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Pastor's Corner by Larry Tong

December, 2006

By the time you read this, it’s early December. “Black Friday” and “Black Monday” are behind us, but Christmas decorations in retail stores are at their heights to persuade us to stop in to shop for gifts before Christmas. One thing I realized is that there are fewer and fewer “Nativity Scenes” in shopping centers. We seldom see a baby sleeps in a trough, with donkeys and sheep nearby, and the father and mother standing behind the baby to attend the baby’s needs. The music throughout the stores has also changed in recent years. Even the signs from some of the stores have changed from “Christmas Season” to “Holiday Season.” Why these changes? Yes, I remember now. It is because some people protested the use of religious songs and imageries in public places because they are too offensive. They claimed that though there is religion freedom in this country, it is a private matter, and should not publicly display one’s Faith.

This upset many Christians, and as a result, decided to boycott the retail stores that stopped playing Christmas music and changed the slogan from Christmas greetings to Holiday Greetings. As I was meditating on this, I found myself asking, “When God looks at this from heaven, what is His reaction? Is God in-shock to see people gradually moving away from Him?” These questions drew me back to think about the first Christmas. Why the Nativity? Since God is all-knowing, didn’t He realize that the Jews would reject Jesus as the promised Messiah? Why did He allow His only begotten, beloved Son to go through the excruciating emotional and physical pain? Is He a cruel God?

We may never be able to understand what went through God’s mind when He sent His Son Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. In spite of knowing the rejection ahead of time, God still sent His Son Jesus Christ to die and to redeem the world. We can’t possibly fathom God’s love. We can only say, “What marvelous grace!” Therefore, I don’t think God is in shock with people pushing aside any notion of Christmas. I believe it hurts God the same way it hurt Him when Jesus was hung on the cross. Yet, His love and grace continue to flow from the cross on Calvary. God is relentless to save those who are willing to accept Jesus as their Savior.

The world is in full speed racing into an uncertain future. The “buzz” word since the 9/11 incidence is “Security.” However, are we secured? Those who reject Christmas certainly have uncertainty awaits them, but for those who have embraced the first Christmas, the Nativity is like a security blanket that keeps us warmly tucked in God’s security.

Before I sign off, dear friends, this security blanket is big enough for you to keep warm. If you haven’t come to know Jesus as your Savior, get under the blanket.

Pastor Larry

當你讀這份通訊的時候，應該是十二月初了。〝黑色星期五〞和〝黑色星期一〞都已成過去，但零售店的聖誕裝飾卻不斷地引誘我們在聖誕節前購買禮物。有一件事我留意到的，就是購物中心已經越來越少以〝基督降生〞為主題作裝飾了。我們很少會再見到一個小孩睡在槽中、圍繞著驢子和羊、而父母站在小孩子後面來服侍他的需要。在零售店中播放的音樂近年亦有很大的改變；很多商店中的標語，亦從〝聖誕節〞改成〝假期節日〞了。為什麼有這樣的改變呢？呀，我現在記起來了，是因為有些人抗議在公眾地方播放有宗教意味的歌曲，和使用一些有宗教意味的肖像，因為這些東西對他們來說有侵犯性。他們覺得在這個國家雖然有宗教自由，但這都是私人的事，公開展示個人的信仰是不應該的。

結果就引起很多基督徒不滿了，他們決定杯葛那些停止播放聖誕歌曲，和將〝聖誕節祝賀〞的標語改為〝節日祝賀〞的零售店。當我默想這些事情的時候，我發覺我在問：「當神在天上望下來的時候，祂的反應會怎麼樣呢？神是否會因著人漸漸離開祂而感覺震驚呢？」這些問題帶引我回想第一個聖誕節。為什麼要有基督降生呢？神既然是全知的，難道祂不知道猶太人會拒絕接受耶穌就是那位應許的彌賽亞嗎？為什麼祂容讓祂唯一而又是所愛的聖子受那肉身及感情的折磨和痛苦呢？祂是否一位冷酷的神？

我們或許永遠都不能夠明白神在二千多年前差派祂的兒子耶穌基督來世時的心情，雖然神預知祂的兒子將會被拒絕，但祂仍然差派耶穌基督來以祂的死來救贖世人。我們實在無法測度神的愛有多深，我們只可以說：「實在是不可恩議的恩典！」所以，我不認為神會因為人拒絕聖誕節的觀念而震驚。我相信只會令神覺得心痛，就好像當祂的兒子被掛在十字架上的時候祂覺得傷痛一樣。但是，祂的愛和恩典卻繼續從各各他山上的十字架湧流出來。神就是這樣不留餘地的拯救那些願意認耶穌為他們救主的人。

這個世界正在全速地進入那不可預知的將來。在〝911〞事件之後的鑰句是〝安全〞，但我們安全嗎？那些拒絕聖誕節的人，肯定有不能肯定的將來等候著他們；但對那些確實相信第一個聖誕節的人來說，〝基督降生〞就好像一張保護的毛毯，使我們在神安全的保護中感到無限溫暖一樣。

親愛的朋友，在我擱筆以先，這張〝保護的毛毯〞是足夠令你感到溫暖的。如果你仍然未接受識主耶穌為你的個人救主，請走到這毛毯之下吧。

唐若愚牧師

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