当我刚从一次印度短宣回来时，我以为自己一生都不会忘记在那里看到的可怕情景。难以想像的贫穷，那些“被遗弃的人” 的困境，两位妇人在我们旅馆外的垃圾堆里翻找东西，一个小女孩用力抓着我的衣服不放，直到我给她点东西——这些画面充斥着我的头脑。
但过了不久，我还是忘记了。我的食欲恢复了，脑海里的画面也渐渐淡忘了。周围都是可以想像的奢侈品，我心里又一次生出一层老茧，感觉不到对困苦人的怜悯。
我们大多数人并没有今天比喻中的那样奢华，很少有人能穿当日那些显贵的紫色袍子和细麻衣。和住在豪宅里的富人相比，我们大多数人的居所都很一般，有些人甚至基本的生活开支都有困难。然而，和千千万万的穷人相比，我们其实是过着奢华的生活。世界上有二十亿人口每天的花费，在两美元以下。有十亿多的人口喝不到干净的水，有上亿人口长期处于饥饿状态，每四秒钟就有一个五岁以下儿童死于极度贫困。这就是我们所处世界的现状。
我们这些生活奢华的人，有责任去怜悯那些需要帮助的人，有责任尽我们所能地提供食物给饥饿的人，提供衣物给赤身的人，提供饮水给口渴的人。
主啊，求祢使我们避免生出钝化内心的老茧，以致我们感受不到他人的痛苦。求祢以祢的爱充满我们。奉耶稣名求，阿们。
路加福音 16:19-31
19“有一个财主穿着紫色袍和细麻布衣服，天天奢华宴乐。
20又有一个讨饭的，名叫拉撒路，浑身生疮，被人放在财主门口，
21要得财主桌子上掉下来的零碎充饥，并且狗来舔他的疮。
22后来那讨饭的死了，被天使带去放在亚伯拉罕的怀里。财主也死了，并且埋葬了。
23他在阴间受痛苦，举目远远地望见亚伯拉罕，又望见拉撒路在他怀里，
24就喊着说：‘我祖亚伯拉罕哪，可怜我吧！打发拉撒路来，用指头尖蘸点水，凉凉我的舌头；因为我在这火焰里，极其痛苦。’
25亚伯拉罕说：‘儿啊，你该回想你生前享过福，拉撒路也受过苦；如今他在这里得安慰，你倒受痛苦。
26不但这样，并且在你我之间，有深渊限定，以致人要从这边过到你们那边是不能的；要从那边过到我们这边也是不能的。’
27财主说：‘我祖啊！既是这样，求你打发拉撒路到我父家去；
28因为我还有五个弟兄，他可以对他们作见证，免得他们也来到这痛苦的地方。’
29亚伯拉罕说：‘他们有摩西和先知的话可以听从。’
30他说：‘我祖亚伯拉罕哪，不是的，若有一个从死里复活的，到他们那里去的，他们必要悔改。’
31亚伯拉罕说：‘若不听从摩西和先知的话，就是有一个从死里复活的，他们也是不听劝。’”
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day." — Luke 16:19
When I came back from a mission trip to India, I was sure I would never forget what I had seen. The unimaginable poverty, the plight of "untouchables," the sight of two women clawing through garbage just outside our hotel, the tug of a young girl refusing to let go until I gave her something— these images filled my mind.
But I did forget. Before long my appetite returned, and the mental images of what I had seen slowly disappeared. Surrounded by every luxury imaginable, I again began to develop calluses that kept me from feeling compassion for people in need.
Most of us do not have the luxuries described in today's parable. Few of us dress in purple or fine linen. Compared to the mansion of the rich man, most of our homes are modest. Some of us may even have trouble making ends meet. And yet, compared to millions, many of us do live in luxury. Two billion people live on less than two dollars a day. More than a billion don't have clean water to drink, while hundreds of millions are chronically hungry. And every four seconds a child under age 5 dies because of extreme poverty. That's the reality of the world we live in.
It's up to us who live in luxury to have compassion for people who need help. It's up to us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide water— however we can.
Lord, keep us from developing calluses that dull our hearts from feeling the pain of others. Fill us with your love. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
