二○二一年五月八／九日
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美善的力量
駱綺雯牧師
復活節假期間，我有機會看了《鬼滅之刃——無限列車篇》這齣電影。主角炭治郎在一個貧窮但充滿愛的家庭成長，為了要拯救被魔鬼傷害的妹妹，面對魔鬼種種攻擊，仍然堅持以美善的力量戰勝邪惡，讓我深感觸動。今日的社會，從孩童階段開始已充滿競爭和比較，以良善待人，處處包容、忍讓，甚至「蝕底」，已經變成過時的美德。良善是聖靈所結的果子（加五 22），保羅常鼓勵信徒「……不管是誰都不要以惡報惡，卻要在彼此相處和對待眾人這方面，常常追求良善」（帖前五 15）。
良善在哪裡失落了？培育良善最根源的地方是家庭，孩子的品格是從父母作榜樣學回來。現今的家庭，瀰漫著沉重的無力感，父母在疫情中，工作充滿壓力，面對孩子不同的上課模式亦疲於奔命。當心力慢慢在不同張力中被消弭，要維繫家庭親密的關係也會有心無力。
良善是待人接物的態度，是從自我的滿足到關心別人的需要，是對人包容、忍耐，也樂意與人分享。良善是從生命中被愛、感受到滿足、安全而來。從家庭培育良善，可以透過家人的彼此關懷、互相支持，學習付出。不要輕看一個笑容、一個擁抱、一句鼓勵的說話，這一份釋出的善意，能夠溶化關係的張力；各人的需要也可以被明白、被滿足。當父母和孩子都可以感受到被愛的安全，就更有力量去付出愛。現今面對疫情，家庭中的成員有很多事情需要適應，各人就更需要以良善相待，關心彼此的需要，互諒互讓，一齊學習為對方多行一步，以良善勝過互相責備、埋怨。
美善的能力可以由家庭影響群體，當家庭與家庭之間更敏銳大家的需要，不吝嗇自己的力量，互相支持，就更能夠彼此滿足。正如杏林子女士所說「分擔的擔子是輕省、分享的快樂是加倍」。尤其今日面對社會不停的變化，家庭與家庭之間互相守望是非常重要的。無論是離港還是留港的家庭，都要更加開放，除了善待家人，更要善待眾人，讓美善的力量成為群體的見證。以弗所書五章 9 節提到「光明所結的果子，就是一切良善、公義、誠實」，良善與公義、誠實互相關連，活出良善是一種堅持，不怕「蝕底」，助人為樂，以善勝惡，那怕眾人都覺得等價交換才是公平。
讓我們在這不一樣的時勢，結出光明的果子。
Pastor's Sharing The Power of Goodness
Rev Eva Lok
Over the Easter break, I watched the film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. The protagonist in the story, Kimetsu no Yaiba, grew up in an underprivileged family, but it was filled with love. To rescue his sister from the devil’s harm, he braved the demons without fear, winning over evil with good. I am deeply touched. In today’s society, we grow up in an environment full of competitions and comparison. Virtues such as treating others with goodness, tolerance, forbearance – even to the point of being undermined – are considered outdated. Goodness is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Time and again, Paul has also encouraged believers: "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
Where is goodness lost? The family is the primary place where goodness is nurtured. Children learn their characters from their parents’ examples. Families today are filled with helplessness. Parents work under great pressure amid the pandemic, and they have to cope with their children’s different modes of learning. When enthusiasm gradually diminishes in tension of all kinds, maintaining the family bonds is easier said than done.
Goodness is a way to treat others. It starts with feeling satisfied to caring for others. It means forbearance, patience and willingness to give. Goodness grows from a feeling of satisfaction and a sense of security when being loved. To cultivate goodness in the family, family members can care for and support one another, and learn to love. A smile, an embrace, a word of encouragement – they are all important. Goodness can resolve tension in our relationships while enabling members' needs to be understood and met. When parents and children feel secure as a result of being loved, they will have more power to love. In the face of the pandemic, families need a lot of adaptations. All the more, members need to treat each other with goodness, to care for one another, to understand each other, to accommodate to each other's needs, and together learn to go the extra mile for the sake of one another. Goodness will win over mutual blame and grievance.
The power of goodness can spread from the family to the community. When different families become more aware of each other's needs, readily love and give and support each other, they will be able to better fulfill one another’s needs. Writer Hsia Liu (杏林子) has aptly said, "A burden shared is a burden halved. A joy shared is a joy doubled." In the face of changes in our society, it is important that different families watch over one another. Whether in Hong Kong or overseas, families need to be more open. Family members need to treat one another nicely. They need to treat others with good and let the power of goodness shine in testimony to the community. It says in Ephesians 5:9: "… the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth." Goodness, righteousness and truth are inter-related. Living out goodness in life is a kind of perseverance. It is uncalculating, ready to help, and wins over evil with good, even when others consider fairness as equivalent exchange.
In such a time as this, let us bear the fruit of the light.
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