盼望的两个女儿
我认识的穷苦人家有很多不同的需要：房屋、新技能、朋友、援助，而他们每一个人最需要的就是盼望，这就意味着始终感受到生活仍然是充满潜力的。盼望令我们确信当今世界的境况不是应有的境况。基督徒尤其是满有盼望的人-这不是妄想或天真的乐观，而是充满对“复活的信念和生活实践”的盼望。在基督里，神已经向我们保证，我们的将来是在神的恩典中有保障的。
圣奥古士丁说，盼望有两个女儿：“愤怒和勇气。因现状而愤怒，以及有勇气相信现实不会一成不变。”神既期望一切受造之物都得享平安，我们是应该因贫穷和所有阻挠平安的现实而愤慨的。保罗说：“恶要厌恶。”看到不公、压迫、和别人受苦，却不关心或无动于衷，是不会有盼望的。
然而，单是愤怒也不能带来积极的改变。对罪恶愤慨的同时，我们必需要有勇气去采取行动胜过罪恶。保罗说，具有盼望的勇气包括忍耐、分享喜乐和分担忧伤、彼此款待、彼此担当、等等。
我认识的最贫穷的人中，有些也是最有盼望的人。他们有足够的智慧去厌恶罪恶，但同时也有足够的决心以勇气面对每一天。天国正是他们的。
主啊，求你教导我去渴望一个公正和平的世界，又使用我来成就你的旨意。阿们。
罗马书 12:9-21
9爱人不可虚假；恶要厌恶，善要亲近。
10爱弟兄，要彼此亲热；恭敬人，要彼此推让。
11殷勤不可懒惰；要心里火热，常常服侍主。
12在指望中要喜乐，在患难中要忍耐，祷告要恒切。
13圣徒缺乏要帮补，客要一味地款待。
14逼迫你们的，要给他们祝福；只要祝福，不可咒诅。
15与喜乐的人要同乐，与哀哭的人要同哭。
16要彼此同心；不要志气高大，倒要俯就卑微的人；不要自以为聪明。
17不要以恶报恶。众人以为美的事，要留心去做。
18若是能行，总要尽力与众人和睦。
19亲爱的弟兄，不要自己申冤，宁可让步，听凭主怒；因为经上记着：“主说：申冤在我，我必报应。”
20所以，“你的仇敌若饿了，就给他吃；若渴了，就给他喝。因为你这样行，就是把炭火堆在他的头上。”
21你不可为恶所胜，反要以善胜恶。
Hope’s Two Daughters
"Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. . . . Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. . . . " - Romans 12:9-12
The people I’ve met who live in poverty have needed many different things: housing, new skills, friendship, advocacy. And the one thing they have all needed is hope, the sense that life is still full of possibilities. Hope convicts us that the world-as-it-is is not the world-as-it-can-be. Christians are above all a people of hope—and this does not refer to wishful thinking or naïve optimism but hope as “resurrection thinking and living.” In Jesus Christ, God has assured us that the future is open to God’s grace.
St. Augustine said that hope has two daughters: “Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” Because God desires shalom for the whole creation, we are right to be angry at poverty and all that interferes with shalom. “Hate what is evil,” says Paul. Indifference or apathy about injustice, oppression, and the suffering of others cannot produce hope.
But anger by itself cannot bring positive change. Anger at evil must be accompanied by courage to act in ways that overcome evil. Paul describes that hopeful courage as consisting of patience, sharing both joys and sorrows, showing hospitality, bearing each other’s burdens, and more.
Some of the poorest folks I have met are also the most hopeful. They are wise enough to hate evil and determined enough to face each day with courage. Theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.
Lord, teach me to long for a world of justice and peace, and use me to do your will. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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