色列人六年耕種土地,神吩咐他們第七年要完全休歇,遵守安息年,學習順服神的命令,而地也要休歇,補充養料。百姓要停止他們賴以為生的工作,學習信靠神的供應,因為神早在第六年,已為祂的子民預備足夠三年食用的出產。

停擺的積極意義是順服神,明白一切都不在自己掌控之中。人要學習放手,在順服中信靠神,停止靠自己操控的意圖,神自然會供應人的需要。「地在安息年的自然出產,是給你們作食物的;就是給你,你的僕婢、雇工和寄居的……甚至你的牲畜,以及你那地的走獸,都以安息年的出產作食物。」(利二十五 6-7)地的自然出產是神所賜,不是屬於地主,要與周邊的人分享,在停擺中,神要人跨越地位、背景,學習彼此尊重,互相照顧。

隨著疫情漸趨穩定,6 月學校開始復課,公司回復正常上班時間,教會逐漸恢復不同的聚會,我們從停擺中又一次再起動。盼望神藉著停擺教導我們的功課,讓我們不致於再起動後重蹈覆轍,迷失在忙碌中,忘記了家人的重要,放下了信仰的追求,忽視了肢體關係的建立。

讓我們常記著停擺中神要我們學習的順服、信靠和分享。






Pastor's Sharing
Restarting after the Pause
Rev Eva Lok

The sudden, overwhelming arrival of the coronavirus has brought life in Hong Kong to a standstill from the end of January. The home became our office and school. Mothers are housewives and teachers at the same time while still working from home. Worrying as it might have been, the pandemic has provided a rare opportunity for us to reflect on our lives.

Home office has allowed us to spend more time with our family. The kids can finally eat with their parents. With the entire family staying at home, everyone must learn to listen, accommodate and accept others. Taking care of work and family at the same time means we need to be more sensitive in striking a balance in the use of time. As the economy turns for the worse, it is time for us to learn to respond to the needs of brothers and sisters, share with and support one another. Online church meetings reveal that in-church meetings are not for certain and that we must discipline ourselves to worship God. To maintain a good relationship with God and man, we must be more committed to our faith. Free online courses and talks offered by theological seminaries bring much-needed nourishment to our spiritual lives, which we might not have much opportunity to manage well before.

The Bible has taught the Israelites how to live proactively when life comes to a halt. Leviticus 25: 21-22 says: "I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in." The Israelites grew their crop for six years. In the sabbath year, they are to take a rest and learn to obey God's commandments. In the seventh year, the land also takes a rest to replenish nutrients. The people are to stop what they do for a living and learn to trust in God's provision, for God has already prepared three years' supply from the land in the sixth year.

In a positive sense, the pause suggests obedience to God. It means understanding all that happens is not under our control. Man must learn to let go, trust and obey God and stop trying to take control by his own means. God will then provide what we need. "Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten" (Leviticus 25: 6-7). The land's yield is the provision of God. It is not the owner's and should be shared with others. The pause reveals the will of God that we should break down barriers of status and background and learn to respect and take care of one another.

As the pandemic situation stabilizes in June, schools reopen, normal working hours resume and various in-church meetings are gradually restored. We are restarting after the pause. I hope we will remember the lesson from God during the pause and will not become lost in our busyness again. I hope we will not forget the importance of our family and our pursuit of God and neglect the building up of relationships with fellow believers.

Let us always remember submission to God, trust in God and sharing with others, which God wants us to learn from the pause.