On May 25, a memorial service for the late Reverend Lin Chih-Ping, a renowned evangelist and the founder of the Cosmic Light Holistic Care Organization in Taiwan, was held at Taipei.
Born in 1938, Lin Chih-Ping, passed away on the evening of April 27 at the age of 86. He served as the general secretary and executive director of the Christian Cosmic Light Holistic Care Organization which grew from a Christian magazine and chairman of the Operation Dawn ministry in Taiwan since 1973. Since 2003, he served as chairman of the Bethany Children's Home. Over the years, he was committed to promoting the concept of “holistic education and care”, having brought profound influences to educational and social communities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He also worked as a professor at Chung Yuan Christian University, concurrently serving as the dean of the College of Humanities and Education and the director of the Institute of Religion.
At a chapel located in Lin Shun South Road, Lin’s son Lin Chih-Hsiu first shared a brief recount of his father’s life: “My father was born in a rural area in Changsha County, Hunan Province, in the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938, translator’s note). My father’s early years of education were not smooth. It was full of depression and frustration, making him a rebellious teenager involving mischievousness, truancy, and fighting. He felt increasingly lost and disillusioned. Although he rationally knew that life should not be like this, he still indulged in his behavior every day. His paradoxical status between the desire to be good and bad behaviors became an opportunity for him to believe in the gospel. At the age of 17, my father, who was once lost, became a son of God and was baptized under the name of Jesus Christ. After tasting the sweetness of God’s grace and seeing the benchmark of life, all that was left was to fully devote himself to the path of the cross.”
Dr. Samuel K.C. Chang, the chairman of Chung Yuan Christian University, expressed that “Brother Lin” was a “warrior” whom he greatly respected in the Lord. He believed that the most remarkable thing that Professor Lin had accomplished was to edit and publish 70 commemorative collections on the 200th anniversary of the missionary work of Robert Morrison in China. He said, "Cosmic Light has transformed from initially a magazine into a holistic care institution, which complements the holistic education philosophy of Chung Yuan Christian University. Chih-Ping regarded holistic education and care almost as a belief, and so did I.”
An anonymous sister followed Brother Lin in the ministry for over 40 years after she learned about Cosmic Light. She said that Brother Lin had given her opportunities for growth during this period. She recalled that the phrase Lin often said to her was, “Then you should go back and pray.” When she wanted to refuse the responsibility of editing 20 picture books for the 200th anniversary of Robert Morrison’s arrival in China, when she struggled with being a board member of the Bethany Children’s Home, and when she planned to avoid the board re-election, Lin would always tell her to go back and pray.
Dr. Simon Hung, the current chairman of Cosmic Light, created a video as a reconstruction of the vision of Lin Chih-Ping’s founding of the Bethany Children’s Home: “The work of caring for these children who have lost their loved ones has always been called orphanages. I find the word ‘orphanage’ heartbreaking because everyone has dignity, meaning, and value in life. Therefore, later on, we proposed in the board meeting to change this stereotype and get rid of the label. We are not helping orphans; we are helping people to live with more humanity, dignity, meaning, and value. This is Bethany's fundamental belief.”
Liu Min-ho, founder of Operation Dawn in Taiwan, a gospel drug rehabilitation ministry, expressed his gratitude for Lin Chih-Ping’s help, as the latter always reminded him that gospel drug rehabilitation should prioritize the gospel and should not compromise or deviate in many areas. He recalled that Brother Lin often took him to various places to introduce the gospel drug rehabilitation concept, and he saw the wonderful work of God. Those addicts and imprisoned people were able to successfully quit drugs by relying solely on the Holy Scriptures without television, tobacco, alcohol, or sleeping pills.
Reverend Dr. James Hudson Taylor IV, the president of the China Evangelical Seminary and the great-great grandson of James Hudson Taylor, talked about Professor Lin Chih-Ping as a preparer of the way for the Lord, similar to John the Baptist. He commented that Brother Lin connected the Chinese culture with the Christian faith, as well as making academic, historical, artistic, and holistic care connections with faith. Reverend Taylor encouraged, “We are here to commemorate Brother Lin, but I believe an even better commemoration would be to continue to devote ourselves fully to our Lord, as he devoted himself to his Lord. Let us also continue to support the work that Brother Lin promoted under God’s inspiration so that more people can not only hear the gospel of Jesus Christ but also turn to Jesus Christ.”
Finally, a group of Cosmic Light colleagues dressed in black sang a hymn titled “The Sweeter as We Serve,” inspiring participants to be beacons in this era.
- Translated by Charlie Li
5月25日，华人教会著名牧者、台湾福音机构宇宙光创办人林治平教授(Lin Chi-Ping)的追思礼拜在台北市林森南路礼拜堂举行。
在为礼拜祷告后，林治平的儿子首先对父亲的一生进行了简短分享：“民国27年，父亲出生在湖南长沙县的一个农村……父亲早年求学之路不甚顺遂，内心充满压抑跟挫折，使他少年时代充满叛逆，调皮、使坏、逃学、打架的日子使他越发感到茫然失落。尽管理性上知道日子不能这么过，但又一天一天这样过着，这种立志为善却无力行善的心境成为父亲相信福音的契机。17岁时，曾经迷失的父亲成为天父的儿子，受洗归入耶稣基督的名下。当他尝过了甜蜜的主恩，看到了生命的标杆，剩下的就是卯足劲全力奔驰十字架的道路……”
中原大学董事长张光正表示，“林哥”是他在主里非常敬重的“战士”。他认为林教授做的最了不起的一件事情，就是在马礼逊入华宣教两百年纪念的时候主编出版了70本纪念的文集。随后，他说：“宇宙光从最初的杂志社变为全人关怀的机构，与中原大学的全人教育的理念相得益彰。治平将全人教育、全人关怀几乎当成是一种信仰，我也是如此。”
一位姐妹认识宇宙光之后，就跟着林哥服事40多年。她表示，这期间林哥给了她很多成长的机会。她回忆林哥经常对她说的一句话是“那你回去祷告吧。”当她想拒绝负责马礼逊入华200周年的20本图画书时，当她挣扎于当伯大尼儿少家园的董事时，当她在董事会改选上想逃跑时，林哥总是会让她回去祷告。
现宇宙光董事长洪善群通过他剪辑的影片再现了林治平创建伯大尼儿少家园的异象：“...这些失去亲人的这些孩童的工作，一向都叫做孤儿院。我觉得孤儿院这几个字很扎心，因为每一个人都有他生命的尊严、意义跟价值。所以，后来我们就在董事会中提出来，希望把孤儿院这个刻板印象，把他改变，跳出来，我们不是在帮助孤儿，我们是帮助一些人，更有人的样式、更有人的尊严、意义和价值的活着，这就是伯大尼的基本信念。”
刘民和表达了林治平对晨曦福音戒毒工作帮助的感谢，因为总是提醒他，福音戒毒要以福音为重，在很多地方不能妥协也不能有偏差。他回忆说，林哥经常带着他去各个地方介绍福音戒毒理念，并且他看到了上帝的奇妙工作，那些吸毒的、坐牢的人什么都没有，没有电视机，没有烟酒，也没有安眠药，就是靠一本圣书就能戒毒成功。
中华福音神学院院长戴继宗牧师以“点着的明灯”为题分享了林治平教授像施洗约翰一样是为主预备道路的人。他评价说，林哥将华人的文化与信仰做连接，同时也做了学术的信仰连接，历史的信仰连接，艺术的信仰连接，全人关怀的信仰连接。戴牧师鼓励说：“我们在这边纪念林哥，但我觉得更棒的一个纪念会是继续委身完全把自己摆上给我们的主，如同他摆上他自己给他的主，也让我们继续支持林哥在神的感动之下所推动的工作，使更多人不仅能得听主耶稣基督的福音，更多的人也能归向主耶稣基督。”
最后，一群宇宙光的同工身穿黑衣献上了赞美诗《越事奉越甘甜》，激励参与者做这时代的一盏明灯。
逝者|林治平追思礼拜举行 多位牧者同工深切缅怀他的人格和服事
On May 25, a memorial service for the late Reverend Lin Chih-Ping, a renowned evangelist and the founder of the Cosmic Light Holistic Care Organization in Taiwan, was held at Taipei.
Born in 1938, Lin Chih-Ping, passed away on the evening of April 27 at the age of 86. He served as the general secretary and executive director of the Christian Cosmic Light Holistic Care Organization which grew from a Christian magazine and chairman of the Operation Dawn ministry in Taiwan since 1973. Since 2003, he served as chairman of the Bethany Children's Home. Over the years, he was committed to promoting the concept of “holistic education and care”, having brought profound influences to educational and social communities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He also worked as a professor at Chung Yuan Christian University, concurrently serving as the dean of the College of Humanities and Education and the director of the Institute of Religion.
At a chapel located in Lin Shun South Road, Lin’s son Lin Chih-Hsiu first shared a brief recount of his father’s life: “My father was born in a rural area in Changsha County, Hunan Province, in the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938, translator’s note). My father’s early years of education were not smooth. It was full of depression and frustration, making him a rebellious teenager involving mischievousness, truancy, and fighting. He felt increasingly lost and disillusioned. Although he rationally knew that life should not be like this, he still indulged in his behavior every day. His paradoxical status between the desire to be good and bad behaviors became an opportunity for him to believe in the gospel. At the age of 17, my father, who was once lost, became a son of God and was baptized under the name of Jesus Christ. After tasting the sweetness of God’s grace and seeing the benchmark of life, all that was left was to fully devote himself to the path of the cross.”
Dr. Samuel K.C. Chang, the chairman of Chung Yuan Christian University, expressed that “Brother Lin” was a “warrior” whom he greatly respected in the Lord. He believed that the most remarkable thing that Professor Lin had accomplished was to edit and publish 70 commemorative collections on the 200th anniversary of the missionary work of Robert Morrison in China. He said, "Cosmic Light has transformed from initially a magazine into a holistic care institution, which complements the holistic education philosophy of Chung Yuan Christian University. Chih-Ping regarded holistic education and care almost as a belief, and so did I.”
An anonymous sister followed Brother Lin in the ministry for over 40 years after she learned about Cosmic Light. She said that Brother Lin had given her opportunities for growth during this period. She recalled that the phrase Lin often said to her was, “Then you should go back and pray.” When she wanted to refuse the responsibility of editing 20 picture books for the 200th anniversary of Robert Morrison’s arrival in China, when she struggled with being a board member of the Bethany Children’s Home, and when she planned to avoid the board re-election, Lin would always tell her to go back and pray.
Dr. Simon Hung, the current chairman of Cosmic Light, created a video as a reconstruction of the vision of Lin Chih-Ping’s founding of the Bethany Children’s Home: “The work of caring for these children who have lost their loved ones has always been called orphanages. I find the word ‘orphanage’ heartbreaking because everyone has dignity, meaning, and value in life. Therefore, later on, we proposed in the board meeting to change this stereotype and get rid of the label. We are not helping orphans; we are helping people to live with more humanity, dignity, meaning, and value. This is Bethany's fundamental belief.”
Liu Min-ho, founder of Operation Dawn in Taiwan, a gospel drug rehabilitation ministry, expressed his gratitude for Lin Chih-Ping’s help, as the latter always reminded him that gospel drug rehabilitation should prioritize the gospel and should not compromise or deviate in many areas. He recalled that Brother Lin often took him to various places to introduce the gospel drug rehabilitation concept, and he saw the wonderful work of God. Those addicts and imprisoned people were able to successfully quit drugs by relying solely on the Holy Scriptures without television, tobacco, alcohol, or sleeping pills.
Reverend Dr. James Hudson Taylor IV, the president of the China Evangelical Seminary and the great-great grandson of James Hudson Taylor, talked about Professor Lin Chih-Ping as a preparer of the way for the Lord, similar to John the Baptist. He commented that Brother Lin connected the Chinese culture with the Christian faith, as well as making academic, historical, artistic, and holistic care connections with faith. Reverend Taylor encouraged, “We are here to commemorate Brother Lin, but I believe an even better commemoration would be to continue to devote ourselves fully to our Lord, as he devoted himself to his Lord. Let us also continue to support the work that Brother Lin promoted under God’s inspiration so that more people can not only hear the gospel of Jesus Christ but also turn to Jesus Christ.”
Finally, a group of Cosmic Light colleagues dressed in black sang a hymn titled “The Sweeter as We Serve,” inspiring participants to be beacons in this era.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Lin Chih-Ping, Founder of Taiwan's Cosmic Light Ministry, Remembered by Ministry Leaders
