往往出乎我们意料之外
我们在社交媒体上辩论芝加哥警员枪击一名少年男子的事件，大家的情绪都变得相当激动。我认同其中一种立场的看法，而一个昔日任警员的同窗则站在另一面的立场。经过慎思之后，我们二人都深信，我们各自的看法才是唯一正确的。
一周之后，按照朋友的提议，那警员和我相约在芝加哥一所餐厅会面。我一直用茶匙搅动咖啡，后来他终于提议说：“我们祈祷好吗？”于是我们便一起祈祷了。在此后的两个小时里，我们都很留心聆听对方的看法，我们又约定日后再相聚。
到了第二个月，我在半夜收到一个年青人发给我的短信 － 一个刚从监狱假释出来的乐手。
“牧师，我需要祈祷。因着我过去的生活经历，无论我到哪里，我总是提心吊胆，恐怕有什么事情会发生。你可以为我祈祷吗？我感到求助无门，我开始感到绝望了。”第二天早上，我给他打去电话，我们便一起祈祷。从那天起，我们经常互发短信并一起祈祷。
圣灵会带领我们到哪里、要进入谁的生命中呢？警务人员？假释的乐手？一位老朋友？还是敌人？我们往往意料不到。
神啊，不论你的带领与我们自己的计划有多大距离，求你带领我们跟从你的道路。像腓利在旷野路上遇见埃塞俄比亚太监那样，惟愿我们与你的灵步伐一致，并且服从衪的呼召。奉耶稣祈求，阿们。
使徒行传 8:26-39
26有主的一个使者对腓利说：“起来，向南走，往那从耶路撒冷下加沙的路上去！”那路是旷野。
27腓利就起身去了。不料，有一个埃塞俄比亚人，是个有大权的太监，在埃塞俄比亚女王干大基的手下总管银库。他上耶路撒冷礼拜去了，
28现在回来，在车上坐着，念先知以赛亚的书。
29圣灵对腓利说：“你去，贴近那车走！”
30腓利就跑到太监那里，听见他念先知以赛亚的书，便问他说：“你所念的你明白吗？”
31他说：“没有人指教我，怎能明白呢？”于是请腓利上车与他同坐。
32他所念的那段经说：“他像羊被牵到宰杀之地，又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下无声，他也是这样不开口。
33他卑微的时候，人不按公义审判他。谁能述说他的世代？因为他的生命从地上夺去。’
34太监对腓利说：“请问，先知说这话是指着谁？是指着自己呢，是指着别人呢？”
35腓利就开口从这经上起，对他传讲耶稣。
36二人正往前走，到了有水的地方，太监说：“看哪，这里有水！我受洗有什么妨碍呢？”
38于是吩咐车站住，腓利和太监二人同下水里去，腓利就给他施洗。
39从水里上来，主的灵把腓利提了去。太监也不再见他了，就欢欢喜喜地走路。
We Never Know
"The Spirit told Phillip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.'" - Acts 8:29
Emotions ran high as we debated on social media the shooting of a teenage boy by a Chicago police officer. I took one side, and a former classmate, a Chicago police officer, took another. We both dug in deeper, and we were both convinced that our own individual viewpoint was the only way to see things.
A week later, following a friend's prompting, the officer and I sat across from each other in a Chicago diner. I stirred my coffee with a spoon. Then he finally said, "Can we pray?" We did. And then, for the next two hours, we listened to each other. We committed to meet again.
The next month, in the middle of the night, I received a text from a young man—a musical artist just released from prison on parole.
"Pastor, I need prayer. I look over my shoulder everywhere I go because of the life I live. Can you pray for me? I have no one to turn to. I'm despairing." The next morning, I called, and we prayed together. We have texted and prayed together regularly since then.
Where is the Holy Spirit taking us, and into whose lives? A police officer? A musical artist on parole? An old friend? An enemy? We never know.
God, lead us to follow your way, no matter how far it may lead outside our own plans. Like Philip as he met with the Ethiopian official on a desert road, may we be in step with your Spirit and obedient to his call. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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