* 中文和合本翻譯加了「所賜」在耶和華之後，但原文直譯卻只是「耶和華的產業」(nachalat yhwh banim)。當然，「產業」一詞是有賜下來的意味，但跟上帝賜給以色列民的地土一樣，產業的擁有權和主權仍屬上帝。正如舊約學者 Bruce Waltke 所說：
“The legal term for God’s and Israel’s relationship to the Land, as mentioned earlier, is ‘usufruct.’ I AM freely gives his land to Israel as a beneficiary to maximize their opportunity to enrich themselves by means of it, but Israel will be held accountable to not abuse their benefactor’s trust; he reserves the right to withdraw his gift if Israel breaks covenant with him. When that relationship is broken, the people suffer first judgment in the Land and, if they persist in unbelief, expulsion from it.”
LOST’s final sixth season is about to begin starting tomorrow at 8pm on ABC.
With so many questions up in the air, will the show be able to answer them all in the end? I am sure millions of fans worldwide are dying to know. But that is not as important as whether the characters can find resolution in their story arcs, for that is where we viewers have most of our emotional investment. Who cares what that smoke monster is, really? What we care about is whether Jin and Sun can reunite, who Kate loves the most, if John has really died in vain, or if Hurley can really break the curse in his life.
I think LOST is proof that Lyotard’s definition of “postmodern as incredulity toward metanarratives” is not entirely correct. Yes, we are incredulous about modernistic, overly-optimistic, manipulative, and oppressive metanarratives, but we still crave for metanarratives that can explain the lingering mysteries and tie all the loose ends together. Deep in our human psychic has this craving for resolution. It’s in our DNA. We’d go crazy if LOST just ended with season 5.
LOST perfectly demonstrates that small, local narratives can co-exist with a larger metanarrative that gives meaning, or at least enrich the meaning of our human existence. If we only have local narratives that are radically different and mutually exclusive, I believe we will end up with tribalism and even more antagonism in our humanity. If we only had a single metanarrative that seeks to explain everything but ignores the intricate differences and diversity of our human experience, it will also lead to an ahistorical and inhumanistic structuralist view of life that fails to touch the human soul. Rather than opting for either-or, why can’t we have both?
I believe LOST gained such popularity worldwide because it is able to make each of us resonate with the characters and the experiences that they struggle through, while hinting that there is something larger going on out there that ties all our experiences together, and that there IS a meaning behind all those seemingly improbable coincidences. LOST is only fictional, yet it has already tapped into the deepest needs of our human soul. What if there is a real metanarrative to our common existence? What would that mean to us?
That, is why I have been called to be a story teller…. telling this metanarrative that ties all the threads of our lives together.
This is a great illustration on what the local church is supposed to be. The local church is NOT about creating endless events to attract people to come, but empowering disciples to go into the world who embody the church in them.
We don’t go to church. We are the church, wherever we go.
We must be a missional church because God is a missional God.
Here are some characteristics that I think a good church should embody:
God-centered – Specifically Trinitarian, in that the Father is glorified in everything when the people of God conforms more and more to the image of the Son, through the reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit.
Mission oriented – Participating in the mission of God for the redemption of the world. Just as how the Father sent the Son and the Spirit, we are being sent into the world (John 17). The church should follow God’s lead in doing mission, paying attention to where He is currently at work.
Biblically informed – The people of God should be thoroughly familiar with the over-arching biblical story and live out their lives according to their roles in the trajectory of that story line. They should also be able to retell this story well as part of any evangelistic effort. Telling people the biblical narrative is to tell people who God is and what God is up to with this world.
Eschatalogically minded – The church should live out the present in light of the future redemption and glory God has prepared. This includes having a worshipful community that patterns after the eternal worship in the future (Rev 5). The church should also convey to the broken world a message of hope in light of God’s salvation and promises. Evil does not have the last word because God is sovereign and in control.
Servanthood and Cruciform – The church should not be triumphalistic, but be demonstrative of God’s strength in weakness, serving others in humility and in cruciform.
Be loving and hospitable – The church should demonstrate love, grace, and forgiveness in its congregational life, because that is how people can recognize them as Jesus’ disciples (John 13). Just as God is hospitable to us, the church should demonstrate God’s hospitality in welcoming and embracing everyone without prejudice, especially those who are weak, powerless, and oppressed. God’s compassionate heart is always on the side of those who are marginalized by society.
I just finished reading Murakami Haruki (村上春樹)’s memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, on the intertwined relationship between his marathon running and novel writing. It inspired me so much that I want to start running and get myself in shape too. Here are so great quotes:
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” (vii)
“I don’t even think there’s that much correlation between my running every day and whether or not I have a strong will. I think I’ve been able to run for more than twenty years for a simple reason: It suits me.” (44)
“Once, I interviewed the Olympic runner Toshihiko Seko…… I asked him, ‘Does a runner at your level ever feel like you’d rather not run today, like you don’t want to run and would rather just sleep in?’ He stared at me and then, in a voice that made it abundantly clear how stupid he thought the question was, replied, ‘Of course. All the time!’…… despite being worlds apart in terms of strength, the amount we can exercise, and motivation, when we lace up our running shoes early in the morning we feel exactly the same way.” (45-46)
“No matter what, though, I keep up my running. Running every day is a kind of lifeline for me, so I’m not going to lay off or quit just because I’m busy. If I used being busy as an excuse not to run, I’d never run again. I have only a few reasons to keep on running, and a truckload of them to quit. All I can do is keep those few reasons nicely polished.” (73)
I think ministry is also like running a marathon in some sense. I know I cannot run far if I continue this lethargic, impulsive, and undisciplined lifestyle. It is time for me to shed some pounds, find my focus, and single-mindedly run towards the goal of my life. Murakami started running when he was thirty-three. I am thirty-three this year. I guess it’s never too late to start.
From the author of the acclaimed Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries—what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It’s easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now.
Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don’ts. Nor is it a prescription to “follow your heart” wherever it may lead. Instead, After You Believe reveals the Bible’s call for a revolution—a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives.
We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we’re here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield. (Psalm 5:11-12, ESV)
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