It has been a year since the outbreak of the rampant pandemic of COVID-19, and the isolation and tension caused by the pandemic has brought a revolutionary change to everyone. Whether you are a retail magnate or a business magnate, you have to deal with the debt and the danger of broken capital chains.
Whether you are a Christian or a Buddhist, belong to the Reformed church or adhere to Pentecostalism, are in a small or large church; you are as equal in the face of this pandemic as everyone else. No one is an exception.
As a result, the past 40 years' tradition of over-emphasis on individual freedom, the model of economic development, even the path of Christianity, must be rewritten in the face of today’s plague.
It is in the face of this pandemic that we, the tiny human individuals, have to return to the self, and to the family, to think about the meaning of individual life. It is the instinct of the individual human being to return in the face of any disaster.
The future of the world, therefore, is bound to shift from the emphasis on grand goals in the past to a model centered on individual happiness.
Happiness is the ultimate goal of human pursuit. It is also the ultimate trend of mankind in this world. That’s what Jesus wrote in the Sermon on the Mount. (Mathew 5:3-11)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
What is our purpose for believing in God, and what is our purpose for following Jesus?
In the past, we emphasized the grand goal of building heaven on earth. To this end, we joined the gospel return movement, we shouted out the goals of the three revolutions, and we developed the grand theological program. In these grand schemes, individual Christians became cogs in the machine of the great movement. We have no choice but to roll with the waves of these great movements.
But Jesus has already shown in the Gospel that our reward for believing in God is not the illusory promise of heaven, but happiness. We clear our hearts, we are gentle, and we make people peaceful. All these things can make us happy. So by following Jesus, we get earthly happiness. It’s the happiness of life.
Clearly, by Jesus’ time, individual Jews were fed up with being instruments of the Zionist movement and needed a life in which they could control their own destiny and pursue their own personal happiness.
Happy life certainly means that the individual returns to the individual and takes care of himself. This kind of self-observing existentialism, just like the background of World War II in which it came into being, will inevitably become a model for people to take care of themselves and reflect on history after this great plague.
The bottleneck to Christianity’s growth must become clearer in the aftermath of the pandemic.
The old religious model of faith, which emphasized loyalty to the church organization, that is, commitment to the church, is bound to be challenged. This challenges the old paternalistic, dedicated, and individualistic model of church organization and structure.
This challenge does not mean that the traditional church will suddenly shrink. It does not mean that those who are used to the traditional church model will stay away from the church. Especially those who have been hit by the pandemic, they will find comfort in the traditional church.
The challenges and bottlenecks are more likely to appear in the development of the church. The traditional church scheme with its old patterns continues to try to attract followers. There is little possibility to attract the mainstay of the society. For young individuals with happy families and stable jobs and lives, the traditional evangelical message of the church has little appeal.
In addition, the closed management of schools during the pandemic also inevitably brings difficulties to the development of fellowships for college students. This dilemma not only brings about increased difficulty in recruiting new members but also causes a lack of economic support because there are no college student believers attending the existing fellowships, which makes it difficult to pay the rents and salaries of staff of student fellowships.
In addition, the clichéd life sermons of fellowships for college students are bound to conflict with the shift in world economy and thoughts towards existentialism of individual self-care, and thus are less attractive to college students.
Another aspect of this pandemic is that individuals, unlike people in ancient societies, no longer need the solace of religion, and neither Christians nor other religious people are in a good position to deal with the plague.
How to handle one's own life and let oneself enjoy happiness is the most important thing. But happiness is not about leading a gay life or living in luxury. Happiness is necessarily a healthy and abstemious life. This is actually consistent with Jesus’ teaching.
In the post-pandemic era, the return of the individual and the well-being of the individual must become the center of attention, which will inevitably lead to the return to Jesus through religion.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
肆虐的新冠疫情自爆发至今已有一年了，这一年的疫情所造成的封闭、紧张给每个人带来了一场革命性的改变。不论你是零售巨头还是商界大佬，都不得不紧张应对债务和资金链断裂的危险。
也不论你是基督徒还是佛教徒，是改革宗还是灵恩派，你是小教会还是大教会，在这场疫情面前都一如既往地平等，没有任何人是例外。
因此，过去四十年过于强调个体自由的传统，过去四十年经济的发展模式，甚至过去四十年基督教的发展路径，在今天这场瘟疫面前必被重新改写。
正是在这个疫情的巨人面前，我们这些渺小的人类个体，才不得不重回自我，重回家庭，思考个体的生命意义。这是任何灾难面前，人类个体的本能回归。
因此世界的未来走向，必然一改过去那种强调宏大目标的路径，转向个体幸福为中心的模式上来。
幸福，这才是人类所追求的最终目标，也是人类在这个世界上的终极趋向。就是耶稣在登山宝训的八福中所写的。(太5:3-11)
我们信仰上帝的目的是什么，我们跟随耶稣的目的是什么？
过去强调的是在地上实现天国的宏大目标，在这一目标下，我们加入了福音回传运动，我们喊出了三化的目标，我们制定了宏达的神学计划。在这种种宏大计划中，基督徒个体都成为这场大运动机器上的螺丝钉。我们没有自己的选择，只能随着这些大运动的波浪翻滚。
然而耶稣在这里把福音已经说明，我们信仰上帝，得到的回报不是那些虚幻的天堂许诺，而是幸福。我们清心，我们温柔，我们使人和睦，这些都能让我们得到幸福。因此跟随耶稣，我们获得的是世俗的幸福，是生活的幸福。
显然，在耶稣的时代，犹太个体已经受够了作为犹太人复国运动工具的身份，他们需要的是能把握自己命运和追求个人幸福的生活。
幸福生活肯定是个体回归个体，对个体自身关照，这种观照自我的存在主义，正如在她产生的那个二战背景一样，也必然在这场巨大的瘟疫之后，成为人们关照自己，反思历史的模式。
基督教发展的瓶颈也必然在这场瘟疫之后愈发明确起来。
过去那种宗教式的，强调对教会组织的忠诚，也就是对教会委身的信仰模式，必然受到挑战。与之一起的挑战，还有过去那种家长式，卖身契约式，以及个人癫狂式的教会组织和结构模式。
这种挑战不是说传统教会会骤然减缩，这对于那些习惯了传统教会模式的信徒来说，并不会离开教会，尤其是受到疫情打击的人更是在传统教会中寻找安慰。
这种挑战和瓶颈，则更多地出现在教会的发展上，传统教会企图以既有模式继续吸引信徒，吸引那些社会的中流砥柱群体，已经没有多少可能性，而对于那些家庭幸福，以及工作和生活稳定的年轻个体来说，传统教会的福音说辞，已经没有多少吸引力。
此外，对于疫情带来教育封闭管理，也必然给大学生团契的发展带来困境，这种困境不仅是新成员发展的难度增加，也包括既有团契因为没有大学生信徒聚会，而产生的经济支援萎靡，经济支持逐渐消极，从而使大学生团契在房租以及工作人员的薪资上出现困难。
此外大学生团契那种老生常谈式的人生说教，也必然与这种世界经济和思想向个体自我关照的存在主义转向冲突，从而对大学生缺乏吸引力。
这次疫情还有另一个情况出现，那就是疫情中的个体，与过去古代社会应对危机不同，已经不再需要宗教的慰藉，不论是基督徒，还是其他宗教徒，都没有应对瘟疫的优势。
如何处理好自己的生活，让自己收获幸福，这才是最重要的。但是幸福并不是花天酒地，也不是奢侈生活。幸福必然是一个健康和节制的生活。这实际上与耶稣教导一致。
在后疫情时代，个体的回归，个人幸福必然成为关注中心，那么从宗教回归耶稣，也就成为必然。
疫情后的思考：基督徒如何从宗教重回个人幸福
It has been a year since the outbreak of the rampant pandemic of COVID-19, and the isolation and tension caused by the pandemic has brought a revolutionary change to everyone. Whether you are a retail magnate or a business magnate, you have to deal with the debt and the danger of broken capital chains.
Whether you are a Christian or a Buddhist, belong to the Reformed church or adhere to Pentecostalism, are in a small or large church; you are as equal in the face of this pandemic as everyone else. No one is an exception.
As a result, the past 40 years' tradition of over-emphasis on individual freedom, the model of economic development, even the path of Christianity, must be rewritten in the face of today’s plague.
It is in the face of this pandemic that we, the tiny human individuals, have to return to the self, and to the family, to think about the meaning of individual life. It is the instinct of the individual human being to return in the face of any disaster.
The future of the world, therefore, is bound to shift from the emphasis on grand goals in the past to a model centered on individual happiness.
Happiness is the ultimate goal of human pursuit. It is also the ultimate trend of mankind in this world. That’s what Jesus wrote in the Sermon on the Mount. (Mathew 5:3-11)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
What is our purpose for believing in God, and what is our purpose for following Jesus?
In the past, we emphasized the grand goal of building heaven on earth. To this end, we joined the gospel return movement, we shouted out the goals of the three revolutions, and we developed the grand theological program. In these grand schemes, individual Christians became cogs in the machine of the great movement. We have no choice but to roll with the waves of these great movements.
But Jesus has already shown in the Gospel that our reward for believing in God is not the illusory promise of heaven, but happiness. We clear our hearts, we are gentle, and we make people peaceful. All these things can make us happy. So by following Jesus, we get earthly happiness. It’s the happiness of life.
Clearly, by Jesus’ time, individual Jews were fed up with being instruments of the Zionist movement and needed a life in which they could control their own destiny and pursue their own personal happiness.
Happy life certainly means that the individual returns to the individual and takes care of himself. This kind of self-observing existentialism, just like the background of World War II in which it came into being, will inevitably become a model for people to take care of themselves and reflect on history after this great plague.
The bottleneck to Christianity’s growth must become clearer in the aftermath of the pandemic.
The old religious model of faith, which emphasized loyalty to the church organization, that is, commitment to the church, is bound to be challenged. This challenges the old paternalistic, dedicated, and individualistic model of church organization and structure.
This challenge does not mean that the traditional church will suddenly shrink. It does not mean that those who are used to the traditional church model will stay away from the church. Especially those who have been hit by the pandemic, they will find comfort in the traditional church.
The challenges and bottlenecks are more likely to appear in the development of the church. The traditional church scheme with its old patterns continues to try to attract followers. There is little possibility to attract the mainstay of the society. For young individuals with happy families and stable jobs and lives, the traditional evangelical message of the church has little appeal.
In addition, the closed management of schools during the pandemic also inevitably brings difficulties to the development of fellowships for college students. This dilemma not only brings about increased difficulty in recruiting new members but also causes a lack of economic support because there are no college student believers attending the existing fellowships, which makes it difficult to pay the rents and salaries of staff of student fellowships.
In addition, the clichéd life sermons of fellowships for college students are bound to conflict with the shift in world economy and thoughts towards existentialism of individual self-care, and thus are less attractive to college students.
Another aspect of this pandemic is that individuals, unlike people in ancient societies, no longer need the solace of religion, and neither Christians nor other religious people are in a good position to deal with the plague.
How to handle one's own life and let oneself enjoy happiness is the most important thing. But happiness is not about leading a gay life or living in luxury. Happiness is necessarily a healthy and abstemious life. This is actually consistent with Jesus’ teaching.
In the post-pandemic era, the return of the individual and the well-being of the individual must become the center of attention, which will inevitably lead to the return to Jesus through religion.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Post-Pandemic Reflections: How Do Christians Return to Personal Well-being Through Faith?
