Testimoni…

见证篇174.为什…

经文：“然而，敬虔加上知足的心便是大利了，因为我们没有带什么到世上来，也不能带什么去，只要有衣有食，就当知足。”提摩太前书6:6-8

一个现象，一份焦虑：

城市教会的牧者普遍存在一个焦虑，就是年轻的弟兄姊妹忙于事业，没时间没精力像以前世代的基督徒那样在属灵上渴慕追求。并非他们不愿意亲近神服事主，而确实是存在着巨大的挑战。就是需要面对大城市高昂的生活费，以及买房子，结婚，抚养小孩，赡养老人，必要的人情开支等。看到现实需要与自己经济现状之间的巨大差距，所以心中焦急，脱口而出一个声音：“我要赚钱！我要赚更多的钱！”这个声音历史上一直在回响人们的心头，“天下熙熙，皆为利来；天下攘攘，皆为利往。”《史记》

到如今，我们考大学、考研读博、进大公司、当公务员，更是目标明确，就是赚更多的钱，一定要出人头地。以前士大夫尚持守的气节操守，早已荡然无存。钱理群教授说：“我们的一些大学，包括北京大学，正在培养一些精致的利己主义者。他们高智商，世俗，老到，善于表演，懂得配合，更善于利用体制达到自己的目的。”此话虽然刺耳，难道不是事实吗？

因为深受世俗文化的渗透与功利主义的洗脑，教会里的年轻人过于看重金钱、忙于事业，我们可以理解，但并不赞成。因为经上明说：“不要忧虑说：吃什么？喝什么？穿什么？这都是外邦人所求的。你们需用的这一切东西，你们的天父是知道的。你们要先求他的国和他的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。所以，不要为明天忧虑，因为明天自有明天的忧虑；一天的难处一天当就够了。”太6:31-34

经文的意思非常清楚，若要求神的国与义，就需要做出必要的选择。或属天或属地，或靠自己或倚靠神。

人天然的选择是靠自己。从某种角度来说这是对的，因为人需要尽自己的本分。使徒也说：“我们在你们那里的时候，曾吩咐你们说，若有人不肯作工，就不可吃饭。”帖后3:10。但我们真的需要知道生命在谁手中？人生的道路是谁来决定的？我们追求拥有的究竟是等价交换物还是自己创造的（比如粮食、水、空气、高楼、电子产品等）？如果真的仔细思想过，并有相当的人生阅历（即经历过苦难、面对过死亡的威胁、受到过背叛与伤害等），恐怕就会说人生真是一场虚空。

所以，说到底，我们还是要信靠万军之上帝，基督徒当然相信这一点。使徒告诉我们：“神从一本（血脉）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， 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，我们生活、动作、存留都在乎他。”徒17:26-28a

一场游戏一场梦：

我们如果只看到自己的需要及未知的恐惧（如生重病、遭遇意外等），就不容易看到供应我们需要的神；如果基督徒失去一颗感恩与赞美的心，属灵光景就更堪怜了。就好比陷入流沙，越拼命挣扎陷得越深；饮鸩止渴，其祸不远。当我们主要的心思集中于赚更多的钱时，玛门（金钱）事实上就成为了我们内心的偶像。

主说：“一个人不能侍奉两个主。不是恶这个爱那个，就是重这个轻那个。你们不能又侍奉神，又侍奉玛门。”太6:24。就算成为亚洲首富又怎么样呢？难道就不死了吗？“人若赚得全世界，赔上自己的生命，有什么益处呢？人还能拿什么换生命呢？”太16:26。生死事大，我们需要做出正确的抉择。

当然，我们的年轻肢体会说：“我根本没想成为李嘉诚、比尔盖兹，只想能成家立业而已。为了基本的需要，也得好好努力啊。相信主耶稣会体谅我！”

此话貌似合乎情理，但其中包含的问题有三：

1、我们现在的诉求是否我们真正的需要。比如，是否非要在北上广买昂贵无比的房子？是否非要送孩子上双语幼儿园？是不是不开豪车身份就降低了？

2、如果我们尽自己的本分，神难道不会供应我们一切的需要吗？要知道，存在一个社会规律：穷忙者迷失自我，贪财者反噬自身。敬畏神者真有智慧，跟随主者一无缺乏。如果我们事业成功了，却远离了神，岂不是极大的损失吗？大卫王说：“以别神代替耶和华的，他们的愁苦必加增。”诗16:4a，祝福、咒诅岂不都是从上主而来吗？申28章。人帮人只有几种办法，神却能用无数种方法来帮助我们。事实上，对神恩典与能力的不信是一种犯罪。“神既不爱惜自己的儿子为我们众人舍了，岂不也把万物和他一同白白的赐给我们吗？”罗8:32

3、什么叫努力？经常加班导致没精力读经，时常出差致使主日不能参加聚会算不算呢？在此事上，我们有没有体贴主的心肠？有没有以基督耶稣的心为心？要论功勋，尼布甲尼撒、亚历山大大帝都超过我们凡人，但他们的努力在上帝眼中毫无价值。是的，人离开了主，还能做什么呢？约15:5b。若凡事为了神的荣耀而行，才有真价值，否则就是南辕北辙，浪费光阴。

收入不多又如何？如果我们读了名校，拿到硕士学位，却没赚很多钱，会不会要命呢？答案当然是否定的。敬畏上帝，是否一定就赚不到钱呢？答案同样是否定的。收入不丰厚是否一定就不幸福呢？常识告诉我们，当然不见得。所以说，很多时候我们是杞人忧天，自取烦恼。不愿接受神的带领，不相信神的祝福，靠自己去抓，结果往往是一场虚空。

钱少点益处良多：

1、避免许多试探。我们不要小觑金钱的魔力，少年财主认为自己遵守律法遵守得很好。但主的一条命令就暴露出他的里面还有贪心。经上说：“他听见这话就甚忧愁，因为他很富足。”路18:23。所以有一个著名的祷告说：“我求你两件事，在我未死之先，不要不赐给我：求你使虚假和谎言远离我；使我也不贫穷也不富足，赐给我需用的饮食。恐怕我饱足不认你说，耶和华是谁呢？又恐怕我贫穷就偷窃，以致亵渎我神的名。”箴30:7-9

2、可以帮助降低自己肉体的欲望。因为人性的倾向是体贴肉体，所以我们往往会花太多的精力与过多的金钱用来满足各种奢华的需要。都市谓之：或时尚或小资或金领生活。如果家里存款不多，收入不多，就能帮助我们开销也不多。那样，生活的乐趣反而增加许多。富豪之家厌于美食，味蕾麻木已久；传道人家里一根香蕉就能给两个人带来许多温馨与感恩（以上是实指）。偶尔烧顿红烧肉好似以前农村过大年。

3、帮助我们挖掘发现不用多花钱的、更高层次的享受（最高层次的享受与我们原来想象的相反，反而是不用多花钱的）：比如办张图书馆的借书卡读好书，听好的音乐，多花时间与肢体们沟通交流，多与亲人谈心，陪孩子做游戏。就算买样东西，也可以多一个等待的时间（储蓄），其中乐趣，就非富翁可以明白的了。

4、可以集中时间与精力来敬拜与侍奉主。通常来说收入越多，责任也越重大，所耗费的精力也越多。反之亦然。我们如果尽了自己本分，收入不算多，那又有何妨？多一些时间可以用来读经祷告参加聚会，那不是更美的事吗？使徒说：“只是我先前以为与我有益的，我现在因基督都当作有损的。不但如此，我也将万事当作有损的，因我以认识我主基督耶稣为至宝。我为他已经丢弃万事，看作粪土，为要得着基督。”腓3:7-8

5、买不起房与车？没关系，租房一样生活，步行更有益健康。圣经说：“只要有衣有食，就当知足”，而不是有衣有食有房有车，就当知足。提前6:8。看中你有房有车有钱才愿与你结婚的，多半是个错误的选择。没房没车但真敬畏神、愿意尽自己在地上本分的弟兄，姊妹们要珍惜。现代人急于求成，往往适得其反。在婚姻家庭上，最佳的选择是两人一起努力、慢慢置业，体会人生，与主同行。

怎样让自己的心安静下来？

这从来就不是外面的问题，而是我们自己内心的问题。亚伯拉罕住帐篷、保罗在地牢一样能侍奉神，如今我们不住大房子就没法服事主？良心告诉我们不是这样的。

推荐几个方法，好使我们有“敬虔加上知足的心”：

1、多读圣经，让圣道更新我们的心思意念。就是调整我们被洗脑过的世界观、价值观、人生观。罗12:2。神的话语带着能力，可以使枯骨复苏，也可以让我们重新得力。结37:1-14

2、委身教会，多参与服事。这能有效帮助我们降低自己的天然欲望。

3、积极乐捐。就是在十分之一以外有甘心乐意的乐捐。使徒说：“少种的少收，多种的多收，这话是真的。各人要随本心所酌定的，不要作难，不要勉强，因为捐得乐意的人是 神所喜爱的。”林后9:6-7。这是非常有益的属灵挑战，能帮助我们对付里面的贪心。主说：“施比受更为有福。”徒20:35b，这话是真实的。

4、请身边清心祷告的基督徒好友与教会牧者为自己的内心祷告，求主赐给我们一颗知足与感恩的心。

5、培养有益而高尚的兴趣爱好，比如读好书、锻炼身体、练字、学门乐器、烧菜、多学门外语、给孩子讲故事之类。既能帮助我们增加见识，又尽自己在地上的本分。且为主而行，就能双重蒙福了，就是在地上蒙福，见主面时得奖赏。

若是出于主的托付，有钱并不是坏事。但也要效法基督，对人大方、乐于施舍；对己要有节制，愿意过简朴的生活。如果神没有让我们当教会金钱方面的管家，内心就当顺服。不管钱多钱少，都需要感恩。明白什么是真正重要的，选择属天的道路。

为了主的缘故，我们不要以贫穷为耻，而是要以不圣洁为耻。主耶稣呼召带领我们走的是十字架的窄路，我们就无须与世界的标准看齐。

“所以你们若真与基督一同复活，就当求在上面的事，那里有基督坐在 神的右边。你们要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。因为你们已经死了，你们的生命与基督一同藏在 神里面。”西3:1-3

见证篇173.当追…

当追求生命的深度而非长度2007年4月，我在广州大学城参与服事。主办方安排我们住在一家宾馆，早晨翻阅报纸，看到人称小甜甜的华懋公司老板龚如心女士因病去世，享年70岁。她丈夫被绑架失踪后，为了巨额财产她与公公交锋八年，于2005年12月总算打赢了官司。当时终审法官任懿君在宣判书中有一段话被报纸所登录，典出圣经：“你使我的年日窄如手掌。我一生的年数，在你面前如同无有。各人最稳妥的时候，真是全然虚幻。世人行动实系幻影。他们忙乱，真是枉然；积蓄财宝，不知将来有谁收取。”诗篇39:5-6

报纸的意思是说人生苦短，何必争得你死我活？亿万财产并不能延长生命一刻。我很高兴内地报纸能刊登圣经经文，虽然他们未必知道这段话是出于圣经。龚如心女士的例子恰好证明了一个重要的道理：生命的质量在于厚度而非长度。在人看来，她的寿命不算短，“人生七十古来稀”么。事业更是发达，她是当时的亚洲女首富。但回头来看，遗憾多多，远谈不上幸福。

长命百岁就是福气吗？

国人非常重视生命的长度，视长命百岁为一种极大的福气，甚至为此不惜付出丧失原则立场、泯灭良知的地步。同胞们的鄙陋、乡愿、虚伪、唯利是图、自私自利，可谓举世皆知。不信主的人如此，基督徒也受到程度不同的影响。大家都害怕英年早逝，潜意识中认为自己可以活到平均寿命以上很多。孰不知，任何东西都可以成为人内心的偶像，长寿也不例外。事实上，爱任何东西超过爱主，都会变成我们内心的偶像势力。其中就是追求长寿。

如果退休后不久就瘫卧在床，靠医疗维持系统拖到百岁高龄，大家就会认为很不美妙。大概只有高官的子女才希望能拖多久就拖多久，因为人在人情方在，而且也不用花自家的钱。如果顺利退休，然后上老年大学，抱孙子，学习摄影艺术，健健康康活到百岁，就无疑是许多国人（包括基督徒）理想的晚年生活。

年轻人恣肆放荡以为时尚，中年庸俗贪婪而不自知，不分先后都认为自己可以而且应该活到高龄，并认为这才是活在当下，享了大福。毫无疑问，这是属世的价值观。

世人如此认为并不奇怪，基督徒予以默认就显得缺乏智慧。即便对有些不信主的人来说，如果事业能有特别的成就，那么英年早逝也算值得。比如：诗人王勃，兰波，霍去病，约翰.列侬，乔布斯，巨商王均瑶等。用俗话说就是“值了”，指比起单纯的长寿，还有更有意义的人生可以选择。

死是众人的结局
大卫认为人的寿命从永恒的与历史的角度来看非常短暂，更不要说意外、战争、疾病、凶杀等造成的早逝了。“耶和华啊，求你叫我晓得我身之终，我的寿数几何，叫我知道我的生命不长。”诗39:4

既然死是众人的结局，死亡又可能随时降临，所以无视客观存在的死亡问题并不明智。因为这会导致我们误以为自己可以一直活下去而缺乏深入思考生命价值的问题，就是：我到底是谁？我为什么而活？我为什么要做此事等。还有就是一味追求生命的长度（长寿）而忽略深度的问题，所谓深度这里是指在永恒里是否有价值。

这对世人而言是不可思议的，甚至是无稽之谈。他们这样认为也算正常，因为经上如此说：“那时，你们在其中行事为人，随从今世的风俗，顺从空中掌权者的首领，就是现今在悖逆之子心中运行的邪灵。我们从前也都在他们中间，放纵肉体的私欲，随着肉体和心中所喜好的去行，本为可怒之子，和别人一样。”弗2:2-3。无神论者的追求也只能停留在此岸世界。

问题出在三个层面：

1、不能从永恒的角度看问题。没有信仰，自然不会有饱含智慧的远见。先知大卫说：“永恒主啊，求你用手救我脱离世人，脱离那只在今生有福分的世人。你把你的财宝充满他们的肚腹；他们因有儿女就心满意足，将其余的财物留给他们的婴孩。至于我，我必在义中见你的面；我醒了的时候，得见你的形像就心满意足了。”诗17:14-15

2、不能从圣经的角度看问题。“所以你们若真与基督一同复活，就当求在上面的事，那里有基督坐在神的右边。你们要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。”西3:1-2。就是指不寻求真理，跟从环境，凭着感觉，靠自己的能力而行。本质就是以自我为中心，与神渐行渐远。

3、不能从审判的角度看自己。主说：“弃绝我、不领受我话的人，有审判他的，就是我所讲的道在末日要审判他。”约12:48。既然不相信或忽略最终的审判，人就势必以自我为神。结果就是道德败坏，人性堕落。越是临近末时，社会上的丑恶现象越是层出不穷。不是社会出了问题，社会本来就是一个大染缸，而是人心出了大问题。

导致的结果大家目共睹：

1、极度短视。人人为自家利益而不择手段。从毒奶粉到过期疫苗，警钟反复敲响，我们却以为只是别人良心出了问题。这是结构性的，整体性出了大问题。

2、高举自我。民间从上到下都在以财富、文凭、地位夸口，更不要说权贵子弟了。于是，浮夸、狂傲、对别人麻木、对社会充满苦毒，就从一小群愤青蔓延到了整个国家。

3、享乐狂欢。既然人们不再有理想有抱负，这点从青年学子身上看得最清楚。纵欲狂欢，享乐主义盛行就成了思想文化领域的主流，谁要敢提出异议就会被群起而攻之。娱乐至死的时代，每个人似乎都在强装欢笑，但内心都没有平安、也没有喜乐。

不敬畏神，就不会有真智慧。眼光势必短浅，做事动机必然有掺杂。如此，生命长度的延长除了是家人的安慰外，意义荡然无存。就算立下盖世功勋，因为终将被历史遗忘，所以说仍然如云雾散去一般。神人摩西说：“你叫他们如水冲去，他们如睡一觉。早晨他们如生长的草， 早晨发芽生长，晚上割下枯干。”诗90:5-6。这也是如今物质条件优渥的人们感到痛苦的深层次根源所在。

解决的办法在哪里呢？

大卫说：“主啊，如今我等什么呢？我的指望在乎你……求你宽容我，使我在去而不返之先可以力量复原。”诗39:7,13节

仰望神，将自己全然交托在主手中。任由圣灵的带领，哪怕前面的道路陌生又看起来充满危险，坚定信心来跟随主。同时及时省察自己的内心，愿意靠主远离罪，在基督里过新的生活。那样，即便我们从事在人看来很卑微的工作，又只活很短的寿数，也是幸福与充满感恩的。

使徒们基本都是殉道而回天家，连耶稣基督在地上也只活了33岁。我们要求的是每日与主同行，一生为主而活，而不是为自己活很久。

生命的价值由神来判定并赋予意义，重要的是深度而非长度。

“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90:12

Testimoni…

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When pursuing the depth of life, not the length, in April 2007, I participated in the ministry at Guangzhou University Town. The organizer arranged for us to stay in a hotel, read the newspaper in the morning, and saw that Ms. Gong Ruxin, the owner of Chinachem, known as Britney, died of illness at the age of 70. After her husband was kidnapped and disappeared, she fought the case for eight years with the public bus for a huge fortune and finally won the case in December 2005. At that time, the final judge Ren Yijun wrote a passage in the verdict that was published in the newspaper, and the Bible was published: “You have made my years as narrow as the palm of my hand. The years of my life are like nothing before you. When everyone is at their safest, it is completely illusory. The actions of the world are phantoms. They are busy, it is really in vain; Accumulate treasure and I don’t know who will collect it in the future. Psalm 39:5-6

The newspaper means that life is short, why fight for your life and my life? Billions of assets do not extend a moment of life. I am glad that mainland newspapers can publish Bible verses, even though they may not know that this passage is from the Bible. Ms. Gong Ruxin’s example proves an important truth: the quality of life lies in thickness, not length. In the eyes of people, her life expectancy is not short, “life is seventy years old”. Her career was even more developed, and she was the richest woman in Asia at that time. But looking back, there are many regrets, far from happiness.

Are a long life and a hundred years a blessing?

The Chinese people attach great importance to the length of life, regard a long life and 100 years as a great blessing, and even do not hesitate to pay for this to the point of losing their principled position and destroying their conscience. The contempt, homesickness, hypocrisy, mercenary, and selfishness of our compatriots are known to the whole world. This is true for non-believers, and Christians are affected to varying degrees. Everyone is afraid of dying young and subconsciously thinks that they can live a lot above the average life. Who knows, anything can become an idol in people’s hearts, and longevity is no exception. In fact, loving anything more than the Lord becomes an idol within us. One of them is the pursuit of longevity.

If you collapse in bed shortly after retirement and rely on the medical maintenance system to drag it to the age of 100, everyone will think that it is very unpleasant. Probably only the children of high-ranking officials want to drag on as long as they want, because people are in favor of people, and they don’t have to spend their own money. If you retire smoothly, then go to the university for the elderly, hold your grandchildren, learn photography art, and live to be 100 years old, it is undoubtedly the ideal old age for many Chinese people (including Christians).

Young people are unbridled and fashionable, middle-aged are vulgar and greedy without knowing it, and they think that they can and should live to an advanced age, and think that this is the only way to live in the moment and enjoy great blessings. There is no doubt that these are worldly values.

It is not surprising that the world thinks so, and Christians lack the wisdom to acquiesce. Even for some non-believers, if there is a special achievement in the career, then the untimely death is worth it. For example poets Wang Bo, Rimbaud, Huo Qubing, and John. Lennon, Jobs, giant businessman Wang Junyao, etc. In the saying “worth it”, means that there is a more meaningful life choice than simply longevity.

Death is the end of all

David believed that the human life span is very short from an eternal and historical point of view, not to mention early death caused by accidents, wars, diseases, homicides, etc. “O Lord, let me know the end of my life, the number of my life, and let me know that my life is not long.” Psalm 39:4

Since death is the end of all, and death may come at any time, it is not wise to ignore the objective problem of death. Because this can lead us to mistakenly think that we can live forever and lack to think deeply about the value of life, that is: Who am I? What do I live for? Why am I doing this, etc? There is also the problem of blindly pursuing the length of life (longevity) and ignoring depth, which here refers to whether it has value in eternity.

This is inconceivable, even nonsense, to the world. It is normal for them to think so, for the Scriptures say, “Then you walked in it as men, according to the customs of this world, and obeyed the rulers of the air, which are the evil spirits that now operate in the hearts of the sons of disobedience.” We used to be among them, indulging the lusts of the flesh, and doing what the flesh and the heart liked, and we were the sons of anger, just like others. Ephesians 2:2-3. The pursuit of atheists can only stay in this shore world.

The problem lies on three levels:
1. You can’t look at things from an eternal perspective. Without faith, there is no wisdom in nature. The prophet David said, “Eternal Lord, deliver me by your hand from the world, from the world that is blessed only in this life.” You fill their belly with your treasure; They were content with their children and left the rest of their possessions to their babies. As for me, I will meet your face in righteousness; When I woke up, I was satisfied to see your image. Psalm 17:14-15

2. You cannot see things from a biblical perspective. “Therefore, if you are truly raised with Christ, ask for things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Mind the things above, not the things of the earth. Col. 3:1-2. It means not seeking the truth, following the environment, relying on feelings, and relying on one’s own abilities. The essence is self-centeredness, drifting away from God.

3. You can’t see yourself from the perspective of judgment. The Lord said, “Whoever rejects me and does not receive my word will judge him, and the word I preach will judge him in the last days.” John 12:48. By not believing or ignoring the ultimate judgment, man is bound to regard himself as God. The result is moral decay and human depravity. The closer we get to the end of the world, the more ugly phenomena in society emerge. It is not that there is a problem in society, society is originally a big dye vat, but that there is a big problem in the human heart.

The results are obvious to all:

1. Extremely short-sighted. Everyone will do whatever it takes for their own benefit. From tainted milk powder to expired vaccines, alarm bells ring repeatedly, but we think it’s just someone else’s conscience that is wrong. This is structural, and there is a big problem with the wholeness.

2. Exalt yourself. From top to bottom, the people boast of wealth, diplomas, and status, not to mention the children of the powerful. As a result, pompousness, arrogance, numbness to others, and bitterness toward society spread from a small group of angry young people to the entire country.

3. Hedonic carnival. Since people no longer have ideals and ambitions, this can be seen most clearly in young students. Indulgence and hedonism have become the mainstream in the field of ideology and culture, and whoever dares to raise objections will be attacked by the masses. In the age of entertainment to death, everyone seems to be pretending to laugh, but there is no peace or joy in their hearts.

Without the fear of God, there can be no true wisdom. The vision is bound to be short-sighted, and the motivation for doing things must be mixed. In this way, the extension of the length of life has no meaning other than the comfort of the family. Even if you make a great achievement, because it will eventually be forgotten by history, it will still be like a cloud dissipating. Moses the God said, “Let them go like water, and let them sleep.” In the morning they are like growing grass, in the morning they sprout and grow, in the evening they cut and dry. Psalm 90:5-6. This is also the deep-seated source of the suffering of today’s materially well-off people.

Where is the solution?

David said, “Lord, what am I waiting for now? My hope is on you… Be forgiving to me so that I can recover my strength before I go and not return. Psalm 39:7, verse 13

Look to God and commit yourself completely to the Lord’s hands. Let the Holy Spirit lead you, even if the road ahead is strange and dangerous, and follow the Lord with conviction. At the same time, examine your heart in time, and be willing to rely on the Lord to turn away from sin and live a new life in Christ. In that way, even if we do work that seems menial to others and lives only a short life, we are happy and full of gratitude.

The apostles were basically martyred and returned home, and even Jesus Christ lived only 33 years on earth. What we ask for is to walk with the Lord daily and live for the Lord for the rest of our lives, not for ourselves for a long time.
The value of life is determined and given meaning by God, and depth is more important rather than length.

“Teach us how to count our days, so that we may have a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

Testimoni…

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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 filthy

These 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 tastes

What 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 mirror

The 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 to this  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.

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.

Testimony…

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Gideon Pastor Timothy Keller mentioned in the book “Generous Justice” that when he was studying in a seminary, he met a black classmate named Ellis. At one point, they were having dinner together, and Iris said to Keller, “You know what, you’re a racist. Well, you don’t mean to, and you don’t want to, but you are. You can’t help it. for example, being black When you do things a certain way, you say ‘Well, that’s your culture’, but when white people do things a certain way, you say ‘That’s the right way to do things’. You don’t realize that you are Also in a culture, many of your thoughts and practices are also cultural.”

The Selfish Gene
Later, Iris became Keller’s good friend. Keller said Iris was “kind and outspoken” and helped him understand the realities of injustice in American culture. Keller recognizes that, in many ways, each of us may be inherently racist: We use our cultural values ​​to judge other things as good and bad, and then use them to judge people of other races; In our hearts, we feel that they are not as good as us, or even worse than us-although we may not say so. Elevating the value of one (or some) race in thought, feeling, and behavior while devaluing other races is the standard definition of the word “racism.” The racism that looks down on “other races” is a common and insurmountable problem in human nature.

Racist thoughts beget racist behavior. In our society, all kinds of discrimination exist very widely. However, discrimination based on race may be the most common, and it is also most likely to be expressed and implemented in the form of unspoken rules, institutionalization, and structure. When we ourselves are racially discriminated against, we tend to be sensitive and feel “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”, but when we discriminate against others, it is difficult for us to be self-aware. In many cases, racist awareness is subtly spread through new media or entertainment programs. For example, a TV skit program during the Spring Festival this year, there is to promote the rise of China and African people’s love for China, but the content caused a lot of controversies because there was a Chinese actress with a blackened face, playing the role of a black aunt” Give China a thumbs up”, with a monkey next to it, played by an African actor.

Overseas, many people commented that this is a blatant racist expression, but some netizens in China seem to have a much calmer reaction to this matter. Many people think that elevating criticism to the level of racial discrimination is a big deal. Some people say that overseas people are overly sensitive because they have been brainwashed by “political correctness” for a long time.

In European and American societies, there is indeed a situation where “political correctness” goes to extremes, but now the anti-“political correctness” has overcorrected and gone to another extreme. Racial discrimination has revived and becomes public again. Some people even justify and open up racism.

A netizen on Zhihu said in a column: “In fact, each of us can be regarded as a racist.” But he thinks this is a “very natural” thing, and there is no need to deny or criticize it. He said: “From the bottom of our hearts, each of us will value ourselves more than others, and value people who are similar to us more than those who are very different from ourselves. This is human nature determined by survival genes. Extending to race and ethnicity racism and nationalism is a very natural phenomenon. This kind of judgment has the scientific basis of evolution and genetics. In the words of Oxford University biologist Richard Dawkins, it reflects “genetic Selfishness'”. He actually made a rational defense for racism, and his defense was based on naturalistic evolution (atheism). Starting from this naturalistic presupposition, racism seems to be very “scientific”, reasonable, understandable, and even beneficial to human progress.

The Image of God
However, such Darwinian atheism is completely contrary to the Christian faith, so it is impossible for Christians to agree with such a defense. According to Christian belief, people of different races are created by God. Because man fell after rebelling against God, sin entered the depths of human nature. Selfishness or self-centeredness is one of the many sins (sins) of human beings. It is human nature polluted by sins, not the “nature” that God created man should have.

Pastor John Piper pointed out that racism is born of pride and a companion of greed, fear, and lust. According to the Bible, pride, greed, fear, and lust are all sins. In the era we live in, these sins are deeply rooted in society, cultural entertainment, advertising, business, academia, and partisan politics. You and I are immersed in them, and our minds are easily shaped by them, so we are easily unconscious. Or being racist “by nature”. 

Therefore, Christians oppose racism for reasons based on our faith. The Bible says that everyone is created by God in his image (refer to “Genesis” 1:26), so everyone has uniqueness and has the value and dignity given to him by God. The “image of God” does not distinguish between high and low. God wants us to learn and know that He created us to take care of each other and to respect the dignity and worth of every human being.

Although Christians have historically misused the Bible to endorse racism, the fact is that racism is running counter to biblical values. Although racism has also occurred in the history of the United States, the anti-racism civil rights movement in the last century was based on Christianity (rather than atheism) as its spiritual pillar. In fact, racial equality is also an important part of the “original heart” of the “American Dream”. The founding fathers of the United States were deeply influenced by the Bible, so their “American Dream” is closely related to the theological concept of “the image of God”.

Many Jews in the Bible have a very strong sense of national pride, and even look down on “Gentiles” because they are “God’s chosen people”. But God told the Israelites through the mouth of the Old Testament prophets that they were chosen not because they were more righteous than other nations (see “Deuteronomy” 9:5). The Israelites are also a people who often rebel against God, so they become a “model” that no one can be saved by keeping the law, and they also testify to the gospel of Christ from the negative side.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament emphasize that “God is no respecter of persons” (see “Romans” 2:11), and his love pervades all nations. So, racism is evil. Christians should resist all forms of racism, including fighting institutional and structural racism in nonviolent ways.

the gospel is the cure
The general idea of ​​the entire Bible is that God will bless all nations and peoples through the nation of Israel. God’s ultimate intention is for all mankind to be redeemed and to receive grace. The kingdom of heaven brought by Christ, or the kingdom of God, is composed of “all nations, tribes, tongues, and peoples” (refer to “Revelation” 14:6) that are justified by faith. The Gospel of Christ is the universal “good news” that “God loves the world”. Therefore, the Christian Gospel transcends race, nation, and nation. In the church of Christ, because we believe in Christ, we become children of God and brothers and sisters to each other. The Bible says that “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, free or slave, male or female” because we are “in Christ are all one in Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Because of this, the theologian and biblical scholar DA Carson (DA Carson) believes that the issue of race is not just a cultural issue, but essentially a “gospel issue”: “The purpose of God’s redemption is to bring different languages, tribes, and nationalities together through the cross. and nation men and women lead to God Himself, the Church is the new creation of humanity, composed of Jews and Gentiles. This trajectory begins at Creation, as all men and women are created in the image of God; it looks forward Look to God’s promise to Abraham that through his descendants all peoples on earth will be blessed. Salvation ensured by the Christ of the Gospel…bringing repentance, spiritual health and love for brothers and sisters to the Christian community.” 

Therefore, I believe that opposing racism is not only in line with the Bible but also must be based on the foundation of the Gospel of Christ in order to “treat the root cause” and fundamentally change the hearts of racists, rather than just relying on the system, culture or “political correctness” to suppress racist behavior.

Pastor Keller mentioned another thing in Generous Justice. After graduating from seminary, he went to the church to pastor and became a young pastor. There is a brother named Shelton in the church. One day, the brother suddenly said to Pastor Keller, “You know what? I’ve always been a racist.” Keller was surprised because he hadn’t spoken specifically about racism in the church. But the brother had listened to Keller’s preaching of the gospel of Christ a lot, and he understood this point himself. He told Keller that his previous understanding of life was moralistic, but he became self-righteous like a Pharisee and looked down on others. But when he began to understand that his acceptance of God’s salvation was based on the free and undeserved grace of Jesus, his heart changed. He abandoned self-righteousness and began to experience the warmth, joy, and confidence of a renewed life, and he also realized and abandoned the racism in his heart.

Pastor Piper said in the book “Bloodline” that the gospel of Jesus Christ can dissolve the sins that lead to racism and lead people to the kingdom of God composed of people of different races and cultures. In Christ, the blood of the different races is washed clean by the blood shed on the same cross. Jesus Christ shed blood and died for us, and resurrected for us so that we can become brothers and sisters in the kingdom of God.  The Gospel of Christ is the antidote to racism, and only the Gospel of Christ can dissolve the demons of racism.

I think of the life testimonies of some missionaries who moved us in history. A missionary is a group of people who have overcome and transcended the “selfish gene”. They could have enjoyed success and affluent life in the world, but they left their hometowns, traveled across the oceans, and went to strange foreign lands, dedicating their youth, energy, and even life to care for and serve those who are humble, weak, incomplete, and regarded as “Backward” “non-my race”. This is not because they are “people made of special materials (genes)”, but because the gospel of Christ has changed their lives, enabling them to cross the gap between race and culture, and live a life of “love your neighbor as yourself”.

Today, there are still tens of thousands of Christians whose lives have been changed by the gospel, bearing the same testimony with their actions. Whether it is an American Christian doctor who went to Africa to rescue the Ebola virus epidemic or a Chinese Christian teacher who went to Miaozhai, Guizhou to teach and help minority children, they all uphold the same spirit as the missionaries, and they have witnessed Christ together. The power of the gospel to transcend racism.

Yes, each of us can be a racist. On our own, we not only cannot overcome racism, but we are not even aware of its existence. But the Gospel of Christ can reverse our values, subvert our inner self-righteousness and pride, and give us new life, making us not only free from the racist virus but also able to transcend racial barriers and care for people of different races, to Christians who evangelized them.