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为了调整纽约时报从 1861 年 1 月 21 日开始的句子,“所有人都以如此多的焦虑和兴趣看待的那一天已经过去了。乔·拜登已经就职,而且 '一切都很好'。” 这句话最初是指亚伯拉罕·林肯的就职典礼,这是南方几个州分离期间发生的事件。担心武装暴徒破坏仪式以及杀害林肯的阴谋迫使他在当天清晨潜入城市。街道被封锁,士兵四面都是林肯两侧,事件继续进行,许多人在呼吸下来。第二天早上,正如《泰晤士报》所写的那样,他们再次呼吸出来,“一切都很好。” 听起来很熟悉,不是吗?当然,1861 年 1 月 21 日一切都不好。就职典礼可能顺利进行,但该国仍然受到分裂、不公正和深刻的意识形态敌意的困境。在接下来的四年中,战争的伤亡人数超过了所有其他美国战争的总和。就职典礼标志着变化,他们被视为新的开端... 但是,就像 12 月 31 日通过的决议一样,真正重要的是以后的日子里发生的事情。这在很大程度上取决于前几天发生的情况。因此,尽管昨天许多人缓解了一口气,但我们在第二天醒来,到一个世界,一个被分裂、不公正和深刻的意识形态敌意所困难的国家醒来。Facebook 昨天充满了评论和见解,有一篇文章感到特别引起共鸣:一些神职人员认为拜登总统具有 “巨大的临时牧师能量”。我们的许多教会都经历了分裂和挫折、危机和冲突。牧师离开,成员离开,理事会来到僵局,教会被留下了一堆痛苦、很多分裂和一整堆悲伤。需要正确的牧师-温柔、富有同情心、明智、耐心、试探-才能为会众提供空间和工具,让他们真实地交谈,命名他们的痛苦、恐惧和希望,重新发现他们的共同爱情,并记住他们在基督里的谁。当然乔·拜登不是牧师。他提出了一个超越团结国家的议程,这个议程我知道许多人都以担忧、担忧甚至绝望来迎接这个议程。但我认为,无论政治说服如何,我们大多数人都可以同意拜登目前的气质正确。他的同情心、温和的举止、自己的斗争和损失使他能够成为我希望他将为这个国家带来的东西 —— 一位帮助我们在真理、爱和 HuMility中彼此交谈的领导人。如果拜登是那个人 —— 如果他无疑不完美,他能够为困难创造空间和健康的对话,跨越过道和墙壁,那么我们应该利用这一时刻把工作投入进去。无论我们能做到什么小的方式,无论我们能做什么把这一时刻的负担,变革的希望,放在联邦雇员身上,法律法案,总统和副总统,以及行政变革,是很容易的。但今天我想起了美国哲学家威廉·詹姆斯在 1899 年写的一封信,他在信中写道:“我反对各种形式的巨大和伟大,反对从个人到个人的隐形分子道德力量,像许多人一样偷偷世界的恶心软的 rootlet,或者像毛细管渗入水中,但是如果你给他们时间,那么就会出现人类骄傲最难的纪念碑。”有时你需要巨大和伟大。就职典礼、国家运动和全面改革都有其位置。但是,我在今天、次日的这段话中听到的是,我们不能忘记,即使是最小的行动也能产生重大影响。而且,如果我可以稍微改变詹姆斯的路线,我会想起一个伟大的承诺:我们不是依靠自己的力量,而是依靠圣灵的力量去取得我们可能认为微不足道的东西,在神王国以强大的方式使用它。所以,第二天,教会起来,再次被召集到工作中王国。 这项工作看起来像很多东西。这看起来像悔改,无论是我们个人的骄傲、敌意和判断,还是教会在宣传福音而不是我们自己的福音方面的集体共谋。这看起来像悲伤,因为我们痛惜失去友谊和关系,失去希望,失去曾经对国家或社区或会众的爱。这看起来像是说真话,因为我们在不同意的人中,以及可能更重要的是,在我们认为是朋友的人中,我们指出错误并坚持正确的事情。当我们诚实地谈论我们的恐惧和希望时,它看起来像脆弱性。它看起来像谦卑,正如我们寻求理解另一个。最重要的是,它看起来很混乱。毕竟,我们是唯一的人。我们不会实现任何伟大的乌托邦,我们不会解决所有问题,我们也不会恢复每种关系。我们不会因为我们不能。上帝的人从苹果的第一口中学到了这个教训。但是,我们可以响应福音书的呼吁,要求伸张正义、爱怜悯和谦卑地行走,无论我们的反应可能是多么不完美。我们可以相信圣灵在我们、我们的社区、教会和我们的国家里发挥作用,并且要大胆遵循它的发展。我们可以在创立神王国之后来模式我们的生活,这个王国比美国大于北美,远远超过西方世界,比我们脑海中的任何形象都要大。有一天,一切都会顺利的王国。而且,知道自己的弱点,我们可以在祷告中洗澡我们的生活和劳动。为和平祈祷、为团结祈祷、为爱祈祷。主啊,让我成为你们和平的工具:在有仇恨的地方,让我播下爱;在有伤害的地方,赦免;有疑问的地方,信仰就有绝望,希望;哪里有黑暗,光明;悲伤的地方,Joy。不太多地寻求成为控制台的控制台,被理解为理解,被爱为爱。因为这是在给予我们收到的时候,我们得到了赦免,而且我们生于永恒的生命即将死亡。
Thank you.
Amen.
“… the Church gets up and is called, as it is every day, to the work of the Kingdom. That work will look like many things.”
What I pray it won’t look like …
The dilution of The Gospel for the sake of unification … ALL must be called to repentance, forgiveness must be given following it … impenitence must not be accepted as a unique “expression of faith” – it must be prayed for and asked to be changed.
A splendid inauguration address to us, your congregation. Thank you, Pastor Laura.
Wise and welcome words. Thank you!
Joe Biden is a politician, not a pastor. But there was a lot of powerful preaching from presidents and poets and singers in yesterday’s inaugural events. I don’t think I was the only one shouting Amen at my TV.
Amen and Amen, David!
As I read your words (welcome and quite lovely), I was reminded of the NY Times editorial on Jan 19 from Thomas Friedman where he wrote about the great experience of people surprising us on the upside, “So, I have two asks of every American: Give Joe Biden a chance to surprise you on the upside and challenge yourself to surprise him.”
These words feel like lovely imploring words for the church as well in our current situation, “So, I have two asks for every Christian: Give each other a chance to surprise you on the upside and challenge yourself to surprise each other.”
Thank you, Laura.
Wise and wonderful. Many thanks.
Thank you Laura
It is the small individual things between individuals that really make a difference in the world.
Your piece reminded me anew of friend Mike Yaconelli’s books Messy Spirituality and Dangerous Wonder. He would have loved your words as do I. Thank you.
Dear Beverly,
What do you mean when you allude to the church’s” collective conspiracy in promoting a gospel not our own”? A “collective conspiracy” might be the definitive description of a “broad brush”.
“….the loss of friendships and relationships, the loss of hope, the loss of the love we once held for country or community or congregation.” That’s the saddest thing about these last 4 years.
Your words point a way to some restoration. Thank you.
I so agree!
Thank you. Your encouragement is greatly necessary and appreciated.
Awoman
Good prediction: it will look like repentance, grief, truth-telling, vulnerability, humility, and it will look messy. Good prescription: do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God. I would add a good priority, “Justice and only justice you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord gives you.” (Deut. 16:20). Lewis Smedes said the acid test of obedience to their covenant with God was: is justice done among the people? I agree.
“…Biden has the right temperament for this moment…”
I know this has been said throughout numerous comments, but I would also like to add to them and say, thank you. May we look at what has happened yesterday as the opporunity to put the Kingdom on display by standing United in our differences and to give when we can find a list of ways to recieve. In whatever political stand we stand on, we can remind ourselves that God still remains on the Throne and whoever the President is, we are called to love the Body of Christ. Let us start with today.