我和疫情下的耶路撒冷（三）一位猶太弟兄的見證

 

2020年3月30日中午12點，以色列感染人數已達4347人，一躍成為全世界人均感染率最高的幾個國家之一（大約每2千人就有一位感染者）。

 

窗外陽光明媚，春意黯然，鳥兒歡快地叫著，各樣的花兒放肆地生長，讓我霎時間覺得正在發生的一切是如此的不真實。這本該是我和女兒約好去公園教她騎自行車的季節，呼吸著新鮮的空氣，在天真浪漫的笑聲中扶著她的車後端，告訴她「不要怕，不要看後面和左右，只管往前去」。而現在，我們都在這不一樣的環境里學習著相似的功課。

 

以下為一位猶太弟兄的見證，原文在譯文之後：

 

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嗨，我是你們的弟兄。在疫情當下，作為以色列人我想和你們聊聊這裡的生活。

 

就像全球許多其他的地方一樣，以色列人的日常生活正在發生巨大的變化。這段時間最大的改變就是所有人，無論是猶太人，基督教徒，穆斯林還是其他，只有在採購生活所需時才能夠離開住所。

 

這周的一篇信息提醒了我需要留在基督裡，而這正和我們需要留在家中的限制非常相似。若我們留在基督裡，這就使祂能夠完成祂所需要的一切工作，以完成祂的心願。在活蚌（基督）和沙粒（信徒）的例子中，我們開始時只是沙粒，不是珍貴的東西，但因著緩慢地留在基督裡，祂有辦法使我們成為他的珍寶。這乃是藉著祂一天一天緩慢地分泌出汁液，而我們被他的素質逐層覆蓋後所產生的。同時，我們也得以遠離活蚌之外的所有細菌和負面的攻擊；就像我們在以色列，如同其許多其他的地方，必須待在室內，以此避免病毒的感染。這是何等的供備，使我們在以色列的信徒們學習在如此受限的環境中來活出基督。

 

聖徒們的行動受到了限制，為了保護大家免於疾病的困擾，我們被迫轉移成在線上聚會。儘管開始花了一些時間來適應，但藉著身體的供應，我們覺得彼此越來越緊密地聯絡並結合在一起。這樣的聚會方式更是給予了聖徒更多分享基督的機會，得以建立教會。

 

 

我也意識到這是一個更深進入聖經和職事的絕佳機會，因此當然也有必要合理安排我每周的時間，使其能夠更有效力。我也操練在每天的早晨都把這天將要發生的一切，在夜晚把這天已經發生的一切，都全然奉獻給祂。這樣即使我覺得這天的效率並不如意，但至少仍有主在這各樣的事物之中。我也划出時間與附近的兄弟，還有遙遠的弟兄，如在蘇黎世（瑞士），倫敦（英國），惠靈頓（新西蘭）和聖地亞哥（美國），一起線上讀經追求。這真是與世界各地的信徒聯結的良機！

 

我想多少這也是受助於疫情關閉了那些原本打岔我們的事物，如餐館，咖啡館，購物中心，商店，電影院，國家公園，考古遺址和旅遊景點，為了預防病毒感染，都已經關閉;而工作場所，學校也大多轉到了線上進行。有了額外的時間之後就很容易看到時間是如何被浪費的，這使我必須向主尋求在學習工作和話語追求之間有良好的平衡。

 

偶爾我會去到耶路撒冷的街道上，去當地的超市，藥店和我們樓的花園（政府規定能夠在住宅外100米範圍內有些活動）以此展示我「活著的跡象」。可在如此受限之下，我們奇妙的基督仍是無限且如此豐富！即使受到封鎖和許多人恐慌購買的威脅下，超市總是比購物者更快地完成了補貨，這裡似乎並不像人們最初想的那樣缺乏食品或衛生紙。而當我們來到基督面前，祂也總是豐富得供應我們的需要，祂是如此的便利，祂的供應是如此的無限

 

我們的主有著最高的人性，當我們允許祂作我們的所是，這人性就可顯在我們每天生活的每一小刻。以色列在這一困難時期也正把一些事物變為可能，在街上、小店這些還能與人稍有些互動的地方，人們開始顯得比以往還要溫柔，平和、慷慨。當下的情形或許是讓這些在美地上生活的人看見那最高人性從聖徒身上活出的機會；它也幫助以色列人顯露出他們隱藏的一面，要如何地給予他人溫暖、愛、和關懷。

 

社交媒體正被用來幫助那些身體不適或困在家裡的人，他們需要有人幫忙購物或有一些最基本的社會互動。通過這些平台傳遞的信息讓人覺得很溫暖，滿了鼓勵和希望，這也可能為活出福音提供了一種途徑。在這個時代，只有主才能吸引尋求祂的人。

 

而弟兄姊妹們也自發地保持著聯繫，包括線上/電話的交通，禱告和配搭。似乎雖然沒有辦法和朋友、弟兄姊妹直接見面，但科技所帶來的在線互動使網絡變得更加真實，更能瞭解彼此的情形，而不像之前那樣表面。

 

生活在封鎖中的耶路撒冷，作為一名信徒，我的確感到神在給我們每個人學習活出基督的機會。在有限的環境中，我越來越意識到宇宙中最大的奇跡不是治癒這種病毒，而是我們這班信徒，曾污穢且滿了肉體的人，在信入主後接受了三一神的供應，並藉著活在教會生活中使我們的所是得著改變。而這次的疫情也使我更往前來學習活出基督，不再是過去的樣式。願主每天都提醒我這樣的奇跡，阿們。

 

靜悄悄的耶路撒冷也很美

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

during a time of the lockdown

 

Hi, I am your brother. I am an Israeli and I would like to give some insights into life in Israel during the time of this epidemic.

 

Like many places around the world, daily routines in Israel are under going massive changes. The most recent changes are that all Israelis,whether Jewish, Christian, Muslim or anyone else should only leave the house when going to buy groceries.

 

This week I was reminded by a portion in the ministry about our need to remain in Christ and how much it can relate to our new restriction of remaining in our homes. Our remaining in Christ allows Him to be able to doall the work that He needs to in order to get what He is after. In the example of the oyster (Christ) and the grain of sand (us as the believers), we started off as just grains of sand, something that is not treasured, but slowly by remaining in Christ He has a way to make us His personal treasure. This happens by a slow day by day secretion of Himself so that layer by layer we are coated with His essence. At the same time, we are kept from all the germs and negative attacks outside of the oyster. Here in Israel and I’m sure in many places around the earth we have to stay indoors in order to avoid the virus that is prevailing over the earth today. What a wonderful provision this is for us and many of the believers here in Israel to learn to live Christ in such a restricted environment.

 

With the saints being limited in their movement in order to safeguard them we have been forced to move to online meetings. Although at first, it took some time to adapt, the feeling is that we are becoming more joined and knit in the supply of the Body. Even providing for more opportunities for the saints to share Christ for the building up of the Church.

 

I, myself, realize this is a wonderful opportunity to get more into the Word and in the ministry so I have found the need to schedule my week so that the time is used most productively. Each day it has been good in the morning and in the evening to just consecrate all that is going to happenand all that has happened. This means that even if I feel the day was not as productive as I had hoped, the Lord is still very much in every activity.Throughout the week I have assigned reading times with brothers nearby and as far as brothers in Zurich(SUI), London(UK), Wellington(NZ) and San Diego (USA).What an opportunity to connect with believers from all around the earth!

 

This is helped by the starvation of the outward distractions. Restaurants, cafés, malls, local shops, cinemas, national parks, archaeological sites, and tourist attractions have all been shut for the foreseeable future, as workplaces, schools mostly have been turned to be online. Given all the extra time it can be easy to watch the hours go to waste, so it was important for me to seek the Lord so that a good balance of studies/worksand pursuit of the Word and the ministry are achievable.

 

My walk on the streets of Jerusalem shows limited signs of life in local supermarkets, pharmaceutical stores and residential parks (only residents who live within 100 meters of the park). In such a limited situation isn’t it amazing our Christ is unlimited and all-inclusive! Even with this lockdown and the threat that many are panic buying, the supermarkets are doing a great job of restocking faster than the shoppers and it seems there is no shortage of food or toilet paper as one might have first thought. As we come to Christ as the rich supply for our needs, He is always available, and the supply is endless.

 

The Lord had the highest humanity, and as I allow Him the way in my being, this can be expressed in the every day little moments in life.The difficult times in Israel are putting things into perspective, leading many to be kinder, calmer and more generous with one another on the road, at the stores and in the little real-life interactions that still take place. What an opportunity for the people of the good land to see the highest humanity lived out among the saints here. It can even help bring out a side of Israelis that we always knew was there but needed a situation like this to really show that there is warmth, love, and care for everyone to give.

 

Social media now is being used to help those unwell or stuck at home and in need of a helping hand to collect shopping or provide the social interaction that we all need and crave to save us from becoming continual hermits. Messages through these platforms have been heart warming, full of encouragement and hope and may provide a way for the gospel to be lived out. Really only the Lord can attract His seeking ones in this age.

 

The brothers and sisters here are taking it upon themselvesto stay connected. These include local corporate calls for fellowship, prayer, and coordination. It seems that despite not seeing your usual circle of friends, brothers, and sisters, the push to technology for us to be in online interaction has made the internet much more real rather than a façade in which we wouldn’t know each one’s situation on a more personal level.

 

Being a believer living in Jerusalem at a time of lockdown I do feel the Lord is giving me and each one of us the opportunity to learn to live Christ. In the midst of a restricted environment, I am realising more and more that the greatest miracle in the universe is not the curing of this virus but it is that we Christians, who were nothing but flesh and dirty, after believing in the Lord, receiving the dispensing of the Triune God, and remaining in the Church life allow for a change within our being. This opportunity in time for me to live no longer like how I was before but to go on and learn to live Christ. This is the miracle that I am reminded of each day, Amen.