To view the English translation, please scroll down to the bottom.
當你在捷運站看到一位年輕漂亮，卻包著頭巾的穆斯林女孩，你會不會心裡頓時為她難過，甚至為她打抱不平？你可能猜疑、甚至斷定她在遮羞，受到男性、社會或政府的壓迫。
當你看到一位穿著僧袍的僧侶，戴着斗笠，在烈日炎炎之下，站在繁華的街角，低著頭誦唸著經文，你會不會惋惜他這輩子的修行都白費了？他以為行善可以增長福德，將來會得到福報，但因他不認識耶穌，他累積的功德都前功盡棄，得不到永生。
當你看到一群男人，一臉的灰色落腮鬍，兩鬢毛長著長長的髮揪，穿著一身黑色禮服戴著黑禮帽在紐約市人群中穿梭，你是不是斷定他們是一群受律法綑綁的猶太人，是新約聖經裡形容的「毒蛇種類」(參部落格：法利賽人是毒蛇的種類嗎？）跟「假冒為善的法利賽人」?（馬太福音12：34；23：27）
但... ...
你有沒有穆斯林的朋友？你去她家的時候，有沒有看到她向你展示她從世界各國收藏五彩繽紛的頭巾時那種興高采烈的神情？你有沒有用心聽到她分享當她每次潔身，向她的阿拉真主禱告時那種心靈飽足的經驗？
你有沒有認真想過，在這位僧侶的背後，他持守多少嚴謹的紀律，用了多少心在思量自己的德操，補自己的不足何過失？當你從他們身邊走過，當你在憐惜他之時，你知道他有可能正在幫你、幫眾生祈福嗎？
你有沒有參與過猶太人的逾越節（參部落格：逾越節和無酵餅？有沒有去他們家跟他們一起慶祝隆重又熱鬧的嬰兒割禮儀式（參部落格：閹割了吧！）？你有沒有看到他們點燃蠟燭時那種燦爛的眼神？你也沒有看到那條特別為這節日而烘烤的麵包？有沒有聞到那一桌既豐盛又深具意義的猶太食物？當他們神色凝重，心存感恩地用希伯來文朗誦紀念上帝當年如何帶領他們祖先出埃及地時，你有沒有體驗到他們那種同心連結的震撼力？
基督徒把自己框在小小的盒子裡，戴上了有色的眼鏡，為這些「瞎了眼」（馬太福音15：14）、委身於令人不解之信仰的人感到心絞痛，一心專注於要 “救”他們靈魂的負擔，卻完全沒有看到他們美善的一面。 只要基督徒定義堅持要保有這種“同情心”，認為大家「都如羊走迷，各人偏行己路」（以賽亞書53：6），他就永遠自居高位，錯過了能真正進入別人的心靈世界的寶貴機會，以謙虛的心學習，以平等的地位接納、並愛這個人。
“同情” 與 “傲慢” 之區，其實只有一線之隔。所謂 ”arrogance of sympathy” (同情的傲慢）指的就是這種 “因傲慢而生的同情” 心態。基督徒是否願意細心省察自己對 “未蒙重生之民” 所生的憐憫心腸是是從何而生？基督徒是不是有時候覺得只要嘴上掛著“廣傳福音”的標語（參部落格：佈道策略），把耶穌擺在後盾，就有資格，名正言順地去貶損、不尊重他人的信仰嗎？只因為「我靠著那加給我力量的凡事都能做」（腓立比書4 ：13）「不以福音為恥」（羅馬書1 ：16）就能毫不諱言地用高姿態跟別人說教嗎？
基督徒願不願意敞開自己，謙虛地省察自己是否已習慣於透過這個小小的鏡片看世界。如果我們不斷地想把鏡片之外浩瀚、多采多姿的世界東濃縮，硬把它塞在這個小鏡片裡，我們的觀點、思維跟心胸也只會越來越狹窄（參部落格：排外），越來越容納不下跟自己價值觀不相同的人，最終，自己反而成為了一個「瞎了眼」的人。
Who is Blind?
When you see a young and beautiful Muslim girl wearing a headscarf at the subway station, do you feel sorry for her, or even feel like advocating for her? You might suspect or even conclude that she is covering herself due to the oppression of men, society, or the government.
When you see a monk in robes, wearing a straw hat, standing at a busy street corner under the scorching sun, reciting mantras with his head bowed, do you regret that his lifelong practice might be in vain? Do you feel sorry that he believes doing good deeds can accumulate merits and blessings, but since he doesn't know Jesus, all his accumulated merits are in vain, and he cannot attain eternal life.
When you see a group of men with gray beards, long sidelocks, dressed in white shirts, black suits and black hats as they navigate through the crowds in New York City, do you assume they are bound by the law, like the "offspring of vipers" and "whitewashed tombs" described in the New Testament? Because they "appear beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean" (Matthew 12:34; 23:27) (Please refer to my blog post: Are Pharisees Generations of Vipers?)
But...
Do you have any Muslim friends? When you visit her home, do you see the excitement in her eyes as she proudly displays the colorful head scarves she's collected from around the world? Have you listened carefully when she shares the spiritual fulfillment she experiences every time she purifies herself and prays to her Allah?
Have you ever seriously considered how much rigorous discipline this monk behind his appearance follows, how much he contemplates his own virtues, and how he mends his shortcomings and mistakes? As you walk past them, while you pity him, do you know he might be praying for you and all sentient beings?
Have you ever participated in a Passover celebration with Jewish friends ( Please see my blog post :Passover and Unleavened
Bread”) Have you joined them in their homes to celebrate the solemn and festive baby circumcision ceremony (Please refer to my blog post: Go Emasculate!” ) Have you seen the radiant look in their eyes as they light candles? Have you seen the specially baked bread for this occasion? Have you smelled the rich and meaningful Jewish food on the table? When they solemnly and gratefully recite in Hebrew, commemorating how God led their ancestors out of Egypt, have you felt the profound connection they share?
There is only a fine line between “compassion” and “arrogance”. The term “arrogance of sympathy” refers to this mindset of compassion born out of arrogance. Are Christians willing to carefully examine where their compassion for the “unconverted” truly originates? Do Christians sometimes feel that as long as they display the slogan “spreading the Gospel” (Please see my blog post: Evangelical Strategies) and put Jesus in the forefront, they have the right and justification to belittle and disrespect the beliefs of others? Is it because of phrases like “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) and “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16) that they can openly preach to others with an air of superiority?"
Do Christians willingly open themselves up and humbly examine whether they've become accustomed to viewing the world through this tiny lens? If we persistently try to condense the vast, colorful world beyond the lens and force it into this small frame, our perspectives, thoughts, and hearts will only become narrower ( Please refer to blog post: Exclusiveness), increasingly unable to accommodate those with different values. In the end, we may find ourselves becoming “blind” individuals.
Comments