Advocacy for Social Justice: A Personal Reflection

Advocacy for Social Justice: A Personal Reflection

Tao-jen Wang

Social justice is important in the Bible and also in real world, and this is the reason for Christians to love and stand with the oppressed.  But things get complicated when dealing with homosexuality, which is becoming a heated issue in Taiwan.  The society of Taiwan is divided on this controversy, where the younger generation being more open and pushing the older generation to change.  A Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights (TAPCPR)[1] was formed and has been trying to change the law: to allow same-sex marriage and establish a system “partnership relationship” to coexist with the traditional marriage system.  In 2013, TAPCPR successfully pushed the same-sex marriage law amendment draft proposal into Legislative Yuan’s committee review process, which did not include the “partnership system,” but might lead to a quick law change regarding to same-sex marriage if the proposal was accepted.  But this ignited the churches in Taiwan to form a Family Alliance with multiple religious groups and organize a parade to defend traditional marriage system and uphold family values.  The parade seemed successful and the proposal was not accepted, but churches in Taiwan were labeled as “not tolerant” and “homophobia” by the younger generation and some LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Christians left their church.  There were a few pastors sympathetic of the difficult plight of LGBTs and were supportive of same-sex marriage.  Though they might not be supportive of the “partnership system,” they were labeled as compromising the Bible and succumbing to sexual liberation movement by others. 

Church and Mission in Global Contexts: A Personal Reflection

Church and Mission in Global Contexts: A Personal Reflection

Tao-jen Wang

Global Christianity is changing: an emerging “south” Christianity that Jenkins described in his book[1] is transforming the look of global Christianity.  The “south” is more conservative,[2] indigenous,[3] and sometimes Pentecostal.[4]  In contrast, religiosity is declining in Western society and even in the United States.[5]  So what’s wrong with western Christianity?  Is the culture of western Christianity too liberal and going down the wrong path?  Or is charismatic experience the key and we should all pursue it?  Or from a non-Christian point of view, do people become more “civilized” and “rational” and then abandon their religion? 

If we look deeper, people tired of churches in the United States are still seeking spirituality.[6] Human, being created by God, certainly has spiritual needs; it’s the church that disappoints.  And a conservative theology does not guarantee from disappointment or decline; evangelical churches in the United States are also going down.[7]  Pentecostalism may or may not help, but there seems to be difficulties for some people to experience God in this way than others even if they are willing: spiritual gifts are given by the Spirit “who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” (1 Cor. 12:11 NRSV)

And when we are analyzing global Christianity, we should keep in mind another important question: is “size” or “number of Christians” the only right way to analyze a church?  Is the largest church in the world always doing the right thing?  If so, the Protestant Reformation should never take place and Jesus’s church should be seen as a failure.  Actually nearly every church with its theology has its ups and downs.  Only God and His Word have the final say on what is right or wrong for a church.

岳母的翩翩足跡

    本來還覺得認識媽媽沒有很長的時間，想不到算一算也有快十年了。還記得剛開始認識的時候，其實還沒有很熟，互相都很客氣。後來有一天媽媽開始念我東西亂丟沒收好，我才發現已經成為媽媽眼中的家人了。

    在恆音出生、牧恩坐月子的時候，媽媽的背痛越來越嚴重，怎知後來檢查出來，竟然已經是肺癌末期轉移至脊椎。辛苦的變化接踵而至，爸爸也在照顧媽媽幾個月後倒下，被發現是大腸癌，甚至早媽媽一步離開。

    經歷得到絕症，又緊接著經歷喪偶，然後經歷身體走下坡，從勉強走到不能走、到下半身失去知覺功能，最後開始喘。這段歷程媽媽你真的辛苦了！並且我知道你難過的還不只有這些。記得有一次我從花蓮趕回來陪你住院，你竟然因為牧恩、恆音、恆新都常常在高雄，留我一個人在花蓮，對我道歉。其實我要道歉的更多啊！怎麼沒有早點發現你的病情、怎麼沒辦法幫助你對抗癌症、怎麼沒有更迅速控制你的不舒服、怎麼沒辦法好好照顧陪伴你。

    有時很難理解為何上帝要容許這樣的艱難臨到我們家族，但我們更清楚知道上帝給我們的盼望，就是未來的復活和相聚。媽媽你的離開，其實也是放下世上的勞苦，去天上和情郎相會，也難怪你說告別禮拜要有點喜氣。

    媽媽謝謝你對我的愛護和鼓勵，謝謝你總是留巧克力給我吃，也謝謝你陪伴牧恩長大。願主的平安和爸爸媽媽同在，也和我們家族每一個人同在！

女婿 道仁

後座安裝三台汽座心得

復活節竟然沒辦法去禮拜，但相信復活的主一直與我們同在。

最近一直有安裝三台汽車安全座椅的需要，發現相關資訊真的很少。分享一點心得吧！

1.後座車寬及安全帶長度：
網路上有人整理車寬http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=214&t=1899735&p=1

車寬不夠當然沒辦法裝三個，夠的話還是要試裝，因為後座沙發多半不是平的，會讓汽座無法完全靠邊。前向後向也會有影響，所以真的需要裝裝看。另一個會有影響的是安全帶長度，因為有可能要裝一點點斜斜的，安全帶長度要求會比原來更長一點點

2.選汽座：
換汽座總比換車便宜，所以有需要的話就直接選傳說中最窄的汽座combi coccoro(後來發現奇哥Joie0-4雙向在規格上一樣窄，但沒試裝過)。當初我以為後座中間是兩點式安全帶，特別去eBay買了美國版，想不到買來才發現美版裝兩點式好像還要另外用isofix還是什麼裝置固定，有點囧，更囧的是後來又發現後座明明就有三點式安全帶，早知道買台版的就好。無論如何還是要試裝一下最保險。另外的發現是搖籃型汽座多半也很窄

3.試裝心得：
可以找百貨公司或丁丁藥局之類的試裝，多半有combi coccoro，可是一定要真正裝起來看看。當初我只有比一下，後來實際安裝才發現和比一下差很多

以弗所書原文查經講義6(第六章)

以弗所書原文查經講義(第六章)

王道仁

2014/3/28

一、以弗所書第六章分段

6:1-9 勸勉信徒父母兒女、僕人主人相處原則

6:10-20 最後勸勉穿上屬靈全副軍裝

6:21-24 祝福

二、原文與信息

1.      6:6 poiou/ntej to. qe,lhma tou/ qeou/ evk yuch/j (從心裡行上帝的旨意)：在此yuch/j (魂、心)譯為「心」，顯示出希臘文單字可能有多元意義，必須由上下文來判斷。僕人為了主順服主人可以應用在員工老闆、人民政府等等關係上，但每一個關係又需要更深入去分析，例如在民主社會反而是政府應該順服人民。6:1提醒我們順服是「在主裡」，每個關係每個決定我們必須靠著主、尋求主去學習該如何。

2.      6:9 avnie,ntej th.n avpeilh,n (放棄威嚇)：avnie,ntej (放棄)此字原意為「解開」，引申為「放棄、停止」。這節經節提醒有權力者必須放棄用權力威嚇別人，因為主在天上鑒察審判。父母兒女、僕人主人的相處另外可以參考西3:20-4:1的類似經文。

3.      6:14全副軍裝當中avlh,qeia (真理、誠實)亦出現在1:13、4:21、4:24、4:25、5:9，可指真理或誠實；若和5:9對照且和6:17區隔的話，可能是強調誠實，但真理的解釋亦可通，也可能兼指二者。dikaiosu,nh (公義)則出現在4:24、5:9，可指上帝給的義或我們去行的公義。6:15 kai. u`podhsa,menoi tou.j po,daj evn e`toimasi,a| tou/ euvaggeli,ou th/j eivrh,nh直譯為「用平安福音的準備穿在腳上」。6:16 pi,stij (信心、信仰)出現在1:15、2:8、3:12、3:17、4:5、4:13、6:16，在此應指信心較能和其他軍裝區別。6:17全th.n ma,cairan tou/ pneu,matoj (靈的劍)原文雖然沒有「聖」，但在此很明顯是指聖靈。r`h/ma qeou/ (上帝的話)當中r`h/ma(話、宣稱、事情)和常用的lo,goj (話、道)用字不同，但關係非常緊密，此二字的動詞甚至被混用。另外在以弗所書或保羅書信當中也看不出此字的特殊用法，因此在此可解釋為和lo,goj (話、道)一致，類似「話」和「語」的一致用法。這節告訴我們th.n ma,cairan tou/ pneu,matoj (靈的劍)就是r`h/ma qeou/ (上帝的話)，表達出聖靈和聖經緊密的關係。全副軍裝的類似經文另出現在賽59:17及帖前5:8。