Pseudonymous
Big 3-0. Sooner or later, everyone gets there. My time came this month. At first, I thought it would be fun to write about 30 life lessons, but knowing my tendency to be long-winded, ten is probably a more realistic goal. In no particular order, here it goes:
1. Spend time with parents. Who do you think you are? Even the baddest-ass person must answer to his mom (I can just imagine the leader of Hell’s Angels muttering “yes mom” under his breath). Let’s face it—we’re nothing without our parents who brought us into the world. So whether you’re the prime minister of Canada or a humble barista at your local Starbucks—you were raised by someone. God demands that you show them respect, even when you don’t feel like they deserve it. Honor your parents; it’s the first command that comes with a promise.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
3-0
30歲! 這是每個人遲早都會到達的年紀，對我而言就是這個月了。原本我以為在30歲寫下30個人生功課會是一件有趣的事，但對於像我這樣喜愛長篇大論的人而言，十個會是比較容易達成的目標。我將它們沒有順序地寫在下面:
1. 花時間與父母相處
你以為自己是誰？ 就連最壞的人都得回應他的媽媽。(我開始想像“地獄天使”的頭目小聲地回答“是的，媽媽”) 面對這個現實吧—若是沒有我們的父母使我們來到這世界，我們就什麼都不是。不論你是加拿大總理，還是Starbucks 的服務員，你都是被人撫養長大的。上帝告訴我們，要尊重他們，就算你不覺得他們應該得到你的尊重。孝敬你的父母，這是第一條帶應許的誡命。
1. 花時間與父母相處
你以為自己是誰？ 就連最壞的人都得回應他的媽媽。(我開始想像“地獄天使”的頭目小聲地回答“是的，媽媽”) 面對這個現實吧—若是沒有我們的父母使我們來到這世界，我們就什麼都不是。不論你是加拿大總理，還是Starbucks 的服務員，你都是被人撫養長大的。上帝告訴我們，要尊重他們，就算你不覺得他們應該得到你的尊重。孝敬你的父母，這是第一條帶應許的誡命。
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Pride and Subtlety
Vickie Chow
It is widely known that pride is a dangerous trap to fall in, even more so when it comes to our faith. I don’t know about you, but I hereby confess that I’ve had my leg caught in that trap a couple of times. Now, I haven’t waved a banner proclaiming the things I do to serve God or commented to my friends how hard I worked on last week’s BSF homework. Lately, I’ve been more conscious of certain subtle actions that essentially spring from the same attitude. Here’s a list of things that I’ve caught myself doing:
1. I’m too good for the Table of Contents
I don’t know about you, but other than Genesis, Revelation, and Psalms, I often cannot get to the passage I want without having to undergo a little trial and error with my page flipping. Normally, in the privacy of my own home, I am indifferent to how long it takes for me to find a passage in the Bible, but during Sunday service, when it comes time to open our Bibles to the scripture reading, I’m under a little bit more of a time constraint. I would imagine that the Table of Contents page is included in every Bible for just such a purpose—to facilitate easy page finding—but I cannot bring myself to using this page for fear of others who may notice and think “She doesn’t know where the book of 1 John is? Wow. Just wow.” I realize that the reality of it is more like no one is paying attention to my Bible perusing habits, but it ultimately comes down to my pride. Yes, I think I am too good for an innocent page outlining a list of books in the Bible.
It is widely known that pride is a dangerous trap to fall in, even more so when it comes to our faith. I don’t know about you, but I hereby confess that I’ve had my leg caught in that trap a couple of times. Now, I haven’t waved a banner proclaiming the things I do to serve God or commented to my friends how hard I worked on last week’s BSF homework. Lately, I’ve been more conscious of certain subtle actions that essentially spring from the same attitude. Here’s a list of things that I’ve caught myself doing:
1. I’m too good for the Table of Contents
I don’t know about you, but other than Genesis, Revelation, and Psalms, I often cannot get to the passage I want without having to undergo a little trial and error with my page flipping. Normally, in the privacy of my own home, I am indifferent to how long it takes for me to find a passage in the Bible, but during Sunday service, when it comes time to open our Bibles to the scripture reading, I’m under a little bit more of a time constraint. I would imagine that the Table of Contents page is included in every Bible for just such a purpose—to facilitate easy page finding—but I cannot bring myself to using this page for fear of others who may notice and think “She doesn’t know where the book of 1 John is? Wow. Just wow.” I realize that the reality of it is more like no one is paying attention to my Bible perusing habits, but it ultimately comes down to my pride. Yes, I think I am too good for an innocent page outlining a list of books in the Bible.
驕傲與微妙
Vickie Chow | 中譯：楊光
衆所周知，驕傲是一個危險的陷阱，尤其當它涉及到信仰之時。不瞞你說，我承認有好幾次被驕傲絆倒。雖然我沒有揮舞著旗幟宣布我怎樣事奉上帝，或大聲講我怎麼努力地做著上周的查經作業，但我最近發覺到一些更微妙的行動，其根源就是出於相同的驕傲態度。以下我列出了發覺自己做的小動作：
一，我不需要看目錄
不瞞你說，除了創世記、啓示錄和詩篇，我翻頁找其他經文時經常需要一番嘗試與錯誤才可以做到 。通常隱蔽在自己家中，我不在乎是否費長時間查找聖經中的一段話，但在主日崇拜時，當需要打開聖經找經文時，時間可就有點緊迫了。我想每一本聖經都包含目錄頁就是為了在這種時刻能方便尋找經文，但我卻怎麼也不能逼自己去查看目錄，生怕別人會注意到，並想，「她連約翰一書在哪兒都不知道？真是不可思議!」實際上，我知道注意我的聖經閱讀習慣的人一個都沒有，但最終這是出於我的驕傲心態。是的，我覺得我並不需要一張無辜的、列出聖經書卷的目錄。
衆所周知，驕傲是一個危險的陷阱，尤其當它涉及到信仰之時。不瞞你說，我承認有好幾次被驕傲絆倒。雖然我沒有揮舞著旗幟宣布我怎樣事奉上帝，或大聲講我怎麼努力地做著上周的查經作業，但我最近發覺到一些更微妙的行動，其根源就是出於相同的驕傲態度。以下我列出了發覺自己做的小動作：
一，我不需要看目錄
不瞞你說，除了創世記、啓示錄和詩篇，我翻頁找其他經文時經常需要一番嘗試與錯誤才可以做到 。通常隱蔽在自己家中，我不在乎是否費長時間查找聖經中的一段話，但在主日崇拜時，當需要打開聖經找經文時，時間可就有點緊迫了。我想每一本聖經都包含目錄頁就是為了在這種時刻能方便尋找經文，但我卻怎麼也不能逼自己去查看目錄，生怕別人會注意到，並想，「她連約翰一書在哪兒都不知道？真是不可思議!」實際上，我知道注意我的聖經閱讀習慣的人一個都沒有，但最終這是出於我的驕傲心態。是的，我覺得我並不需要一張無辜的、列出聖經書卷的目錄。
An Ode of Thanksgiving
Francis Loo | English translation by Iris Lo
God’s Creation
Lord, thank you for creating the heavens and the earth,
Lord, thank you for creating man and woman,
Lord, thank you for assigning seasons,
Lord, thank you for winter’s chill,
Lord, thank you for the freshness of spring,
Lord, thank you for summer’s green,
Lord, thank you for the leaves of autumn,
Lord, thank you for the birds of the air,
Lord, thank you for the fish in the sea.
God’s Creation
Lord, thank you for creating the heavens and the earth,
Lord, thank you for creating man and woman,
Lord, thank you for assigning seasons,
Lord, thank you for winter’s chill,
Lord, thank you for the freshness of spring,
Lord, thank you for summer’s green,
Lord, thank you for the leaves of autumn,
Lord, thank you for the birds of the air,
Lord, thank you for the fish in the sea.
感恩頌
盧國禮
神的創造
神啊！感謝你，創造天地。
神啊！感謝你，造男造女。
神啊！感謝你，定下節令。
神啊！感謝你，冬季嚴寒。
神啊！感謝你，春和景明。
神啊！感謝你，夏樹蒼翠。
神啊！感謝你，秋風紅葉。
神啊！感謝你，空中飛鳥。
神啊！感謝你，海裏有魚。
神的創造
神啊！感謝你，創造天地。
神啊！感謝你，造男造女。
神啊！感謝你，定下節令。
神啊！感謝你，冬季嚴寒。
神啊！感謝你，春和景明。
神啊！感謝你，夏樹蒼翠。
神啊！感謝你，秋風紅葉。
神啊！感謝你，空中飛鳥。
神啊！感謝你，海裏有魚。
Monday, May 9, 2011
Finally Home
Christopher Yuan
“Sign here and date here,” the officer directed, pointing to two blank lines on the page in front of me. I had been looking forward to this day for so long that I almost couldn’t believe it was here. Even though this wasn’t my official release date, it was the day I was transferred by furlough release to a halfway house in Chicago. This time my parents were picking me up to take me to the halfway house—but not before swinging by home. It had been so long since I’d been home, and even longer yet since I considered home to be…home.
“Sign here and date here,” the officer directed, pointing to two blank lines on the page in front of me. I had been looking forward to this day for so long that I almost couldn’t believe it was here. Even though this wasn’t my official release date, it was the day I was transferred by furlough release to a halfway house in Chicago. This time my parents were picking me up to take me to the halfway house—but not before swinging by home. It had been so long since I’d been home, and even longer yet since I considered home to be…home.
終於回家了
袁幼軒 | 中譯：楊光
“在這裡簽名，為下日期”，警衛告訴我，指著在我面前的兩行空格。我幾乎不敢相信這期待已久的一天已經到來。雖然我還沒被正式釋放，但今天我將被轉移到芝加哥的一所重返社會訓練所。這次我的父母要來接我去那間訓練所，但在此之前我們會先回家一趟。我已經好久都沒回過家了，而更久之前我已經沒有把這個家當自己的家了。
“在這裡簽名，為下日期”，警衛告訴我，指著在我面前的兩行空格。我幾乎不敢相信這期待已久的一天已經到來。雖然我還沒被正式釋放，但今天我將被轉移到芝加哥的一所重返社會訓練所。這次我的父母要來接我去那間訓練所，但在此之前我們會先回家一趟。我已經好久都沒回過家了，而更久之前我已經沒有把這個家當自己的家了。