The Only Ark

When God told Noah about the Flood, it was by faith [that] Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Heb. 11:7 ESV) The world was condemned not in ignorance, but in unbelief. Heard about the warning, they were all inundated by the lack of faith. Most radical environmentalists today may not necessarily believe in Noah’s story, but they act just like a modern-day Noah would: spreading the warning of a doomsday by global flood with religious zeal, and pronouncing judgment to all unbelievers. It is a good thing to protect the environment, treasure God’s creation, save energy, and live a simple life, we ought to do that. But are we as Christians obligated to join the radical environmentalists for a crusade to build another ark to save men and animals from the coming environmental end day disaster?


All who believe in Jesus Christ are already safe inside an ark. We all share Noah’s faith by believing in the Son of God, and have our lives protected by him from the coming judgment day. So should we heed the bad news of environment doomsday and listen to the gospel of salvation through carbon reduction and enter this ark? Maybe we can find a way of boarding both arks at the same time: to save souls in the ark of Jesus Christ and to save bodies in the ark of environmentalism. Then we can keep our feet dry from both floods and kill two birds with one stone.


If someone has no hope of bodily resurrection, he has not known the abundance of salvation in Jesus Christ, which covers from our body to our soul. There has never been a shortage of disasters, natural or man-made, and there will never be. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 ESV) Not in other religions or saviors, not even in the name of science. Radical environmentalists equate science to ultimate truth and scientific predictions as prophecy from God. By this they force scientists into the role of modern-day priests. They forgot that science is entirely based upon observations of the physical world. Confidence in scientific conclusions is not static but evolves with time, with much more confidence in explaining a phenomenon than in predicting one. Any scientific conclusion must always humbly subject itself to scientific scrutiny whenever new observations become available. These last few days, atmospheric scientists all over the world are watching the development of Antarctic ozone hole, because this year it suddenly went through an unusual shrinkage. Now everyone is watching closely and seeking an explanation. If Earth’s atmosphere is still full of surprises for atmospheric scientists, with a much larger spacial and temporal scales to work on, there will be even more surprises for climatologists. Science has indeed contributed a lot to human civilization, but we must admit it also brought disasters to human beings. If we insist its authoritative role in predicting and mitigating end day disasters, and we do not tolerate anyone in questioning its legitimacy, we raise science to the level of theology and set it up as a religion. You can find such an idolatry even in the church today.


When Jesus fed the crowd with five loaves of bread and two fish, and when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” (Jn. 6:12 ESV) And Apostle Paul taught us, But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (1 Tim. 6:8 ESV) Before the rise of environmentalism, Christians are taught to live a simple and frugal lifestyle. When the world glorifies luxury lifestyle, we live simple; when the world flips and glorifies simple lifestyle as a new gospel, we still live simple, and still believe the same old gospel. This world is doomed in corruption and will be consumed in a disaster. The cause comes less from physical pollution, more from the pollution of human hearts. The church has been warning the world for the past two thousand years and proclaiming the only Savior. For this we received the royal priesthood and have only one gospel to preach for this dying world. 

Prayer: O Lord! May You keep your church from walking according to the age of this world, but walking in righteousness and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and hope of a new heaven and a new earth!

唯一方舟

神曾对挪亚说将有洪水毁灭全地，挪亚因着信，既蒙神指示他未见的事，动了敬畏的心，预备了一只方舟，使他全家得救。因此就定了那世代的罪，自己也承受了那从信而来的义。【来十一7】挪亚同时代的人被定罪，不是因为没有听到洪水的警告，而是因为听到了却不信，就都遭遇灭顶之灾。今天激进的环保主义者，不一定相信挪亚故事的真实性，但他们却俨然是现代的挪亚。他们以传道者的热情带给世人另一个灭顶之灾的警告，并且对任何不信的人，施行道义上的审判。保护环境，节约能源，简朴生活都是好的，我们也当如此行。但基督徒是否要和激进环保分子们一起，来鼓吹和建造让人类和动物躲避末日环境灾难的另一只“方舟”呢？


凡信耶稣的人，都已经藏身在方舟里了。因为我们有挪亚般的信心，因信神的儿子，都进到他里面躲避那要来的灭顶之灾。现在的问题是，听到这些现代挪亚们所传的全球暖化的噩耗和减碳自救的福音，我们要不要上他们的方舟呢？或者我们可以脚踩两只船，既在耶稣基督的方舟里让人的灵魂得救，又在环保主义的方舟里让人的肉体得救。这样，不管水从哪边冲过来，我们都左右逢源，立于不败之地？


人若没有身体复活的盼望，就不认识基督丰盛的救恩，那是从灵魂到肉体全备的救恩。这世上从来没有断过天灾人祸，将来也不会。但除他以外，别无拯救。因为在天下人间，没有赐下别的名，我们可以靠着得救。【徒四12】其他宗教和救主不能救人逃脱末日灾难，科学也不能。极端环保主义者把科学当成终极真理，把科学的预测当作先知的话，强迫科学家作现代的祭司。他们忘记了，科学是建立在已经发生的客观事实之上的，科学结论绝非宗教教义般一成不变，而是在时间中不断被修正。任何科学预测都不是定论。一旦观察到新情况，任何科学结论都必需谦卑地接受检验。这几天大气科学界都在密切关注南极上空臭氧洞的发展，因为今年臭氧洞出乎科学家们的意外，突然在极短的时间内快速缩小，他们都屏住呼吸在观察，期待去了解和解释这个新的现象。如果地球的大气层对大气科学家们充满了难以预测的不确定性，那么对于研究更大时间和空间尺度的气候学家们就更不用提了。总体而言，科学固然为人类文明的进步做出了巨大的贡献，但也不能否认科学上的失算带给人灾难。如果执意让科学来预测末日灾难并提供逃难之道，并且拒绝接受任何质疑，就是把科学升格为神学，创立了一个新的宗教。这样的偶像崇拜也会渗透到教会里。


当耶稣把五饼二鱼分给众人吃，他们吃饱了，耶稣对门徒说，把剩下的零碎，收拾起来，免得有糟蹋的。【约六12】使徒保罗也教导我们，只要有衣有食，就当知足。【提前六8】远在环保主义兴起之前，简朴和节制就已经是基督徒的生活方式。当世上人都追求奢华，我们却生活简朴。当世上人反过来把简朴生活当作新的福音，我们仍然生活简朴，也依然持守那古旧的福音。这个世界的败坏与末日灾难早就注定了，其祸首却不在于物质的污染，而在于心里的污染。教会已经为此大声疾呼了两千年，也不遗余力地向世人宣扬唯一的救主。为此我们成了神的祭司，在这日益败坏的世界传这唯一的福音。

祷告：主啊，求你保守你的教会，不随从今世的风俗，以圣洁的生活，传扬基督的救恩，宣告新天新地的盼望！

Come and Dine with Us

There is a saying that the better the food, the bigger the crowd. Last weekend, the Inter-Generation Fellowship at our church held a BBQ at the park and attracted more people than usual. Since I was also first drawn to church by delicious food, I am always supportive for this kind of outreach. I prepared lamb skewers grilled over charcoal for the event. It was matched by the grilled wild-caught perch from Brother Chen. Together we offered a delicious combo, as the Chinese character for delicious is literally composed of half character that means “lamb” and the other half character that means “fish”. They became instant hits at the party. The demand even exceeded our supplies and we had to send some people away empty-handed.

Chinese churches are known for enjoying food together, because in many Eastern cultures, eating is a communal activity. Even in the Bible, it shows that whenever God’s people gather, they always would share a meal. When the Israelites made sacrifices, for some sacrifices, the sacrificial animals must be burnt. For other types, the sacrificial animals must be eaten right away. Therefore, eating became an inseparable part of ancient sacrifice. And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. (Exod. 18:12 ESV) When the Israelites celebrate Passover, it is mainly a family supper with an entire grilled lamb as the required main dish. For Christians, the Holy Communion is to repeat the last supper Jesus shared with His disciples. As for our future hope, it comes down to a meal ticket at the Lamb’s wedding feast that we may share with all the saints. As Jesus said, I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, (Matt. 8:11 ESV) He also personally assured His disciples, Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. (Mk. 14:25 ESV) He essentially promised a toast with all of us on that wedding feast, and this meal is booked with certainty. No wonder someone made this comment, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Lk. 14:15 ESV)

If Chinese culture places emphasis on food itself, the Bible focuses on the communal, dining experience. As Proverbs says, Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. (Prov. 15:17 ESV) And food companion is so much more important than the food itself. As Jesus announced, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Rev. 3:20 ESV) It is okay to not have the latest trending delicacies on your table, as long as Jesus is at the table. For those who pursue after delicacies, food can drive them away from God. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 14:17 ESV) For those who pursue after God, fellowship meals can actually bring us closer to God (Matt. 18:20). We believe that at the final wedding feast in heaven, there will be seats reserved for all of us. Therefore, in Christian faith, there is always room for meals.

It does not mean that we must have to have a meal for every gathering. But every Christian gathering is like sharing a meal, because we do take something in, as Jeremiah the Prophet says, Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. (Jer. 15:16 ESV) Like physical food refreshes our strength, eating with friends gladdens our heart; the Word of God strengthens our faith and makes us fearless in life, as it is written, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Ps. 23:5 ESV) Every time when we gather in the name of the Lord, we are sitting at the table prepared by God for our spiritual nourishment. The best food of this meal is not grilled lamb or other delicacies, but as Jesus promised, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matt. 5:6 ESV)

Prayer: O Lord! Please open up our spiritual appetite and feed us with your Words and satisfy us with your promises!

一起吃饭

如果教会活动有聚餐的话，来的人总会多一些，而且越是有大餐的聚会，来的人也越多。上个周末，教会的跨代团契在公园举办烧烤活动，来吃饭的人就比平时参加聚会的人要多。因为我自己最初也是被教会中的美味吸引来的，所以这次的烧烤，我也大力参与。我所供应特制的烤羊肉串，和陈弟兄的烤野生鲫鱼相辅相成，烤出了一个完整的“鲜”字。只是僧多粥少，供不应求，让许多后来的人望“羊”兴叹。


有人说我们华人教会喜欢吃饭，是因为中国文化讲究吃，这话有一定的道理。但圣经中也记载神的子民聚会，也少不了聚餐。以色列人向神献祭，有些祭物要全烧掉，还有些祭物则必需马上吃掉。所以献祭的人一起吃饭，就成了古人敬拜神不可缺少的一部分。当摩西的岳父叶忒罗把燔祭和平安祭献给神。亚伦和以色列的众长老都来了，与摩西的岳父在神面前吃饭。【出十八12】以色列人过逾越节，就是全家一起吃顿晚饭，而且必上的一道菜就是烤全羊。而对我们基督徒而言，领受主餐就是在重复主耶稣与门徒所吃的那顿最后的晚餐。说到我们将来的盼望，就是能在末日羔羊的婚宴上能和众圣徒聚餐。正如耶稣的话说，我又告诉你们，从东从西，将有许多人来，在天国里与亚伯拉罕，以撒，雅各，一同坐席。【太八11】耶稣还亲自保证说，我实在告诉你们，我不再喝这葡萄汁，直到我在神的国里，喝新的那日子。【可十四25】 也就是说，他约好要和我们众人在席上把酒言欢，这顿饭局是绝对跑不掉的。难怪有人说，能在神国里吃饭的有福了。【路十四15】


如果中国的饮食文化强调的是食物的精美，而圣经中的聚餐，则看重吃饭的氛围。如经上所记，吃素菜，彼此相爱，强如吃肥牛，彼此相恨。【箴言十五17】而且和谁一起吃饭，远远比桌上的食物更重要。耶稣说，看哪，我站在门外叩门。若有听见我声音就开门的，我要进到他那里去，我与他，他与我一同坐席。【启三20】席上有没有山珍海味不重要，重要的是和耶稣一起吃。对于追求美食的人，吃饭会让他们远离神，因为神的国，不在乎吃喝，只在乎公义，和平，并圣灵中的喜乐。【罗十四17】但对于追求神的人，奉主的名聚餐能让我们更亲近神，因为有耶稣同席【太十八20】。而且我们相信，在那末日婚宴的餐桌上，有为我们预留好的座位。所以在基督徒的信仰生活中，肯定少不了聚餐。


当然不是每次聚会，我们都要一起吃饭。但是我们每次聚会，又都像是在聚餐，因为都有东西吃下去。像先知耶利米说的，耶和华万军之神阿，我得着你的言语就当食物吃了。你的言语是我心中的欢喜快乐，因我是称为你名下的人。【耶十五16】就像有形的食物，能让我们恢复体力；又像与朋友聚餐，让我们心情愉快一样；当我们如此吃下神的话语，就增加我们的信心，也让我们在困难面前毫不惧怕。如经上所记，在我敌人面前，你为我摆设筵席。你用油膏了我的头，使我的福杯满溢。【诗廿三5】每次当我们奉主的名聚会，就是在吃神为我们摆设的属灵的筵席。但最好吃的并不是羊肉串或者别的美食，而是耶稣所应许的话，饥渴慕义的人有福了，因为他们必得饱足。【太五6】


祷告：主啊，求你大开我们属灵的胃口，用你的话让我们大快朵颐，因你的应许，我们就心满意足！

Measure of Your Days

Do you want to know how long you are going to live? Young people often care more about career and relationships, but when people are beaten down by age or by sickness, they want to know how many days are left for them. If anyone knows the answer, he gets the floor. We all want to live a good long life, but no one knows how long we are going to get. Not even science can accurately predict human life span. It is exclusively reserved for God, as it is written, And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, (Acts 17:26 ESV) God already set each person’s life span, as the Psalmist sang, in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Ps. 139:16 ESV)


Though it was written long ago, no one knows his allotted life span. God did this on purpose, so that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, (Acts 17:27 ESV) When we seek for answers that only God knows, we are seeking for God. Therefore, when you seek to know your allotted life span, you are seeking for God, and God is waiting for you to search Him out like that. As Psalmist prayed, O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; (Ps. 39:4 ESV) The moment you get your answer back, you will see God. God once promises His people, you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut. 4:29 ESV)


If one prays, God, how long will I live? Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” (Gen. 6:3 ESV) That is the upper limit God sets for all human being, and a sensible person would not expect himself to live out to the upper limit. He would further pray, God, what percentage do you allot to me out of that upper limit? Moses lived a full 120 years and he knew God before his death, and he also knew God’s answer to this prayer. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. (Ps. 90:10 ESV) What he meant is this, if you only ask for quantity, not quality of your life, you asked a wrong question. Then, shall we continue to ask for our life span? Hear how Moses asked, So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12 ESV) Through Moses’ prayer, we learned that there is wisdom in how to count our remaining days.


If nothing is more precious than our life, then knowing our allotted life span is a sad thing. If there is something more precious than our life, then knowing our allotted life span brings us urgency, and prompts us to dedicate the rest of our lives for something better. When David was chased by his enemies and was running for his life in the wilderness, he certainly wanted to know whether his end was near or his life was about over. This is how he asked God about his allotted lifespan, Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. (Ps. 63:3-4 ESV) David was saying that if God took him away then, he only had one regret, that he would no long be able to praise God with his lips and with his lifted hands, because The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. (Ps. 115:17 ESV) As soon as God heard such a prayer, He assured David that his allotted life span was much longer than his enemies’, and later God made this promise to him, the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2 Sam. 7:11-13 ESV) David not only knew his allotted life span before his death, but even this, that the end of his life would be a beginning of something greater that never ends.

Prayer: O Lord! We want to search you with all our hearts and with all our souls. Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!

寿数几何

你想知道自己能活多久吗？年轻力壮的时候我们只想问前途，问爱情，但当人年老力衰或疾病缠身之时，就对自己的寿数越来越感兴趣。如果谁能提前相告，我们一定洗耳恭听，而且希望听见的数字越大越好。但世上没有这样的高人，连科学也无法准确预测你的寿数，因为这是神的专利。如经上所记，他从一本造出万族的人，住在全地上，并且预先定准他们的年限，和所住的疆界。【徒十七26】我们一生的寿数，神早就定好了。如诗篇中所唱，你所定的日子，我尚未度一日，你都写在你的册上了。【诗百卅九16】


虽然人的寿数早就定好了，但人自己却不得而知，因为神故意卖这个关子。如经上所说，是要叫他们寻求神，或者可以揣摩而得，其实他离我们各人不远。【徒十七27】当我们寻求只有神才知道的答案时，就是在寻求神。所以当你求问神给你定的寿数，你就是在寻求神，而且神也乐意人如此寻求他。正如诗篇中的祷告，耶和华阿，求你叫我晓得我身之终，我的寿数几何。【诗卅九4】你得到答案之时，就是你看见神的一刻。神也曾应许他的子民，你尽心尽性寻求他的时候，就必寻见。【申四29】


如果人祷告说，神啊，我还能活多久呢？耶和华说，人既属乎血气，我的灵就不永远住在他里面。然而他的日子还可到一百二十年。【创六3】这是神给所有人定的上限，有自知之明的人，绝不敢奢望自己能活满人寿的上限。他会继续祷告说，神啊，我能活到这个上限的几成呢？神人摩西一百二十岁才死，活满了人寿的上限，而且他在未死之先就看见了神，所以他早知道你这个祷告的答案。他说，我们一生的年日是七十岁。若是强壮可到八十岁。但其中所矜夸的，不过是劳苦愁烦。转眼成空，我们便如飞而去。【诗九十10】他的意思是说，如果你只问数量，不求质量，问也白问。这样说来，还有必要问自己的寿数吗？听听摩西怎么问的：求你指教我们怎样数算自己的日子，好叫我们得着智慧的心。【诗九十12】神借着摩西告诉我们，怎样计算自己的余生，里面大有学问。


若没有比生命更宝贵的东西，知道自己的人寿大限肯定会让人无限伤感。但若有比生命更宝贵的东西，知道自己的人寿大限就会带给你紧迫感，催逼你把余生献给这更宝贵的东西。当大卫被人追杀，亡命天涯之时，他当然想知道自己是否寿数已尽，在劫难逃。他这样求问神，因你的慈爱比生命更好，我的嘴唇要颂赞你。我还活的时候，要这样称颂你。我要奉你的名举手。【诗六十三3-4】大卫对神说，我现在若被敌人杀死，唯一的遗憾就是不能再用嘴唇颂赞你，不能再向你举手敬拜，因为死人不能赞美耶和华。下到寂静中的也都不能。【诗百十五17】当神听到这样的求告时，他马上让大卫放心，应许他的寿数要比那些追杀他的仇敌的寿数长得多。这位掌管生命的神还这样对他说，我耶和华应许你，必为你建立家室。你寿数满足，与你列祖同睡的时候，我必使你的后裔接续你的位。我也必坚定他的国。他必为我的名建造殿宇。我必坚定他的国位，直到永远。【撒下七11-13】大卫生前不但蒙神启示他的寿数，而且神让他知道，他人生的终点，将会是一个更大的起点，而且永无止息。

祷告：主啊，我们愿意尽心竭力地寻求你，求你使我们早早饱得你的慈爱，好叫我们一生一世欢呼喜乐！

Living in September

All of a sudden, we are greeted by September. After a fun-filled summer, children begin to collect themselves and get ready for a new school year. They feel both nervous and excited. Our youngest one is moving up from Elementary school to Middle school this year. With a new school full of new teachers and new students, she is going through a full upgrade in life. Their enthusiasm draws out my own memory from dust covered chamber. I remember the unique smell from new textbooks I used to take home each Fall. It brings me back to my school years when all the children went to grade school with assigned classroom and got promoted to next grade every September.


The beauty of the student life rests in its simplicity and hope. In my opinion, my student life is more beautiful than my children’s. Imagine yourself living at a small town of inland China forty years ago, with no internet, no TV, no telephone of any kind. I had a simple life and enjoyed simple friendships, as simple as an Amish, though not of choice. As I started my formal school years, China began to resume long interrupted college admission, and soon the door was opened for exchange with the West. This gave a tremendous hope to all school children in China and motivated them to study well and move up in grade in September. By moving up the grades you have hope of jumping into a better life. This hope was renewed every September, until one September I did jump to Beijing, and reported to the beautiful campus of Peking University by Weiming Lake. It kept motivating me forward and many Septembers later, I jumped across the Pacific and reported to the beautiful campus of the University of Chicago by Lake Michigan. You have to understand the difference in life forty years ago between Beijing and a small town in China, and between China and US. It is this difference that produces hope. The bigger the difference is, the greater the hope it can produce. It is in this regard that I have pity for children growing up in a middle-class family in US.


For a student, every September is a time to let his hope soar and to renew his commitment. Once out of school, September begins to lose its magic, because there is no more grade to move up to and no more goal. You must live off whatever reserve of hope and strength you had. That is how we begin to grow old in this world. Hope is a vital sign of life, but we, having no hope and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12 ESV) are dying. In a way we all died in September. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. (Eph. 2:4-5 ESV) We are alive because we have been admitted into a new school, and we are about to move up in grades again! As Jacob dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it. (Gen. 28:12-13 ESV) We are now climbing up this ladder, step by step and ever moving to a higher ground.


Jesus clearly told his disciples that He is this ladder for mortals like us to reach the immortal. Every believer must move up in Him, like a student moving up in grades. We move up from elementary level by remembering His teaching, by proclaiming His truth, by living out His life. As we move up, we would know more about His glory and riches and honor. We are ever encouraged with renewed hope and strength, with excitement and even some nervousness as we get into each new grade. It is far better than any student life in this world. All who lives in Christ, forever lives in September and we have this tremendous hope that in a September day not far away, we would finish our last grade in Christ and jump into eternity, and report to the beautiful holy city. By the river of life, it is a city of gold, with wall of jasper and gates of pearls. There we will live with God forever. Amen!

Prayer: O Lord! Thank you for the glorious calling to follow you! Let us forget what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead and press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!

住在九月

转眼又到九月，快活了一个暑假的孩子们，终于收敛起来，在紧张和兴奋中跨入新的学年。我们家老四今年更从小学升入初中，要去新的学校，面对新的老师和同学。她的升级感就显得格外强烈。孩子们的亢奋也打开了我尘封的记忆，好像闻到小时候秋天开学时，新课本所发出特有的书香。我仿佛回到从前那个按年龄统一分班，每年九月同步升级的学生时代。


学生时代的美好在于单纯和盼望。我总觉得我曾经的学生时代比起我孩子们的更美。想象一下四十多年前中国内地的一座小城，那里没有互联网，没有电视，连电话都没有。我那时候头脑简单，生活简朴，友情单纯，真有点像阿米希人。但这却不是出于自愿，而是别无选择。我开始上学不久，就恢复了高考，不久又开放了国门。这给所有在校生一个巨大的盼望，就是好好学习，天天向上。每年九月更要拾级而上，到顶之后，我们就有鲤鱼跃龙门的盼望。每年的九月，这样的盼望就再次被更新，终于等到那个九月我跃进了北京，到未名湖畔的北大报到。在若干年后的另外一个九月，我又跃过了太平洋，到密西根湖畔的芝加哥大学报到。当年中国城乡生活存在巨大差别，更别提中美两国的差别了。差别催生理想，巨大差别催生巨大的理想。每念及此，我都对在美国中产阶级家庭长大的孩子们充满同情。


对于莘莘学子而言，每年九月都是把理想放飞和让力量更新的时候。走完学生时代，九月的魔力也随之消退。因为再无级可升，心中的理想和力量都开始坐吃山空。人就是这样开始变老的。如果以心中的指望作为衡量生命的指标，我们这些活在世上没有指望，没有神【弗二12】的人都是垂死的人，可以说都是死在九月。然而神既有丰富的怜悯。因他爱我们的大爱，当我们死在过犯中的时候，便叫我们与基督一同活过来。【弗二4-5】我们又活过来，因为新的学期又要开学了，我们又要预备升级了！就像雅各梦见一个梯子立在地上，梯子的头顶着天，有神的使者在梯子上，上去下来。耶和华站在梯子以上。【创廿八12-13】我们现在要沿着这部天梯拾级而上，步步高升。


耶稣明确告诉门徒说，他就是那部让人进入永恒的唯一天梯。每个信徒，都是在耶稣这个梯子上拾级而上的学生。我们把他的教训记在心中，说出口来，行在世上，由浅入深地认识耶稣的荣耀与丰富。在这上行的过程中有真实的力量与盼望，有升级的兴奋与紧张。这种感觉，远远超过这个世界所能有的最好的学生时代。凡活在基督里的人，天天都像活在人间的九月。我们有一个巨大的盼望，就是在将来的某个九月天，我们都要完成这天梯的最后一级，跃进永恒，要去那座美丽的圣城报到。在那生命河畔，有黄金街，有碧玉城，有珍珠门，有神永远的同在。阿门！

祷告：主啊，感谢你用你的荣耀来呼召我们跟随你。让我们努力面前，忘记背后，向着你直跑，要得你从上面召我们来得的奖赏！