During a holiday, Xiao Lu, a young man, went to visit his elderly grandmother, a dedicated Christian. He had a basic understanding of her religious beliefs, but limited in-depth knowledge of what that actually meant. Xiao Lu's impression of his grandmother was that she was an amiable elderly lady, never at odds with others and always willing to show her kindness and do acts of charity, all of which he attributed to God's love.
One Sunday morning Xiao Lu's grandmother invited him to go to church with her. He was excited because his grandmother had taken him to Sunday school classes frequently when he was little, and thus he had always had some positive feelings towards the church. He could still remember the brothers and sisters in the choir with their snow-white robes and a holy glow on their faces. He recalled how his heart melted upon hearing the hymns they sang; all the filthiness and darkness within him was washed clean and purged at he listened to the choir.
When they approached the church, he saw a girl with a crippled left leg come limping from a distance, walking with difficulty. Xiao Lu was astounded by the scene, wondering if he was seeing flawed beauty and a scar kissed by God. At that moment, the church's bell rang for morning prayers. He watched his grandmother gently close her eyes and pray with folded hands. The girl did the same, an expression of serenity on her face, her crutch laying quietly next to her on the ground, while a butterfly flitted above her. As the bell chimed pleasantly, Xiao Lu observed the butterfly coming slowly towards them. It was dancing in the wind, as if it was telling Xiao Lu that the girl was not complaining about her suffering to God but was singing a hymn. In Xiao Lu's view, the butterfly's dance was something predestined to accompany the girl's silent singing.
The whole essence of the sacraments lies in one word: "holiness," which originates from Jesus Christ himself. Holiness is not intended for the selfish pleasure of man, but is ultimately and solely for inspiring awe, admiration and love of people towards God. There is a void in the heart of human beings that cannot be filled with anything else like wealth, status, emotions or career, but with only God himself. There is a part of our heart that is saved particularly for him by ourselves, and in turn it is saved by him for us, in a bid to fulfil it by himself.
Deep River, the masterpiece of Japanese Christian writer Shusaku Endo, depicts the journey of a priest saving a non-Christian. Although a non-believer, the one who is saved has shown his own and hidden divinity through the pilgrimage, especially the last scene when the priest carries the dying non-Christian on his back, trudging step-by-step towards the Ganges River, the solemnity and tranquility on his face a holy glow resembling that of God. At that time, the death of the non-Christian has become a pilgrimage, while the priest finds his salvation through carrying him.
Indeed, divinity hides deep inside everyone's heart, which is what binds them to God. Even the wildest outlaws would spontaneously put out their cigarettes in church, just like the young man Xiao Lu, who saw the glory of God in the church's sacrament and felt his mercy and holy love. Although Xiao Lu has not yet been baptized and is not an official Christian, I believe that the religious sentiment that resides in his heart is ever-lasting and it will become a ray of warm life deep within.
- Translated by Li Runping
一个慕道友在圣礼中的感动与觉醒
男青年小路在节假日去看望年迈的外婆。外婆是一名虔诚的基督徒，对于外婆的信仰，他也只是了解，并没有做深入地研究。在他的印象里，外婆非常有亲和力，凡事不与人争长短，还常常乐善好施。小路认为这是上帝的爱感化着外婆做一个有爱心的好人。
礼拜天上午，外婆带小路去教堂。小路感到有些兴奋，因为自己对教堂一直怀有美好的感情，小时候经常跟着外婆去参加那里的主日学。他还记得诗班的那些弟兄姐妹，穿着洁白的长袍，脸上充满着神圣的光芒，听到他们赞美的诗歌，整个心灵就像被融化，内在所有的污秽与黑暗似乎那一刻得到了涤净与洗礼。
临近教堂时候，一个女孩从远处走来。她竟是一个跛足女孩，她的右腿在扭曲之中艰难地挪动。小路惊愕！难道这就是残缺之美，上帝亲吻的印痕吗？此时，教堂的钟声响起，这是早祷的钟声！只见外婆微闭双眼，双手合十在祈祷；女孩也是微闭双眼，双手合十在祈祷。女孩的脸庞静谧，手杖静静地躺卧路旁，头上一只蝴蝶在飞翔。小路没有闭眼，在钟声的悠扬中，他看到女孩头上的蝴蝶正一点一点向他们飞来！这只蝴蝶在随风飞舞，它似乎在告诉小路：“女孩不是在向上帝诉苦，她在歌唱，唱的是一首赞歌。”而小路看蝴蝶的舞动，就像是女孩默唱中冥冥之中的欢快伴舞。
圣礼的全部内涵就在于一个“圣”字，这个圣字的源头就是耶稣基督。而圣礼的目的并不是为了人类自我的欢愉，其最终目的，也是唯一的目的就是让人生发对上帝的敬畏，仰慕与爱。而人类的心灵深处有一个空缺，包括财富、地位、情感、事业这些外在的东西都无法满足，唯有上帝才可以将其填满。所以，人类心灵有一空处是为上帝而留，而这个空处也是上帝为人类预备的，由他自己来亲自满足。
日本基督徒作家远藤周作的名著《深河》，讲述的是一位神甫对于非教徒的救赎之旅。他们虽然是非教徒，但他们在朝圣的过程中，都展现了其生命中隐藏的特有的神性之光。特别是最后神甫背着濒临死亡的非教徒一步一步艰难地走向恒河的时候，脸上的那一抹严肃与静谧就是一道与上帝无比接近的神圣光芒。此时，非教徒的死亡变成了一种朝圣，神甫的背负变成了一种救赎。
是的，每个人心中都隐藏着神性，那是与上帝相联结之处。就算是再放荡不羁的登徒子，在教堂也会不自觉地将手中的烟头掐灭。就像男青年小路，他在教会的圣礼中看见了上帝的荣美，感受到了上帝的恩慈和圣爱。虽然小路作为一名慕道友，他还没有正式成为一名信徒，但是我相信在他心中存在的那一抹宗教情感一定是绵长悠久的，而这种美好的情感一定可以成为他心灵深处最温暖的一束光芒。
During a holiday, Xiao Lu, a young man, went to visit his elderly grandmother, a dedicated Christian. He had a basic understanding of her religious beliefs, but limited in-depth knowledge of what that actually meant. Xiao Lu's impression of his grandmother was that she was an amiable elderly lady, never at odds with others and always willing to show her kindness and do acts of charity, all of which he attributed to God's love.
One Sunday morning Xiao Lu's grandmother invited him to go to church with her. He was excited because his grandmother had taken him to Sunday school classes frequently when he was little, and thus he had always had some positive feelings towards the church. He could still remember the brothers and sisters in the choir with their snow-white robes and a holy glow on their faces. He recalled how his heart melted upon hearing the hymns they sang; all the filthiness and darkness within him was washed clean and purged at he listened to the choir.
When they approached the church, he saw a girl with a crippled left leg come limping from a distance, walking with difficulty. Xiao Lu was astounded by the scene, wondering if he was seeing flawed beauty and a scar kissed by God. At that moment, the church's bell rang for morning prayers. He watched his grandmother gently close her eyes and pray with folded hands. The girl did the same, an expression of serenity on her face, her crutch laying quietly next to her on the ground, while a butterfly flitted above her. As the bell chimed pleasantly, Xiao Lu observed the butterfly coming slowly towards them. It was dancing in the wind, as if it was telling Xiao Lu that the girl was not complaining about her suffering to God but was singing a hymn. In Xiao Lu's view, the butterfly's dance was something predestined to accompany the girl's silent singing.
The whole essence of the sacraments lies in one word: "holiness," which originates from Jesus Christ himself. Holiness is not intended for the selfish pleasure of man, but is ultimately and solely for inspiring awe, admiration and love of people towards God. There is a void in the heart of human beings that cannot be filled with anything else like wealth, status, emotions or career, but with only God himself. There is a part of our heart that is saved particularly for him by ourselves, and in turn it is saved by him for us, in a bid to fulfil it by himself.
Deep River, the masterpiece of Japanese Christian writer Shusaku Endo, depicts the journey of a priest saving a non-Christian. Although a non-believer, the one who is saved has shown his own and hidden divinity through the pilgrimage, especially the last scene when the priest carries the dying non-Christian on his back, trudging step-by-step towards the Ganges River, the solemnity and tranquility on his face a holy glow resembling that of God. At that time, the death of the non-Christian has become a pilgrimage, while the priest finds his salvation through carrying him.
Indeed, divinity hides deep inside everyone's heart, which is what binds them to God. Even the wildest outlaws would spontaneously put out their cigarettes in church, just like the young man Xiao Lu, who saw the glory of God in the church's sacrament and felt his mercy and holy love. Although Xiao Lu has not yet been baptized and is not an official Christian, I believe that the religious sentiment that resides in his heart is ever-lasting and it will become a ray of warm life deep within.
- Translated by Li Runping
Awakening and Emotions of A Seeker in Sacraments
