每日活灵(249)…
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「因为知道我们的旧人和祂同钉十字架，使罪身灭绝，叫我们不再作罪的奴仆；」【罗6: 6】
受浸不只表明与主『同活』，并且也表明与主『同长』。如此在生命中长大，就结出『成圣的果子』来。
先有『同死』的经历，然后才有『同活』的经历；今天有些传道人绝口不讲十字架的道理，而光讲『与主同活』、『活在灵里』，这是非常危险的事，因为凭肉体而活还以为是活在属灵高超的境界中。
信徒惟有真正联合于基督『死的形状』和『复活的形状』，才能将祂在我们身上完全彰显出来。
我们的肉身，若在旧人的指挥下生活行动，便是『罪身』；若在新人的指挥下生活行动，便是圣洁的身子。
圣经是说我们的罪身失业了，我们不再作罪的奴仆了，但是，许多信徒在经历上却完全不对。他们仍旧是犯罪，还是脱不了罪的管辖，身体还是一样忙碌被罪驱使。这是因为主虽然为我们成功了完全的救法，但是我们并没有接受祂的工作，相信祂所成功的，并没有用信心支取祂的得胜。
旧人出于亚当，虽是神造的，却因罪堕落了。因此，‘那迷惑’是指那迷惑者撒但；从他出来的，乃是败坏之旧人的情欲。旧人是照着那迷惑者魔鬼的情欲败坏的。就着外面说，旧人的生活样式是在心思虚妄里的行事为人；就着里面说，旧人是照着魔鬼的情欲，就是那迷惑的情欲败坏的。
这旧人已经与基督同钉十字架，并且在受浸时已经埋葬了。我们受浸时已经脱去了旧人！受浸不是一种形式或仪文，乃是我们与基督联合的表明。借着受浸，我们浸入基督，以祂为我们的范围，使我们在祂的死与复活里，与祂联合为一。我们原是生在亚当，头一个人【旧人】的范围里。现今借着受浸，就被迁到基督，第二个人【新人】的范围里。奉主蒙恩! 阿们!
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In more than 20 years of modeling, I have seen girls’ skirts getting shorter and tighter. At the age of 18, I chased that taste, went to parties and golden sporting events, lived in Manhattan, and was in celebrity circles, and I thought I was in control of the world. In a superficial society, who would mind how to stay dignified? Girl, we can’t find our true identity in the mirror.
Rachel Lee Carter is an international model with a career spanning more than 20 years, another of her status as a Bible College graduate and director of a faith-based institution called Modeling Christ.I have dined in the mansion of the King of Spain and sailed aboard the Aladdin, the yacht of the King of Jordan. As a professional model for over 20 years, I have had the privilege of traveling the world and working for some of the most famous companies in the industry. I have experienced climates ranging from 114 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 44 degrees Fahrenheit and my career has been fulfilling and interesting.I like to experience the latest fashion garments, paying attention to their styles and fabrics. One thing I’ve seen for more than 20 years is that designers in the fashion industry are pushing their boundaries with unseemly clothing. Shorts and skirts are getting shorter and tighter; Tops are getting smaller; jeans that deliberately expose women’s underwear; More transparent shirts. Many girls like me, who love fashion, accept all this without feeling any discomfort or shock, let alone realizing the impact this may have on their self-esteem, family, and the opposite sex. It seems that they live in a beautiful fairy tale that is harmless to humans and animals, and no one will be hurt because of it.At the age of 18, I was scantily dressed and my speech was filthyThese are also my thoughts. I grew up in church, but that was just the environment in which I grew up, and I didn’t really understand the faith. In high school, I spent a lot of time trying to fit into my friends’ world, harassing unwanted children, getting into conflicts with other girls, lying about homework, and occasionally cheating. School assignments and church life have never been as important as cheerleading games.Like most people I know around me, I still go to church. But I only wanted to be a “Christian” on Sundays or youth camp, and for the rest of the day, I didn’t care what God’s will was.After high school, I moved to New York. That year, I was eighteen years old. I shared an apartment with three other girls in Queens, New York. Eventually, out of pride, I didn’t think I was fit to live in Queens, and I was going to live in Manhattan! Real models live there.I lived a life of self-righteousness, doing whatever I wanted, without having to report my schedule to anyone or ask anyone’s permission. I socialize with celebrities, go to parties and prime-time sporting events. I thought I had the whole world, but I didn’t realize that the world had ruled me.Just when everything seemed fine on the surface, I don’t know why, but my heart was full of pain and emptiness. On those lonely nights without parties, the things I was exposed to as a child quietly played an impact, and my heart longed for a relationship with Jesus. I remember that I had decided to follow Jesus many years ago, but my choice did not reflect my born-again life at all. I am full of pride that I go where I shouldn’t go and do things I shouldn’t. My language was filthy, my clothes were revealing, and my relationships were a mess.However, this desire has fallen into a misunderstanding. Out of curiosity, I began to learn about popular astrology, came into contact with New Age religions, and became interested in other mysticisms. So, I began to doubt the faith I had accepted as a child. At the time I thought I was just part of pop culture, and then I learned that these were very dangerous. The Bible clearly mentions, “You plan so much that you get tired.” Let those who observe the heavens, those who look at the stars, and those who prophesy in the moon stand up and deliver you from what is coming to you. They shall be burned like broken straw by fire, unable to save themselves from the power of the flame; This fire is not a charcoal fire that can be grilled, nor is it a fire that can sit in front of it. (Isaiah 47:13-14).However, God’s love for me gushed out, and He stepped in and began to take from my life those things that separated me from Him. There were fewer and fewer people booking modeling business, and my bank balance dried up quickly. So, I went to work in a bar and barely made ends meet. There I met two Christian models who shared similar experiences about their own escapes and doubts about God. I was comforted by their honesty, and they encouraged me to be honest with God about my doubts and tell Him that I was looking for the truth.I was desperate to get what they had, so I re-entered the church and got advice from the pastor who led me back to the Bible and be honest with God. I read John chapter 3 and Romans chapter 6 verse 23 over and over again. I realized that I was a sinner, a hypocrite.If a person does not know that she is lost, she will not be found. So, as a broken person, 19-year-old me, ask God for the grace of being born again. Jesus invited me, and He loved me so much that He was willing to suffer for my sins, even dying on the cross to bear the debt of my sins. I am free, I am a new creation. He changed the course of my life forever.
Who would consider “dignified” today?
I began to think: can a girl be free to dress fashionably in the style of the moment while maintaining the virtues of modesty? Keep thinking about it, and the question quickly becomes, what is modesty? What does modesty mean in different cultures today? What does it mean for generations before us?In many Middle Eastern countries, for example, a modest garment is a wrap known as a burqa that wraps a woman from head to toe, revealing only the eyes. In some parts of Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, women even cover their eyes with mesh grilles. Women must wear such clothing even for personal safety. This is not fashion freedom.A few years ago, I was shooting pictures for an English-language magazine in Marrakech, Morocco. This is one of my favorite jobs. It is full of bright colors, the smell of curry and other spices, and people riding camels. We stayed there from late July to early August and the average daytime temperature was 112 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the time we photographed on the edge of the Sahara Desert or rode on the back of a beautiful white Arabian horse.Due to the hot weather, we will take a long lunch break and then visit the largest traditional open-air market in Morocco. I can’t think of a better time to wear a tank top and shorts, but the guide suggested that all women must dress traditionally. I had to wrap my hair in a scarf and wear linen trousers that completely covered my arms. It’s so hot! But guides insist that only prostitutes dress “inappropriately” and that rebelling against the culture can be life-threatening.In the history of Western culture, since the Victorian era, women have always had petticoats and hats in their wardrobes, and the style of skirts varies greatly, but there is one common feature: it must reach the ankle. Until the early 20th century, exposing the ankle was considered offensive.It was not until the end of the 60s of the 20th century that fashion was combined with rebellion, and miniskirts were introduced. Since then, the way women look at fashion has shifted. In the public eye, bikinis, tights, hot pants, and many other clothes make people look revealing. This rebellion has also led to rampant drug abuse, promiscuity, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. This is where the fashion of society began to decline, and today we are still suffering its consequences.You don’t have to sacrifice yourself to cater to bad tastesWhat is a girl thinking when she buys the latest fashion outfits? The answer, of course, depends on her heart.A few years ago, I was doing a beach shoot for a famous magazine, and I was the mannequin in the film. When I started shooting, my posture looked a little stiff and my eyes were dull. The makeup artist reminded me to shine like polished plastic. This interesting proposal got me excited about the shoot.Unfortunately, in addition to hairstyles, makeup, and costumes, the art director came over and made a request with impunity. She took a real mannequin as a prop and wanted me to make various poses with it in a way that made me uncomfortable. Some people might say, what’s the big deal, it’s just a piece of plastic. I knew that eventually, the pictures would look filthy, so I protested.The client was angry and called my broker. So, I walked into the dressing room, took out my clothes from the closet and changed them, and walked straight towards the door. It was my first time on set. The customer stopped me immediately and quickly proposed a solution. This time, they asked me to toss the mannequins aside.When a girl is misdressed, she can become an opportunity to cause someone to commit a crime. I’m not repeating the old tune of “red face and bad water” to justify men’s evil deeds. I mean, when you’re with a guy, his eyes look at your clothes, but he can see what your decision is. You have to learn to take responsibility for your decisions. Most girls wear revealing clothes, which they are not unaware of, which draws men’s attention to sex.The way you behave and dress will attract those who are willing to be attracted. One example that comes to mind is fishing. Some baits are used to attract certain types of fish. Similarly, how you decide to dress and act will appeal to certain types of men. Many books tell us that men are sensitive to visual stimuli. If you remember to remind yourself that you dress and behave as if you are fishing, it will not be unhelpful for you.My husband, Daryl, is a former college athlete and enjoys watching sports on the big screen at home. More and more sports programs are now on the sidelines or in commercials during breaks in the air. When he sees, he consciously takes his eyes off the screen. He did this not want to give temptation a chance. James 1:15 says, “When lust conceives, it gives birth to sin; When sin grows, it gives birth to death. “This makes me often warn that the way I dress has become a temptation and a disaster for others.Moderation is a virtue that inspires the dignity of women. Compared to following the patterns of the world and the trend of bare skin, dressing is a more courageous thing. We can dress freely without rules, maintain our love of shopping, and satisfy our desire for fashion without sacrificing integrity. But when our hearts draw near to Jesus, we transcend all these considerations.This is not easy to do. When I did that, I lost a lot of events, old clients, and future job opportunities. It couldn’t have made me more famous, my clients and brokers were frustrated, but God has always protected my profession and reputation. Fashion should be fun and help women express themselves. However, a good model does not have to sacrifice her purity, dignity, or worth to cater to or even create bad tastes.Don’t look for your identity in the mirrorThe Bible says, “Therefore, brethren, I exhort you, in the mercy of God, to offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; It is only natural that you serve like this. Do not imitate this world, but change your minds as you renew and discover what is God’s good, pure, and pleasing will. (Romans 12:1-2) God is deeply concerned about how we present ourselves. We should no longer conform to the patterns of the world or the so-called new ways of living, and we should not behave or dress like this.That doesn’t mean we have to wear flowing robes. In fact, the lady in chapter 31 of Proverbs, whose clothes were made of fine linen and purple fabric, one of the most expensive and fashionable garments of the era, was definitely a fashion pioneer. But I have no doubt that the Bible already makes it clear that she knows that modesty is more important than beautiful clothes.What to wear when I’m not on set? What should I wear when I go to the mall, pool, or party? What about when I fly to a beach where no one knows me? We need to always be modest, not just dressed appropriately in church. If this is not a decision that manifests itself in everyday life, then I am a hypocrite, which is worse than dressing inappropriately.Paul says, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not arrange for the flesh to indulge your lusts.” “We see that God teaches us a lot in the Bible about how to dress, but He teaches us more about how our hearts should be. Even a girl dressed in the simplest clothes would not have received God’s favor because of her modesty if she had not been “clothed in mercy, kindness, modesty, gentleness, and patience.”You can change your heart and your wardrobe to proclaim Christ through proper clothing and behavior. Chambers writes, “His commands are difficult, but once we obey, they become sacred and easy.” “I am willing to use my own experience to prove that this is true, especially when it comes to modesty. If it weren’t for God’s work, how could I have gone from a vanity-hungry model and a fashion chaser to an advocate of the demure movement?Truth sets people free. I am no longer a slave to the current culture and naked skin trends. I no longer believed the lie about weight, and I found my identity in Christ, not in the mirror. I now know that dignified and proper behavior and dress are pleasing to God.These decisions protect me from the wrong attention, which also brings security to my husband. Other women also don’t have to worry about my sexual attraction to their husbands. I believe that my dress does not make people fall. My conscience is pure before God and man. I am more valuable than my body. I know that my attraction comes from the Lord within me, not from the image in the mirror that will soon disappear. He gives me eternal beauty.
见证篇172.我比…
20多年的模特职业生涯中，我眼见女孩的裙子越来越短，越收越紧。18岁时，我也曾追逐这种时尚品味，参加派对和黄金体育赛事，住在曼哈顿，出入名人圈，我以为自己掌握了整个世界。在一个肤浅的社会，谁会介意如何保持端庄？女孩，镜子里找不到我们真正的身份。
简介：瑞秋·李·卡特（Rachel Lee Carter）是一位拥有20多年职业生涯的国际模特，她的另一个身份是圣经学院的毕业生，同时是一个名为“Modeling Christ”的信仰机构的董事。
我曾在西班牙国王的豪宅里用餐，也曾乘坐约旦国王的游艇阿拉丁号航行。作为一名从业20多年的职业模特，我有幸周游世界，为业内一些最著名的公司工作。我经历过华氏114度到零下44度的气候，我的职业生涯充实而有趣。
我喜欢体验最新潮的服装，关注它们的样式和面料。20多年来，我看到一件事，就是时尚界的设计师们不断用不得体的服装来拓展自己的边界。短裤、短裙越来越短，越来越紧；上衣越来越小；故意暴露女人内衣的牛仔裤；更加透明的衬衫。很多像我一样喜欢时尚的女孩，不假思考地接受了这一切，而不觉得有任何不适和震惊，更没有意识到这可能对她们的自尊、家庭和异性带来的影响。好像她们活在一个人畜无害的美丽童话里，绝不会有人因此受伤。
18岁的我，衣着暴露，言语污秽
这些也是我曾经的想法。我从小在教会长大，但那只是我成长的环境而已，我对信仰并没有真正的了解。高中时，我花了许多时间试图融入朋友们的世界，骚扰不受欢迎的孩子，和其他女孩发生冲突，为写作业撒过谎，偶尔还作弊。学校作业和教会生活，从来没有像拉拉队比赛那样重要。
像我认识的周围多数人一样，我还是会去教堂。但我只在周日或青年营的时候想要做一个“基督徒”，在剩下的全部时间里，我对什么是上帝的旨意并不在意。
高中毕业后，我搬到了纽约。那一年，我十八岁。我和另外三个女孩在纽约皇后区合租了一套公寓。最终，出于骄傲，我认为自己不适合住在皇后区，我要住在曼哈顿！那里住着真正的模特。
我过着自以为自由的生活，想做什么就做什么，不必向任何人报告日程安排，也不必请求任何人的允许。我和名人交往，参加派对和黄金时间的体育赛事。我以为我掌握了整个世界，却没有意识到，这个世界已经辖制了我。
就在表面上一切看起来都很好的时候，我不知道为什么，内心却充满痛苦和空虚。在那些没有派对的寂寞夜晚，我小时候所接触到的事物悄悄发挥着影响，我的心渴望与耶稣的关系。我记起自己在多年前曾决定跟随耶稣，但我的选择却一点也没有反映出我有重生的生命。我里面充满了骄傲，我去我不应该去的地方，做我不应该做的事。我的语言充满污秽，衣着肆意暴露，人际关系更是一团糟糕。
然而这份渴望却陷入误区。我出于好奇，开始去了解流行的占星术，接触新纪元宗教，对其他神秘主义很感兴趣。于是，我开始怀疑幼时就接受的信仰。当时我以为自己接触的不过是流行文化的一部分，后来才知道这些非常危险。圣经里明确提到：“你筹划太多，以致疲倦。让那些观天象的、看星宿的、在月朔说预言的，都站起来，救你脱离所要临到你的事。他们要像碎秸被火焚烧，不能救自己脱离火焰之力；这火并非可烤的炭火，也不是可以坐在其前的火。”（赛47：13-14）
然而，上帝对我的爱喷涌而出，祂介入并开始从我的生活中带走那些使我与祂分离的东西。预约模特业务的人越来越少，我的银行存款也迅速枯竭。于是，我去一家酒吧工作，勉强维持生计。在那里我遇到两个基督徒模特，他们分享了类似的经历，关于自己对上帝的逃离和质疑。他们的坦诚让我倍感安慰，他们鼓励我向上帝坦诚我的疑惑，告诉祂我在寻找真理。
我渴望得到他们所拥有的，于是我重新进入教会，并从牧师那里得到建议，他引导我回到圣经，对上帝诚实。我一遍又一遍地读《约翰福音》第3章和《罗马书》第6章23节。我认识到，我是一个罪人，一个假冒为善的人。
如果一个人不知道自己迷路了，她就不会被找到。所以，作为一个破碎的人，19岁的我，祈求上帝赐下重生的恩典。耶稣向我发出了邀请，祂是如此爱我，以至于愿意为我的罪受苦，甚至死在十字架上，担当了我的罪债。我自由了，我成为一个新造的人。祂永远地改变了我的人生轨迹。
今天谁还会考虑“端庄”？
我开始思考：女孩能自由地按照当下的风格穿着时髦的衣服，同时保持着端庄的美德吗？继续想下去，这个问题很快就变成，什么是端庄？今天，端庄在不同文化中意味着什么？对我们之前的几代人来说意味着什么？
例如在许多中东国家，端庄的服装是一种被称为罩袍的包裹物，从头到脚包裹着女人，只露出眼睛。在阿富汗和巴基斯坦西北部的一些地区，妇女们甚至用网状格栅遮住眼睛。即使是为了个人安全，妇女也必须穿这种衣服。这不是时尚自由。
几年前，我在摩洛哥马拉喀什为一家英文杂志拍图片。这是我最喜欢的工作之一。那里充满了鲜艳的颜色、咖喱和其他香料的味道以及骑骆驼的人。我们从7月底到8月初一直呆在那里，白天的平均温度是华氏112度。大部分时间我们都在撒哈拉沙漠的边缘拍摄，或者骑在漂亮的白色阿拉伯马的背上。
由于天气炎热，我们会午休很长时间，然后去逛摩洛哥最大的传统露天市场。我想不出更适合穿背心和短裤的时候了，但导游建议所有的女性必须着装传统。我不得不用围巾包起头发，穿着亚麻长裤，完全遮住胳膊。太热了！但导游坚持认为只有妓女才会穿得“不端庄”，反抗这种文化，可能会危及生命。
在西方文化的历史上，从维多利亚时代开始，女人的衣柜里总是有衬裙和帽子，裙子的样式变化很大，但有一个共同特点：必须长及脚踝。直到20世纪初，露出脚踝还被认为是有伤风化的。
直到20世纪60年代末，当时的时尚与反叛相结合，迷你裙被引入。从那时起，女性看待时尚的方式发生了转变。公共视野里，突然间出现了比基尼、紧身衣、热裤，还有很多使人看起来很暴露的衣服。这种反叛也带来了猖獗的吸毒、滥交、性病包括艾滋病的传播。这就是社会的时尚开始走下坡路的地方，今天我们仍然在承受着它的后果。
你不必牺牲自己去迎合坏品味
当一个女孩购买最新的流行服饰时，她在想什么呢？答案当然取决于她的心。
几年前，我为一家著名杂志进行一次海滩拍摄，我是片中的人体模特。开始拍摄时，我的姿势看起来有些僵硬，眼神呆滞。化妆师提醒我，要像擦亮的塑料一样闪亮。这个有趣的提议让我对拍摄感到兴奋。
不幸的是，除了发型、化妆和服装之外，艺术总监走过来，肆无忌惮地提出了一个要求。她拿来一个真正的人体模型作为道具，希望我和它以一种让我不舒服的方式做出各种姿势。有些人可能会说，这有什么大不了的，它只是一块塑料而已。我知道，最终这些图片看起来会是污秽的，所以我提出抗议。
客户很生气，打电话给我的经纪人。于是，我走进更衣间，从衣柜里取出衣服换上，径直朝门口走去。这是我第一次走出片场。客户立刻拦住我，并迅速提出解决方案。这一次，他们让我把人体模特扔在一旁。
当一个女孩穿着不端庄时，她可能成为导致某人犯罪的机会。我不是在重复“红颜祸水”的老调，为男人的恶行开脱。我的意思是，当你和男生在一起时，他的眼睛会看着你的衣着，但他能看到什么是你的决定。你要学会为自己的决定负责。大多数女孩穿暴露的衣服，她们并非不知道，这会引起男人对性的关注。
你的行为方式和穿着风格会吸引那些愿意被吸引的人。我想到的一个例子是钓鱼。某些鱼饵是用来吸引某种鱼类的。同样，你决定如何打扮和行动，也会吸引某些类型的男人。很多书籍告诉我们，男性对视觉刺激敏感。如果你记得提醒自己，你的着装和行为好像是在钓鱼，这对你不会没有益处。
我的丈夫达里尔（Daryl）以前是大学运动员，喜欢在家看大屏幕的体育比赛。现在越来越多的体育节目在播出的间歇常有一些衣着暴露的女性出现在场边或广告中。当他看到时，会有意识地把目光从屏幕上移开。他这么做是不想给试探以机会。《雅各书》1章15节提到：“私欲既怀了胎，就生出罪来；罪既长成，就生出死来。”这让我常常警醒，自己打扮的方式，是否成为别人的试探和灾难？
端庄是一种美德，它能激发女性的尊严。比起跟随世界的模式和裸露肌肤的潮流，穿着得体现在是一件需要有更多勇气的事情。我们可以不受规则约束地自由着装，保持对购物的热爱，在不牺牲诚信的前提下满足对时尚的渴望。但当我们的心靠近耶稣时，我们会超越这一切考量。
这不容易做到。当我这样做的时候，我失去了大量的活动、老客户和未来的工作机会。这不可能让我变得更有名，我的客户和经纪人感到沮丧，但上帝一直保护我的职业和声誉。时尚应该是有趣的，帮助女性表达自己。但是，一个好的模特不必牺牲她的纯洁、尊严或价值来迎合甚至制造坏的品味。
别从镜子里寻找自己的身分
圣经说：“所以，弟兄们，我以神的慈悲劝你们，将身体献上，当作活祭，是圣洁的，是神所喜悦的；你们如此侍奉乃是理所当然的。不要效法这个世界，只要心意更新而变化，叫你们察验何为神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。”（罗 12：1-2）神非常关心我们如何表现自己。我们不要再遵从这个世界的模式或所谓新的生活样式，行为也不应该像，穿着也不应该像。
这并不意味着我们要穿起飘逸的长袍。事实上，在《箴言》第31章中的女士，她的衣服是细麻和紫色布料做的，这是那个时代最昂贵、时髦的衣服之一，她绝对是时尚先锋。但我毫不怀疑，圣经已经清楚告诉我们，她知道端庄比漂亮衣服更重要。
当我不在片场的时候穿什么？当我去商场、游泳池或派对时该穿什么？当我飞到一个没人认识我的海滩呢？我们要始终保持端庄，不仅仅是在教堂里穿着得体。如果这不是一个体现在日常生活中的决定，那么我就是一个假冒为善的人，这比穿着不得体更糟糕。
保罗说：“总要披戴主耶稣基督，不要为肉体安排，去放纵私欲。”我们看到神在圣经中教导我们很多关于如何穿戴的事情，但祂更多的是教导我们的心该如何。即使是一个衣着最朴素的女孩，如果没有“以怜悯、恩慈、谦虚、温柔、忍耐为衣”，她并不会因为外表的端庄而得到神的喜悦。
你可以改变你的心和你的衣柜，通过适当的服装和行为宣扬基督。章伯斯写道，“祂的命令是难的，但一旦我们顺从，它们就会变得神圣而容易。”我愿意用自己的经历证明，这话千真万确，尤其是在端庄的问题上。如果不是上帝的工作，我怎么可能从一个渴慕虚荣光鲜的模特、一个时尚潮流的追逐者，成为端庄运动的倡导者呢？
真理使人得以自由。我不再是当下文化和裸露肌肤潮流的奴隶。我再不相信关于体重的谎言，我找到了我在基督里而不是在镜子里的身分。我如今知道，端庄得体的行为和打扮，是蒙神喜悦的。
这些决定保护我免受错误的关注，这也会给我的丈夫带来安全感。其他女人也不必担心我对她们丈夫的性吸引力。我相信我的着装不会让人跌倒。在神和人面前，我的良心是清洁的。我比我的身体更有价值。我知道我的吸引力来自我内心的主，而不是很快就会消失的镜子里的形象。祂赐给我永久的美丽。
Testimony…
Listen for 7 min
After eating at noon, and cleaning up the children, the wife took the children into the room for a lunch break, I cleaned up the kitchen, cleaned up the “battlefield” left by the two children’s dinner, walked out the door, drove straight to the highway, there was no destination, just kept driving… There is only one thought in my mind: to escape this life as much as possible.
When I got home, the children woke up, then cleaned up, and came to the library, my wife took the two children to read and play, and I sat down alone in front of the computer. In the end, there is still no escape, and you still need to come back and face it, and then you will have to face cooking dinner, cleaning up the kitchen, and taking the children to read the Bible.
The heart is disturbed, depressed, and even a little desperate.
As a father, I need to spend a lot of time every day taking care of my two children, although I am very happy, at the same time, honestly speaking, a lot of depression, exhaustion, and even complaints, many times, really just want to escape, even if it is a short escape, even a moment of peace, for me, is precious.
Every morning, the children get up very early, and then I also get up early (around 7 o’clock) to take care of the two children, and the wife goes to prepare breakfast, or the wife takes care of the children, I go to prepare breakfast; After breakfast, I clean up the kitchen, and then I take the children to read or play; After a while, it will be lunch time, and the same procedure will be the same: I take care of two children, and my wife prepares lunch, or my wife takes care of the children, and I prepare lunch; After lunch, I clean up the kitchen, and then I take the children or go to the library, or to the park, or to the room; It’s not until dinner time in a while, and it’s still the same:.
After dinner, the wife takes the child into the room, I clean the kitchen, go into the room to take the child, the wife washes first, then I wash the child, then I take the child to read, read the Bible, then pray, then the wife takes the child to sleep, I go to read, write, read, look at the mobile phone. Of course, before that, I have to wash the bottle and clean up some other mess.
Between my wife and me, of course, there will often be disputes over the methods and ways of educating children, and there will also be mutual complaints or accusations, and each other is a little dissatisfied with each other, and even often quarrels and cold wars over this.
Sometimes, when I am alone with a child, there are many unexpected situations: the small one spills the water cup on the floor, I was just about to dry the floor, and the big one suddenly shouts: I want to go to the bathroom. When the big one came back from the toilet, the little one had already dried the floor with his own clothes, and by the way, he broke himself and cried alone in the room. Two children play together, constantly having accidents: grabbing toys, grabbing water cups, and then the two cries together. Pick up one, and the other one cries harder for you to hug.
I believe that such a scene should be familiar to many parents, especially to parents who have more than one child, these experiences may seem familiar, and the emotional changes in this are also interesting.
Often in such scenes, there is an inexplicable anger, an inexplicable grievance, or an inexplicable desperate atmosphere, which will produce a reproach of the spouse and take the anger out on the child or the spouse.
Once, I was cooking, my wife took the child, the little one wanted to play with the can, I said I couldn’t play, it was too dangerous, the wife said it’s okay, let her play, the big one was in the toilet, to watch, I didn’t pay attention, after a while, the little one was injured by the can, bleeding, crying. My first reaction was, of course: I told you a long time ago, right? Just don’t listen.
Such situations and even quarrels are commonplace.
Recently, because I spent a lot of time with children, I experienced more than before, experienced more than before, and experienced more deeply than before, so the sting was deeper and more real.
The reason why I accuse the other party is that I subconsciously think: I am stronger than the other party, if it is me, I will definitely take care of the children more than the other party, will definitely be more attentive and careful than the other party, and will definitely not let the accident happen, and the reason for the accident is the fault of the other party. That’s what I think in my subconscious, at least, it’s what I think in my subconscious. But the truth is that many times when I take my children, I also swipe my phone so that the children fall.
The reason for complaining or resentment is also because there is no deeper, more true understanding of God’s trust and responsibility to us as parents. It is known in theory, but it is not yet known in practice.
Despair is due to the fact that, in essence, we have not yet recognized our limitations: how limited we are as human beings, as parents, and how much we need God’s grace at every moment.
I am no stranger to these principles and principles, nor have I ever doubted them, and even often hold similar lectures in various places, which really makes many parents, including myself, get a lot of help. But in reality, when you can’t bear it again and again, when you face a messy room again and again when the child seems to be less cooperative again and again, these theories will fall apart in an instant. Then, you have to face the weakness, ugliness, and corruption in yourself, and you need to face the lack and dryness in yourself.
As a result, I began to understand (understand, not approve) why so many brothers like to come home and lie on the sofa and brush their phones instead of changing diapers for their children; Why many men like to be busy with work instead of taking care of their children; Why many fathers would rather go out to dinner with friends, colleagues, leaders than cook for their children. I began to understand that the essence of these phenomena is actually to some extent a desire to escape, from the exhaustion and despair of taking care of children, from the powerlessness and resentment of taking children. Escape as much as possible, escape as brightly as possible.
To be honest, I also wish I could lie on the couch and swipe my phone, I also wanted to hide in the library every day, and I also liked that I could leave my child alone with my wife every day.
Two days ago, I went to Indiana, far from home, to preach, it took two days to fly back and forth (because of the 3-hour time difference, I had to transfer flights), and I said to my brothers and sisters there: Thank you for inviting me to preach, you don’t have to worry about me working hard, this kind of going out is actually a vacation for me, even if I talk for 12 hours a day, I won’t feel too tired. You see, I hope so too, and I like to be able to go out and serve every day, for how honest and spiritually godly reasons?
But as fathers, as brothers, when we can once again reflect deeply on God’s calling and mission, we can understand that once we become fathers, then, basically, those “time that belongs” to me, are gone. I was listening to Chandler’s sermon recently, and I was very heartbroken. For a father, he simply won’t have time for himself. His time should be spent leading, caring for, and providing for the family. This does not mean that the family becomes our center and everything, but that for a father, it is God’s mission and calling for him.
Of course, the center of our lives is God, and the goal of our lives is of course to glorify God, there is no doubt about it, but as fathers, the way we glorify God is to take care of, accompany, and lead our children, rather than hiding in the office, leaving the children alone with our wives, and working hard, earning money, and serving ourselves, which is not the way God says he wants. The way God says to be is that you accompany your child as much as possible every day, lead your child to know him, lead your child to read the Bible, and pray, in this process, it will definitely be easier than work (to some extent, not necessarily absolutely), you will want to be angry, you will even have despair, but you can still look up to and rely on God’s grace, you can still face it because of God’s call and mission to you.
At this point, I stopped writing and decided to take the children to read, let my wife rest, and come back half an hour later to continue writing.
(half an hour later). The two babies drove me crazy again. The process will not be described. I once again verified and witnessed the ugly and hypocritical face inside me.
It is difficult to be a father to God’s heart because it means self-denial, which is thorough, timely, energetic, and exhausting. We will no longer have too much time to do what we love, and no longer have much time to enjoy the leisure and leisure of a person. It took me almost two years to realize and comprehend the transformation of this process.
I often wonder, are all sisters more likely to have children? Isn’t all sisters more methodical? Are all sisters born with babies? In fact, it is neither, but they are more patient and loving, they are stronger than men, and they do not flee and give up easily. They also have these emotions, sorrows, and weariness, just like all of our brethren, even more than we do, and they have them, but they are stronger.
After a while, I believe that I should still fall into the cycle of exhaustion, fatigue and complaining, but I still have to face it by grace, and this process will be repeated, this is not “one understanding and one comprehension forever”, but it needs to rely on grace, comprehend again and again, turn back again and again, rely on grace again and again to have the reality of hope and joy. In this reality, you constantly acknowledge your limitations, constantly admit your weaknesses, and constantly admit that you need God’s grace.
I also realized that for me, becoming a father is just the beginning, and there are still too many places to learn and be shaped by God. Therefore, this process is not only the process of teaching children but also the process of self-being shaped and pruned by God.
In the end, I also realized that leading children is not by “loud voice”, not by the authority of “I am your old son”, not by “even coaxing him to eat”. These methods may work for a while, but they are ways to fail. These are the ways that we think of when we are angry and corrupted when we want to rely on ourselves when we want to achieve our goals.
This is my personal experience as a father, an experience of failure, but also an experience of facing it by grace, and in the grace of Jesus Christ, when we look up and rely on His grace, from exhaustion, from busyness, even from the slightest trace of despair, there is still joy and hope.
Are there any good ways to make it easier to raise children? Are there any good ways to make caring for children easier? In fact, there is none, and there will not be, because taking care of children and raising children has never been easy, nor will it be easy. The important thing is that although it is not easy, although it is difficult, although it will still be full of difficulties and despair, we still look up, still obey, and still have hope in Christ.
Of course, it reminds us of the Father’s love, how He tolerates the sins and sins of His people again and again, how He leads us back again and again out of love, and How He sacrifices Himself for us.
I am willing to pray for all parents to give us wisdom, wisdom and confidence to better lead our children in Christ by His grace.
I would like to pray to all fathers and brothers that we will be more faithful and better in keeping with the special mission and trust God has given us in the process of leading our children. God has given us the authority to be fathers and husbands, and in addition to this authority, He has given us responsibilities, callings, and missions.
生命福音[133]…
音频 三分钟
「但悖逆的和犯罪的必一同败亡；离弃耶和华的必致消灭。」【赛1: 28】
不要惧怕悖逆者的邪恶和犯罪者的邪恶权势，他们都必败亡。在神眼中，凡离弃神的都必致消灭。末世患难中，可以靠主得平安，昂首挺胸，进入天國 。
人堕落拜偶像的恶根并「离弃耶和华」，只靠自己拜偶像。狂妄愚昧不寻求神，也转向信奉人手所造的假神，且自我膨胀而虚妄。
让自己降服在任何的罪行里，除非人离弃罪孽，否则人对基督的盼望是虚空的。人要弃绝自己的罪， 否则人永远找不到怜悯。人必须离弃自己的罪，否则失去自己的灵魂；人若爱惜罪，神必会远离你。人的罪必要受死， 否则自己要因罪而死。如果自己容纳罪，即使是渺小隐密的罪，虽有人说是不得已的，或有一百个借口，你终必要 因存留这罪，而失去灵魂生命的永生归宿。留住罪的代价是否太高？世人可自我斟酌 !
人要聆听思考，若离开自己的罪，神会给我们 – 在基督里得自由。人若灭亡，并非因自己未曾被提供救主或真道，而是因人太像犹太人一样，宁可要凶手也不要有救主，要罪恶也不要有基督，因为人不爱光，倒爱黑暗。人要省察自己的心，就像犹太人在逾越节前用蜡烛在他们达到房里搜寻酵一样。人要努力搜寻自己的罪，要自我省察：用短枪刺透自己的心，像约押刺透押沙龙的心一样。
神的民因无知识而灭亡。弃掉认识神的知慧，必被神弃掉，不能服事神。因为他们的淫心使他们迷失，他们就行淫离弃神，不守约束。
我们若贪求肉体的享乐，犯属灵淫乱，心偏于邪，就失去那向基督所存畄纯一清洁。
別只是看着自己的罪恶，或把它保留在自己舌头底下隐藏着；反而要把罪当作毒药，惧怕和厌恶地把它吐出来。人的罪对自己有什么好处，为何舍不得离开罪呢？罪恭维人，却是要毁灭人。当罪讨人欢喜时，同时是在毒害人，也使得无限量神的公义和忿怒与我们作战。
罪恶为我们开了地狱的口，将堆起燃料，为要烧死我们！我们要看罪为人预备的绞刑台，要对待罪恶就像哈曼一样，要治死它们，就像它们想治死我们一样。除掉罪恶，将它们钉在十字架上，我们离弃罪孽，惟独让基督耶稣在我们身上作主。感谢神 ! 奉主蒙恩 ! 阿们 !
见证篇171.少年…
当教育的目的是在竞争中胜出，高考就成为一道门，通向合法碾压同类的成人世界。为了不太虐心，导演设计了温馨的结局：和小北一同入狱的陈念，再次高考，高分逆袭，成为人民教师。借着惩戒与奖励，体制完成了对青春的塑造与吸纳。灵魂却再也找不到回乐园的路。
你不一定有过霸凌的经历，但想必参加过、至少见识过高考的阵势。在爆款刷屏电影《少年的你》中，从“距离高考还有60天”的倒计时开始，导演讲述了一个校园霸凌故事，随着高考一天天迫近，金马奖影后周冬雨饰演的女孩陈念，面对的霸凌一天比一天严重，高考的紧张感和霸凌的恐惧感同频递增。
高考不仅仅是故事的背景。当胡小蝶跳楼自杀以后，加害者面对警察问讯时只用一句“她受不了高考的压力”就搪塞过去，高考遮盖着罪行。警察在校园调查胡小蝶的死因，上课铃响了，老师对警察说，“他们还要高考”，鲜活的生命要向庄严的高考让步。陈念被霸凌者盯上以后，椅子上无端出现了红墨水，班主任的第一反应是“离高考还有几天了，还搞这种恶作剧？”比起高考来，霸凌只是不值一提的“恶作剧”。“恶作剧”的作者就是魏莱，因为有了稳定的成绩和各种奖项的加持，她的霸凌行为竟被学校和家长堂而皇之地淡化。
高考俨然成为霸凌的同谋，在分数为王的体制中，校园里那些黑暗的角落被遮掩、淡化和忽视，光难照入。当青春在生命的霸凌中透露出成长的残酷，弥漫全片的压抑气氛提醒我们，另有一种无所不在的力量高冷地俯视着每个人。走出影院的你，或许并没有意识到，高考所代表的体制化生存对你我青春的碾压，是否是一次大规模的合法霸凌？
“你保护世界，我保护你”
影片中，当陈念选择求援，却让痛苦更深。警察的介入迫使校方更换班主任，开除两个学生，锁上校门，这就是学校所做的全部努力。直到陈念失手将魏莱推下楼梯摔死。
如果说高考在霸凌者那里是对罪恶体制性的遮盖与漠视，在陈念这里却摇身一变，俨然带着救赎者的光环。“虽然不公平，还好有高考，高考可能是人生里唯一一次公平的比赛，我们一起加油！”陈念的手机接到一条这样的短信，让她寄希望于通过高考这一制度性的安排逃离黑暗的阴沟，隐忍一时换得冲进体制的艳阳天里。
体制承诺给人安全感和体面的生活，但前提是你必须先进入体制。体制为了维护自身运行的效率，需要设立筛选机制。霸凌的悲剧，就发生在等待进入筛选程序的路上。小混混小北生存在高考的世界之外，陈念原本是看不起他的，因为他完全没可能被体制吸纳，注定是边缘角色，五个现代化的社会里没有他的位分。在小北的底层生存智慧中，人被分为两种：受欺负的与欺负人的，为了不成为前者，他只能成为后者。陈念企图在被小北保护的同时传递出一种朴素的文化信念：力量也可以被用来保护人、守护世界，在爱中使用。遗憾的是，作为中学生的她首先被迫学习如何努力生存。
当陈念尚未通过高考进入高阶生存时，粗砺的现实逼她寻求之前所鄙视的力量的保护。颠覆性的反叛力量借着小北的出现，成为陈念的另一种救赎力量，就像江湖成为庙堂失效时的救济。受到霸凌的孩子只能在“合理合法”的途径之外寻求生存之道。
尽管如此，陈念希望能够通过爱驾驭小北野蛮生长的“生命原力”。的确，遇到陈念之后，小北那种不受拘束、带着破坏性的“原力”被悄悄改变。直到小北对陈念说那句：“你保护世界，我保护你”，无形中他已经改变了从前对人的粗暴分类。陈念帮助小北坚持住作为保护者的底线，而不陷入以恶制恶的诅咒。当陈念被剪头发、拍裸照之后，小北的底线遭遇了最强烈的挑战，陈念死死抱住小北，阻止他脱轨驶上复仇之路。
当陈念失手将魏莱推下楼梯，小北这个“外援”只能帮她将杀人的事实掩埋进更黑的深渊之中。为了不至于太虐心，导演曾国祥为影片设计了一个温馨的结局：陈念自首，和小北入狱4年；4年后重新参加高考，高分逆袭。借着惩戒与奖励，体制最终完成了对陈念的塑造与吸纳。她当上了老师，两人最终走到一起。
爱情，只表明你会和谁一起哭
电影并未实锤讨论校园霸凌的解决之道。陈念最终逃离了那片有着凌辱记忆的地方，来到另一所城市作英文老师，成为体制里的一名知识分子，一个拥有宣讲资格、可以传递三观的角色。
在影片的首尾都是陈念的教学场景，她在讲台上讲解“was”和“used to be”的区别，前者是简单的曾经，而后者却有一种失去乐园的感叹。“乐园”概念的出现，使我们可以大胆尝试解读出电影作为文化寓言的含义。对于陈念，乐园所指的是未被霸凌之前的生活？或者是有小北保护的青春岁月？无论答案如何，可以肯定的是，一个存在着霸凌和高考的校园与社会，对于一个成年人来说可以被接受，但远远称不上乐园。
现代中国的高考，起到类似土著文化中成人礼的作用。年轻人需要通过略显残酷的考验，才能被接纳为成人世界的一员。结束任性生长的阶段，在高考面前第一次学会按照规定说出标准答案：说得好，派糖；说错了，出局。
霸凌者魏莱按成绩考上大学不成问题，我们同样可以合理地推测，她能够迅速融入体制并掌握在体制保护下合法行恶的能力。在陈念的成人礼仪式中，魏莱作为一道附加题出现了。影片的节奏已经暗示我们，不做好这道附加题，就别想拥有高考的入场资格。
表面乖巧可爱的魏莱被损耗掉了，但她却帮助体制解决掉了两个潜在的危险分子：带着野蛮生命力的小北，向往爱的力量的陈念。这两种力量都令体制不安。如果小北考上警校，片中警察可能就是被体制吸纳的小北成年后的样子。影片结尾，小北依然在陈念后面保护她，其实，是他自己借此附着在体制上获得了一个被认可的社会身份。两人合体后升级，完成了社会化生存的过程。
导演原本想用温暖的结局安慰众人，却不料想道出了更残酷的现实：片中没有一个人找到了有效的救赎之道。当爱已成往事，人们注定生活在失乐园里。陈念的轨迹，隐约标示了一代知识分子的成长路径。她或者会继续宣讲爱，或者不会，这不重要；无论她做什么，她的里面已经脆弱乏力。
如同万能青年旅馆在《乌云典当记》里所唱的，“铁幕重重困青年，谁用运气换呼吸，谁用灵魂换稻米”。爱已经沦为生存的润滑、体制的遮羞，丧失了行动力。所谓爱情，只意味着你在失乐园里和谁一起哭而已。两个幸存者像两只小动物，所能行出的最大的善，只是彼此取暖。
我们的乐园是何时失去的呢？
《圣经》中，人类的确曾经有过乐园，否则何谈失去。巧的是，离开乐园的人类所犯下的第一桩恶行，就是发生在一对亲兄弟之间的霸凌事件：该隐与他兄弟亚伯在田间说话，该隐突然起来打死了亚伯，血渗入大地，从此人类开始了互殴互虐的历史。直到二战时期纳粹德国发动了上个世纪一群人对另一群人最大规模的霸凌和屠杀。
当我还在读小学二年级的时候，班里有一位智力偏低、体型庞大的男生，好像自然而然，他就成为我们班一众男生欺负和取笑的对象，我们羞辱他、谩骂他，他还以为我们跟他开玩笑，那副表情逗得大家更加起劲。后来，我们怂恿他去亲班里另一位女生，将她压在身子底下。除了那位女生以外，全班哄堂大笑。
这一幕至今常常在我脑海中出现，使我无比内疚和自责。在一个人人都是“祖国花朵”的年纪，令人困惑的是，为什么我们竟以羞辱别人为乐。要知道，这两个受害者没有得罪任何人，我们的快乐也是发自内心没有丝毫伪装，而那种羞辱别人取乐的方式也从未有任何人教导。我们内心没有责备，也没有任何人站出来指出我们的不是，就这样，我们的快乐成了别人的噩梦。乐园是什么时候失去的呢？
儿子今年上一年级。同学春游的时候，一位女生因为脚伤而享受了全程被高年级的哥哥抱着走的待遇。看到这一幕，儿子愤愤不平，口中嘟囔着：“真希望现在手里有一把刀。”老师奇怪地问他要刀做什么，他说：“这样就可以把她杀了，让哥哥抱我了。”老师将儿子的话转述给我，我吓了一跳。为了得到别人的关注而动了杀人的念头，和该隐因为嫉妒神喜悦弟弟亚伯就杀了他，岂不如出一辙？乐园是什么时候失去的呢？
这些失落的瞬间，无法归咎于环境或体制。无论是体制安排的出路，还是体制之外的救济途径，都无法解决人心因为恶导致的堕落。这个世界的一切都是失乐园的一部分，因此怎么可能提供力量帮助我们找回心的平安喜乐？
每起恶行都是从目中无人开始的
作为二战纳粹暴行的亲历者，神学家巴特认为悲剧之所以发生的根本原因在于人与邻舍的关系被切断了。所有对人性的反思都应回到问题的根源——重新发现“邻人的权利、尊严和神圣性”。
《少年的你》里碾压青春的高考，让人漠视生命。因为整个体制都在培养学生成为“为了考试的人”。这种教育模式对人性最根本的伤害不在于让孩子的知识结构出了问题，而是让一代代人的灵魂出了问题。人们被培养被模塑成以同类为敌的竞争爱好者，只有在竞争中胜出才可能占有更多资源拥有更多自由。
在巴特的人性教育中，目光的对视、言语的交谈与双耳的倾听，都是我们作为别人邻舍的责任。他的意思是人们自己应该开放自己，走向别人，与别人相遇，去体会、理解、感受和关怀他人。教育应该培养人有发现邻舍、服务邻舍的能力。目中无人的教育，最终将沦为制造大小“恶魔的工厂”，培养出一个个零件，以无感的心参与最安全的作恶方式，就是体制之恶、习俗与文化之恶。
雷思丽·尤德文（LesleeUdwin）是纪录片《印度的女儿》的导演，片子内容是调查一桩发生在印度黑公交上的轮奸案。通过对罪犯、罪犯家人、朋友、学者、警察等的采访，尤德文试图寻找悲剧的原因。“这起轮奸案只是冰山一角。实际上，所有的社会问题都是人的问题，都跟教育脱不了干系。”
“我们一直以来的教育都太强调对头脑的训练、对智力的开发，却没有对心灵的教育。学校教孩子怎么考试，却没有让人们学会怎样成为一个真正的‘人’。”尤德文认为。随后她创办了为孩子提供心灵教育的公益组织“公平思考”，专门关注提高对不同背景或文化的人们的理解力、同理心和怜悯。
“人只有看见另一个人，只有倾听他人并与之对话，只有帮助他人并接受他人帮助，他方才是人。人只有为此而自由，不仅出于必要，而且乐于成为另一个人的伙伴、伴侣、同事，方才是人。”巴特说。
当儿子轻易说出“杀人”的话，再次提醒我，无论我还是儿子，我们的人性都已沦陷。我意识到要带领这个“小魔头”重返失去的乐园并不是只和他一起读读圣经、上上主日学就行的。如何让他体会上帝对他个人价值的看重，如何让他欣赏别人身上上帝的形象，如何帮助他的眼睛有别人，的确是一项艰巨的任务。
儿子放学后，我开始调整我们之间的对话。除了问他在学校有什么开心或难过的事，我开始按着名字问他的同学今天是否开心或难过；一起祷告时，我也会问他同学们有什么需要期待靠着上帝，使他的同学成为他的第一批邻舍。我这个先被上帝稍稍改变的“大魔头”的责任，就是领着儿子这个“小魔头”，去上帝那里学习对人的尊重，对生命的敬畏。
Testimony…
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When the purpose of education is to win the competition, the gaokao becomes a doorway to the adult world where the same kind is legally crushed. In order not to be too sadistic, the director designed a warm ending: Chen Nian, who was imprisoned with Xiaobei, took the college entrance examination again, counterattacked with high scores, and became a people’s teacher. Through punishment and rewards, the system has completed the shaping and absorption of youth. The soul can no longer find its way back to paradise.
You may not have had the experience of bullying, but you must have participated in and at least seen the college entrance examination. In the popular screen movie “Young You”, starting from the countdown of “60 days before the college entrance examination”, the director told a school bullying story, as the college entrance examination approached day by day, the girl Chen Nian, played by Golden Horse Award actress Zhou Dongyu, faced with bullying getting worse day by day, and the tension of the college entrance examination and the fear of bullying increased frequently.
The gaokao is not just the background of the story. When Hu Xiaoflutter committed suicide by jumping off the building, the perpetrator prevaricated with only the phrase “she can’t stand the pressure of the college entrance examination” when questioned by the police, and the college entrance examination covered up the crime. The police were investigating Hu Xiaoflutter’s death on campus, and when the class bell rang, the teacher told the police, “They still have the college entrance examination”, and the fresh life must give way to the solemn college entrance examination. After Chen Nian was targeted by the bully, red ink appeared on the chair for no reason, and the head teacher’s first reaction was “It’s still a few days before the college entrance examination, and you still engage in this kind of prank?” Compared to the college entrance examination, bullying is just a “prank” that is not worth mentioning. The author of “Prank” is Wei Lai, whose bullying has been downplayed by schools and parents because of her stable grades and various awards.
The gaokao has become complicit in bullying, and in a system where scores are king, dark corners of the campus are obscured, watered down, and ignored, and the light is difficult to penetrate. When youth reveals the cruelty of growing up in the bullying of life, the oppressive atmosphere that permeates the film reminds us that there is another omnipresent force that looks down on everyone coldly. When you walk out of the theater, you may not realize that the institutionalized survival represented by the college entrance examination crushes you and your youth on large-scale legal bullying.
“You protect the world, I protect you”
In the film, when Chen Nian chooses to ask for help, it makes the pain deeper. The intervention of the police forced the school to change the head teacher, expel two students, and lock the school door, which was all the school was trying to. Until Chen Nian missed his hand and pushed Wei Lai down the stairs and fell to his death.If the college entrance examination is a cover-up and indifference to the evil system in the bully, in Chen Nian, it has changed, like a redeemer’s aura. “Although it’s not fair, it’s good that there is a college entrance examination, and the college entrance examination may be the only fair competition in life, let’s cheer together!” Chen Nian’s mobile phone received such a text message, which made her hope to escape the dark gutters through the institutional arrangement of the college entrance examination, and forbearance for a while in exchange for rushing into the bright sunny days of the system.
Institutions promise security and decent life, but only if you first enter the system. In order to maintain the efficiency of its own operation, the system needs to establish a screening mechanism. The tragedy of bullying happened on the way to the screening process. The little gangster Xiaobei lives outside the world of the college entrance examination, and Chen Nian originally looked down on him, because he was completely impossible to be absorbed by the system and was destined to be a marginal role, and there was no place for him in the five modern societies. In Xiaobei’s underlying survival wisdom, people are divided into two types: bullied and bullied, in order not to become the former, he can only become the latter. Chen Nian tries to convey a simple cultural belief while being protected by Xiaobei: power can also be used to protect people, protect the world, and be used in love. Unfortunately, as a middle school student, she was first forced to learn how to struggle to survive.
When Chen Nian has not yet passed the college entrance examination to enter high-level survival, the rough reality forces her to seek the protection of the forces she despised before. The subversive rebel force took advantage of Xiaobei’s appearance to become another redemptive force for Chen Nian, just as the rivers and lakes became relief when the temple failed. Children who are bullied can only seek survival outside of “reasonable and legal” means.
Despite this, Chen Nian hopes to harness the “life force” of Xiaobei’s barbaric growth through love. Indeed, after meeting Chen Nian, Xiaobei’s unrestrained and destructive “Force” was quietly changed. Until Xiao Bei said to Chen Nian: “You protect the world, I protect you”, he has invisibly changed his previous rough classification of people. Chen Nian helps Xiaobei stick to the bottom line as a protector without falling into the curse of fighting evil with evil. When Chen Nian cut his hair and took nude photos, Xiaobei’s bottom line encountered the strongest challenge, and Chen Nian hugged Xiaobei to prevent him from derailing and driving on the road of revenge.
When Chen Nian missed and pushed Wei Lai down the stairs, Xiao Bei, a “foreign aid”, could only help her bury the fact of the murder into the darker abyss. In order not to be too sadistic, director Zeng Guoxiang designed a warm ending for the film: Chen Nian turned himself in and went to prison with Xiaobei for 4 years; Four years later, he retook the college entrance examination and counterattacked with high scores. Through punishment and rewards, the system finally completed the shaping and absorption of Chen Nian. She became a teacher, and the two eventually came together.Love, which only indicates with whom you will cry
The movie does not really discuss the solution to school bullying. Chen Nian eventually escaped from the humiliating memory and came to another city to become an English teacher, becoming an intellectual in the system, a character with a qualification to preach and pass on the three views.
At the beginning and end of the film are Chen Nian’s teaching scenes, where she explains the difference between “was” and “used to be”, the former is a simple past, while the latter has a sigh of losing paradise. The emergence of the concept of “paradise” allows us to boldly try to interpret the meaning of the film as a cultural allegory. For Chen Nian, what does paradise mean about life before being bullied? Or are the youth years protected by Xiaobei? Whatever the answer, what is certain is that a school and society with bullying and college entrance examinations is acceptable for an adult, but far from being a paradise.The college entrance examination in modern China plays a role similar to that of the bar mitzvah in indigenous culture. Young people need to pass a slightly cruel test before they can be accepted into the adult world. End the stage of willful growth, and learn for the first time in front of the college entrance examination to say standard answers according to the regulations: speak well, send sugar; Wrong, out.Bully Wei Lai does not have a problem getting into college on her grades, and it is also reasonable to assume that she will be able to quickly integrate into the system and master the ability to legally commit evil under the protection of the system. In Chen Nian’s coming-of-age ceremony, Wei Lai appeared as an additional question. The pace of the film has hinted to us that if we don’t do this additional question well, we don’t want to have the entrance examination qualification.Wei Lai, who was well-behaved and cute on the surface, was depleted, but she helped the system solve two potentially dangerous elements: Xiao Bei with savage vitality, and Chen Nian, who yearned for the power of love. Both forces unnerve the system. If Xiaobei is admitted to the police academy, the police in the film may be what Xiaobei was absorbed by the system as an adult. At the end of the film, Xiaobei still protects her behind Chen Nian, in fact, he himself is attached to the system to obtain a recognized social identity. After the two merged, they upgraded and completed the process of socialized survival.The director originally wanted to comfort everyone with a warm ending, but unexpectedly came up with a crueler reality: no one in the film found an effective way to redeem. When love is a thing of the past, people are destined to live in paradise lost. Chen Nian’s trajectory vaguely marks the growth path of a generation of intellectuals. She will either continue to preach love, or she will not, it doesn’t matter; No matter what she did, she was already fragile and weak inside.As the Universal Youth Hostel sang in “The Pawn of the Clouds”, “The iron curtain is full of young people, who exchange luck for breath, who exchanges soul for rice”. Love has been reduced to the lubrication of survival, the shame of the system, and the loss of action. The so-called love only means who you cry within Paradise Lost. The two survivors, like two small animals, can do the greatest good which is to warm each other.
When was our paradise lost?
In the Bible, mankind did have a paradise, otherwise, how could it be lost? Coincidentally, the first evil act committed by humans leaving paradise was a bullying incident between two brothers: Cain and his brother Abel were talking in the field, Cain suddenly rose up and killed Abel, blood seeped into the earth, and since then mankind has begun a history of beating and abusing each other. It wasn’t until World War II that Nazi Germany unleashed the largest bullying and massacre of one group of people against another in the last century.When I was in the second grade of elementary school, there was a boy with low intelligence and a large body in the class, and it seemed that naturally, he became the target of bullying and ridicule by the boys in our class, we humiliated him, abused him, and he thought we were joking with him, and that expression made everyone even more excited. Later, we encouraged him to kiss another girl in the class and crush her underneath. Except for the girl, the class burst into laughter.This scene still appears in my mind so often, making me feel extremely guilty and self-blamed. At an age when everyone is a “flower of the motherland,” it is puzzling why we take pleasure in humiliating others. You know, these two victims did not offend anyone, our happiness came from the heart without the slightest pretense, and the way of humiliating others for fun has never been taught. There is no blame in our hearts, and no one stands up to point out that we are not, and just like that, our happiness becomes someone else’s nightmare. When was paradise lost?My son is in the first grade this year. During the spring outing classmates, a girl enjoyed the treatment of being carried by her senior brother the whole time because of a foot injury. Seeing this scene, his son was indignant and muttered: “I wish I had a knife in my hand now.” The teacher asked him strangely what he wanted the knife to do, and he said, “So I can kill her and let my brother hold me.” “The teacher relayed my son’s words to me, and I was shocked. Isn’t it better to have the idea of killing in order to get the attention of others, and Cain killed his brother Abel because he was jealous of God’s pleasure? When was paradise lost?These moments of loss cannot be attributed to the environment or the system. Neither the way out of the institutional arrangement nor the relief outside the system can solve the problem of the depravity of the human heart caused by evil. Everything in this world is part of Paradise Lost, so how can it possibly provide the power to help us find peace and joy in our hearts?
Every evil deed begins when no one sees it
As a first-hand witness of the Nazi atrocities of World War II, theologian Barthes believes that the root cause of the tragedy is that the relationship between people and neighbors has been severed. All reflection on human nature should return to the root of the problem – the rediscovery of “the rights, dignity, and sanctity of one’s neighbor”.The college entrance examination in “Young You” crushes youth, making people ignore life. Because the whole system is training students to become “people who work for exams”. The most fundamental harm of this educational model to human nature is not to make children’s knowledge structure go wrong but to make the soul of generations go wrong. People are groomed to be molded into rival enthusiasts who are enemies of their own kind, and only by winning in the competition can they have more resources and more freedom.In Bart’s human education, eye contact, verbal conversation, and listening with both ears are our responsibilities as neighbors to others. What he meant was that people themselves should open themselves, go to others, meet others, experience, understand, feel, and care for others. Education should cultivate the ability to discover and serve one’s neighbors. Education that has no one will eventually be reduced to a factory that manufactures large and small demons, cultivating parts one by one, and participating in the safest way to do evil with an insensitive heart, that is, the evil of the system, the evil of customs, and the evil of culture.Leslee Udwin is the director of the documentary “India’s Daughter,” which investigates a gang rape on a black bus in India. Through interviews with criminals, criminals’ families, friends, academics, police officers, etc., Youdwin tries to find the cause of the tragedy. “This gang rape case is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, all social problems are human problems, and they are inseparable from education. ”
“Our education has always placed too much emphasis on the training of the mind and the development of the intellect, but not on the education of the heart. Schools teach children how to take exams, but they don’t teach people how to be a real person. Youdwin thought. She then founded Fair Thinking, a nonprofit organization that educates children about their hearts, focusing on improving understanding, empathy, and compassion for people of different backgrounds or cultures.
“Man is only human when he sees another person, only when he listens to and talks to him, only when he helps others and receives help from others. A person is only human if he is free for this, not only out of necessity but also willing to be a partner, companion, or colleague of another. Bart said.
When my son easily said the word “kill”, it reminded me once again that whether it is me or my son, our humanity has fallen. I realized that leading this little devil back to his lost paradise was not just about reading the Bible and attending Sunday school with him. How to make him feel that God values his personal worth, how to make him appreciate the image of God in others, and how to help his eyes have others, is indeed a difficult task.
After my son finished school, I began to adjust the conversation between us. In addition to asking him what he was happy or sad about at school, I began to ask his classmates by name if they were happy or sad today; When praying together, I would also ask him what the classmates needed… Looking forward to relying on God to make his classmates his first neighbors. The responsibility of me, the “big devil” who was slightly changed by God, is to lead my son, the “little devil”, to God to learn respect for people and reverence for life.
每日活灵(248)…
音频 三分钟
「因我活着就是基督，我死了就有益处。」【腓1: 21】
信徒是因有基督的生命，故能学基督；领受生命在先，效法榜样在后。认识基督和克制肉体，是不能分开的。如果我们效法别人，也是效法他们身上的基督。
我们倾听、领受和学习的对象及内容，不是教义，不是理论，乃是『祂』。真理不只是神给我们看见，给我们摸着，更是指我们所看见、所摸着的神进到我们的里面，叫我们在生活中活出神的形像。
听道必须和领受教训并学习真理相联，凡只听道，而不领受教训并学习真理的，无论听了多少的道理，仍然毫无益处。
一个真正活着就是基督的人，他的生活就是他的工作。我们的生活、动作、存留，都在乎祂。
主耶稣在地上的三十三年半中，形成了那些信祂之人要被模成的模子、模型。这种教训要我们用天然的生命效法基督，并活出祂的标准；这样的教训乃是异端。这绝对与那在耶稣身上是实际者无关。这教训否认真信徒是在基督里，并且有基督在他里面的事实。
我们与这异端的摩登派教训相反，我们是照着新约圣经说，当一个罪人悔改，相信基督并受浸归入基督时，神就把他摆在作模子的基督里。同时，基督作赐生命的灵进到他里面作他的生命。他越凭基督而活，他就越自然而然的模成那模子的模样。这是在基督里的生活，也是在我们里面之基督的生活。我们乃是在作模子的基督里，并且祂在我们里面作我们的生命。这样，我们就照着那在耶稣身上是实际者学了基督。奉主蒙恩! 阿们!