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Pastor's Corner by Pastor Larry

January, 2006

I had a chance to watch a documentary film entitled “Beyond the Gates of Splendor” a couple of weeks ago. It was about five young married men: Nate Saint; Jim Elliott; Ed McCully; Pete Fleming; and Roger Yonderian. These men went to an Indian tribe, Waodani, in the Amazon as missionaries. This tribe was excluded from any kind of civilization, and was known to be hostile to potential threat, especially foreign invasion. The tribe’s cultural motto was “must spear and live or be speared and die.” With apprehension, they went to the jungle, not knowing what they could do or whether they could return home safely. They went to befriend this tribe. They were successful in the beginning until one day all five of them were speared to death.

As I watched the film, it struck me that these five men didn’t accomplish anything in today’s standard of “performance.” They didn’t bring anyone to Christ; they didn’t translate the Bible in the tribal language; they didn’t even develop any kind of long lasting friendship. All they did was to be kind to a few natives who later turned on them. Could they have done more if they were to visit a more “civilized place” to do missionary work? From our shortsighted human perspective, the answer probably is, “Yes.” Living in a culture of impatience, we often instantly look at the “bottom line.” As you look back at 2005, how do you evaluate the past year? What have you built? Did you build a stronger relationship with God and with your families? Or did you just provide short-lived materialistic means to satisfy your desires or comfort your conscience? If we are too focused on the immediate future, we will lose sight of the true value of life.

This movie also shows the power of forgiveness. After some time of grieving, some of the martyred missionaries’ wives and children decided to return to the tribe and continued with the work their husbands started. When it’s all said and done, they turned the hostile culture around to a peaceful environment. Wonders never cease with the power of forgiveness.

One thing that took me aback from this documentary is how this country has changed in these fifty years. This story happened in the 1950’s. When the country heard the news about the families who lost contact with the five missionaries, the whole country got behind them and prayed for their safe return. Today, we can’t even teach God or pray in public classrooms. The Federal Court in Pennsylvania passed a law a couple of weeks ago, prohibiting public schools to teach “Intelligent Design” as an alternative to “Evolution,” which educators still maintain as a theory. I think it’s sad to see this once-great country so blessed by God to have moved so far away from the Almighty. As we look ahead to 2006 and beyond, watch where you stand lest your “Faith” be watered down by the culture. I recommend you to watch this documentary, and on January 20th, another movie about this story entitled “End of the Spear” will be coming to a theater near you. 

Before I sign off, I pray that you will stand firm in God’s absolute and eternal Truths. If you haven’t come to know Jesus as your personal Savior, I pray that you would do so and experience the power of His forgiveness. Have a blessed year.

Pastor Larry

在幾個星期前，我有機會看一套名為〝超越卓越之門〞的記錄片。它記錄到五位已婚的年青人，Nate Saint、Jim Elliott、Ed McCully、Pete Fleming、和Roger Yonderian。他們去到亞馬遜河流域的Waodani地區內的一個印第安人部落中作宣教士。這部落不被任何文化渲染，並且抗拒任何可能造成對自己有威脅的事物，特別是外來的入侵。在這部落中有一句格言，就是〝一定要剌死對方以求生存，或是被刺死〞。明知這樣危險，亦不知道可以作什麽或是否可以平安的回家，他們還是進入叢林中。他們去到那個部落中，希望可以與他們交友。開始的時候，他們是有少許成功的，直到有一天，他們五人全部被剌死亡。

當我看這部影片的時候，它使我震驚的是這五位年青人用現今〝工作表現〞的標準來衡量實是沒有達成任何成果。他們沒有帶領任何人信主；他們沒有將聖經翻譯成部落的文字；他們甚至沒有發展任何較長遠的關係。他們所做到的，只是對幾個土人表示好感，而其後這幾個土人竟然以惡相待。如果他們去到一些〝較文明〞的地方去宣教時，是否可以更有效果呢？在人短視的眼光中，答案顯然是對的。生活在〝無耐性〞的文化中，我們常常著眼於〝底線〞在那裏。當你回顧2005年的時候，你如何評價這一年呢？你達到了什麼？你有沒有與神或你的家人建立強而美好的關係呢？又或是你只著眼於那些短暫的物質世界來滿足你個人的慾望或使你的良心好過一點呢？如果我們太過著眼於目前，我們就會忘記生命的真正意義了。

這部影片亦表現出寬恕的能力。經過一段傷痛的時候，一部份殉道宣教士的妻子和兒女們決定回到那些部落中去繼續她們丈夫開始的工作。坐言起行，她們竟然最終能將這敵對的文化轉變成為和平的環境，不要輕視寬恕的能力。

在這記綠片中，有一件事更另我深思的，就是我們的國家在過去五十年來的改變。這故事發生在1950年代，當這國家聽到這些家庭和這五位宣教士失去聯絡的時候，整個國家都以禱告來支持，希望他們可以平安回來，但今天我們竟然甚至不可以在公立學校課室中提及〝神〞或祈禱。在數星期前，賓夕凡尼亞州的聯邦法阮通過一條法例，(雖然“進化論”仍被教育界定為是“理論”)禁止公立學校教授〝智慧設計〞為〝進化論〞另外的可能性。我想，看見這個曾經被神大大賜福的國家竟然轉向離開這位全能者是一件傷痛的事。當我們前望2006年和將來的日子，留心你所堅守的以免你的信心隨波逐流。我建意你去看這部記錄片，而在一月二十日，另一部有關這故事名為〝矛戟之後〞的電影將在影院放映。

在我擱筆前，我祈求你堅守神絕對及永恆的真理。如果你仍然未接受耶穌為你個人的救主，我祈求你會這樣做並能經歷祂寬恕的大能。祝你有蒙福的一年。

唐若愚牧師

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