多么有趣的想法!透过对陌生客旅表达善意,你可以向神的使者表达善意。多买一个汉堡分享给无家可归的人,帮助别人换掉漏气的轮胎,开车送有需要的同事一程——神常常赐给我们这样的机会,以这些以及其他的方式向有需要的人表达好客和怜悯。
当我遇到那些没有信仰环境的人,听他们说基督徒是缺乏怜悯的人群时,我总是很难过。在和他们的对话中,我常听到他们说基督徒爱论断,而且高傲。
许多人认为他们社区里的教堂只不过是俱乐部或政治行动组织。他们听到教会的人大都在说会员们反对的事物。
这个世界需要看到基督徒是满有怜悯的——是像耶稣一样传福音的人。想要做到这一点,就要养成习惯,不断操练怜悯。
希伯来书的作者敦促读者彼此相爱并照顾陌生客旅的需要,这不是偶然的。人们很容易忽略不平常或不熟悉的事物。只有基督的爱,才能触及陌生的客旅,他可能会带给你从未预料到的独特祝福。
主耶稣,求祢今天打开我的眼睛,使我看见身边的客旅;向我显明如何把他们当作祢的礼物来接纳。阿们。
希伯来书 13:1-3
1 你们务要常存弟兄相爱的心。
2 不可忘记用爱心接待客旅,因为曾有接待客旅的,不知不觉就接待了天使。
3 你们要记念被捆绑的人,好像与他们同受捆绑;也要记念遭苦害的人,想到自己也在肉身之内。
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. — Hebrews 13:2
What an interesting idea! By showing kindness to strangers, you could be showing kindness to a messenger of God. Buying an extra burger to share with a homeless person, helping someone change a flat tire on their car, offering a ride to a colleague who needs one—in these ways and more, God often gives us opportunities to show hospitality and compassion for someone who has a need.
As I encounter people who are not part of a faith community, it saddens me when they describe Christians as less-than-compassionate people. Words I often hear in these conversations are that Christians are judgmental and condescending. Many people see church buildings in their communities as little more than clubs or political action organizations. They hear church people speak out mostly about what the members oppose.
The world needs to see Christians as people of compassion—good-news people who act like Jesus. That will happen when we nurture a habit of practicing compassion.
It is not by accident that the writer of Hebrews urges readers to love each other and to look out for the needs of strangers. It’s easy to overlook the unusual or the unfamiliar. It takes the love of Christ to reach out to the stranger who might just bring a unique blessing that you never saw coming.
Lord Jesus, open my eyes today to see the strangers around me. Show me how to receive them as one of your gifts today. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳