二○二一年三月二十七／二十八日
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久違了的名片，久違了的金句
韓子卿牧師
翻查舊文件時偶然看到一張小咭片，是已故林獻羔牧師的名片，上面寫著一句經文：「你務要至死忠心」（啟二 10），這金句實在久違了，立時有點「眼濕濕」。
我年輕時有個心願，就是希望成為一個勇敢的人，我知道自己骨子裡其實是很膽小怕事。《魔戒》中的佛羅多和森姆、《鬼滅之刃》的炭治郎，都是非常吸引我的角色，他們雖然微小，但卻勇於面對那些在各方面都比他們強大得多的敵人。然而，這些都只是小說和動漫中的虛構角色。
可是林牧師卻是個活生生的例子！這金句確實是他一生的寫照，所以多年後突然發現這名片，看到這金句，内心就不斷的翻滾著，原來能夠活出表裡一致生命的基督徒，是可以如此撼動人心的。
記得多年前聽一位導航會前輩的講座，他提到作基督的門徒，就是要去死，那次講座叫我感到非常震撼，其實潘霍華在他的著作中也曾講過同樣的話，而他後來也真的為信仰而付上了生命。不過現今這種沉重的教導已經很少講了，這是可以體諒的，因為現代人的生活壓力已經夠大了，再如此教導，豈不令信徒百上加斤！況且要至死忠心，有多少人做得到呢？講得多，卻無人能實踐，不就成了一些「假、大、空」的教導？
啟二 10 全節是這樣的：「你將要受的苦你不用怕。魔鬼要把你們中間幾個人下在監裡，叫你們被試煉，你們必受患難十日。你務要至死忠心，我就賜給你那生命的冠冕。」士每拿教會當時面對的是一個黑暗的時代，神不斷提醒教會不要怕。同樣，我們今天面對的問題很多都是令人害怕的，疫症、社會變化、經濟下滑、失業率高企……然而怕並不能解決問題，也不能見證神。
經文最後提到生命的冠冕，這冠冕是用忠心和勇敢換來的，兩樣都是我們今天最需要的，現在很多預測都指出，疫症過後社會將會有很多改變，但我們要持守的是對神不變的忠心。由於怕，也引發了很多異常現象，移民潮、對私隱極度敏感、容易起爭執、難以建立互信、抑鬱症增加等，但神叫祂的子民不用怕，要勇敢的堅守著信仰。林獻羔牧師就是用生命來見證了他名片上的金句，原來最能感動人心的不是高言大智，而是行為的表現。所以，願我們都不要怕，求神賜我們勇氣一起去面對未來的日子！
Pastor's Sharing A Long Forgotten Business Card, A Long Forgotten Bible Verse
Rev James Hon
The other day I found a business card of the late Rev Samuel Lamb among some age-old documents. On the card is printed a verse, Revelations 2:10: "Be faithful, even to the point of death." My eyes got a little wet when I read this verse, which is long forgotten.
When I was young, I had a wish, that I would become a brave person. I know I am, by nature, timid and shy. I am much attracted by characters such as Frodo and Sam in The Lord of the Rings and Tanjiro (炭治郎) in Demons Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅之刃). Even though they are from a humble background, they face squarely the foes before them who are much stronger on all counts. Nevertheless, they are fictitious characters in fiction and anime.
But Rev Lamb is an example in real life! The Bible verse is a portrait of his life. My heart is deeply moved when I read the verse on his business card that I suddenly found after all these years. Amazing what an impact a Christian who practices what one preaches can make!
I remember that many years ago at a talk by the Navigators, the speaker mentioned that to be Christ's disciples is to die. That talk made a huge impact on me. In fact, Dietrich Bonhoeffer also said something to this effect, and he ultimately died for his faith. But nowadays, we seldom hear such weighty teaching. It is understandable. People these days face tremendous pressure. Such teaching may add to believers' burdens. And how many of us can be faithful unto death? Teachings that nobody can practice run the risk of becoming high-sounding nothing.
The whole verse of Revelations 2:10 goes like this: "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." The Church in Smyrna was then in a dark age. God repeatedly reminded the church not to be afraid. Likewise, the problems we face today are equally scary: epidemic, social changes, economic downturn, high unemployment rate…. Yet, fearing cannot solve the problems, nor can that bear testimony to God.
The end of the verse refers to the crown of life. It is a crown earned with faithfulness and courage. Both are what we need most today. Many predictions have pointed to numerous changes in society after the pandemic. But we need to maintain our faithfulness to God. Fear triggers many extraordinary things: emigration, ultra-sensitivity on privacy, susceptibility to conflicts, lack of mutual trust and depression…. But God asks His children not to be afraid, but to be courageous and steadfast in faith. Rev Samuel Lamb testified to the verse on his business card with his life. What really touches people is not rhetoric, but one's life. So, let us not fear. May God give us courage to, together, face the future in front of us!
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