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Pastor's Corner by Larry Tong

July, 2006

We are at the half way point of 2006, and it seems that time has once again zoomed by this year. It always seems that there is not enough time to do the things I want to do. I imagine it has to do with my age! Then again, I’m only as old as I think I am. This statement is only partially true. There comes a time when it doesn’t matter what you think; your body is going to disagree with your mind. With that thought in mind, I went to have a physical check-up before my wife and I went on vacation, just to be certain that I could indulge myself with gourmet food in Hong Kong and China. I was glad that the doctor gave me a clean bill of health.

That said, I believe it is necessary to have emotional and spiritual checkups from time to time. In this day in age, we are faced with pressures from every possible direction: school, work, economy, and family. Scientists revealed that stress causes cells within our bodies to break down easier, which leads to pre-mature aging and dying. Our daily pressures can be a direct cause of insomnia, ulcer, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart problems, cancer, and many other illnesses.

Pressures in life may also cause a person to lose his sanity. We often question the decisions we make during a stressful situation. We know we wouldn’t have made certain decisions if we were calm and collected. Pressures may also easily cause conflicts between spouses, which lead to focusing on the negatives. When that happens, it is easy for husbands and wives to shut down lines of communication.

Life pressures, like high blood pressure, are silent killers. They damage our relationships with others, and change our outlook on life from optimistic to pessimistic. So, how can we combat this silent killer? First, I think we should learn to relax. We must remember we don’t have to carry the whole world on our shoulders—we just have to do our part. I know it is easier said than done because doing our best may not be enough in this competitive world. However, adding more pressure isn’t going to increase our performance. Second, I think we should learn to develop a sense of humor. I think we sometimes act too seriously. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay attention to what we do, but it is okay to even laugh at own (not others’) mistakes. Third, I think we should re-learn to live simply. Our lives are too complicated, and often times they don’t need to be. We may want to learn to let go of some of the non-essentials.

Before I sign off, I would like to share with you what Jesus said: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” There is no true value if we gain all the non-essentials and forfeit the one essential of life. This verse reminds us of two levels of the essential of life: Eternal Life beyond death and a peaceful and joyful life on here and now on earth.

Pastor Larry

時間好像急速的飛逝，我們已經來到2006年的中段。我時常覺得不夠時間去做要做的事情，我想像這會與我的年齡有關係！但同時，〝我的年紀只不過視乎我自已的感覺而已〞；這句話只有部份是正確的，有些時候不論你感覺如何，你身體的表現會不同意。正因為這樣，我在與師母去渡假之前，到醫生處作了一個健康檢查，以確定我可以縱容自已在香港及中國放膽地去品嚐各種佳餚美食，我很高興因為醫生的報告證實我的身體很健康。

這樣說來，我相信我們要為我們的感性及靈性來作定期檢查。在這個世代中，我們不斷受著學校、工作、經濟、和家庭而來多方面的壓力。科學家透露，壓力會引至我們身體內的細胞容易被破壞，從而引起〝未老先衰〞的情況，甚至於早死。我們每日面對的壓力會直接引起失眠、潰瘍、憂慮、高血壓、心臟病、癌症、及很多其他的疾病。

生活的壓力亦會令人失去理智，我們時常會懷疑自己在壓力下所作的決定是否正確。我們知道如果在冷靜及鎮定的情況下，我們是不會作出同樣決定的。壓力亦會很容易引起夫妻間的磨擦，從而使到我們集中注意在負面的事情上。當這樣的事情發生，很容易引至夫妻間的溝通中斷。

生活壓力就好像高血壓一樣，是個無聲殺手。它們會破壞我們與別人的關係，並且令我們從樂觀轉為悲觀。然而我們又可以如何對抗這個〝無聲殺手〞呢？首先，我看我們要學習放鬆，我們一定要緊記我們不需要肩負全世界─我們只需要盡自己的本份而已。我知道知易行難，因為有些時候盡了自己的本份在這個競爭激烈的社會中仍是不足夠的，但是增加自己的壓力也不會令我們有更好的表現。其次，我想我們應該培養一些幽默感。我想我們有時候做事是太過認真了，這不是說我們可以得過且過就算，但是我們在犯錯的時候自嘲﹝不是嘲笑別人﹞也是無傷大雅的。第三，我想我們可以學習過一個簡樸的生活。我們的生命實在是太復雜了，而很多時候是不需要的，我們可能需要放棄一些不十分重要的事物。

在我擱筆之前，讓我與你分享主耶穌的話：「人若賺得全世界，賠上自己的生命，有甚麼益處呢？人還能拿甚麼換生命呢？」如果我們得到所有不重要的事物而失去自己寶貴的生命是沒有價值的，這段經文提醒我們兩個不同層面的生命特質：超越死亡之後的永恆生命，與及我們現在就可以擁有的一個充滿平安和喜樂的生命。

唐若愚牧師

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