愛鄰舍的七種方式7 Ways to Love People
作者：Leah Baugh 作者：駱鴻銘
愛神的也當愛弟兄，這是我們從上帝所受的命令。（約壹四21）
And
this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother
(1 John 4:21).
無論是科技、工作，或一般的商業活動，我們的現代文化都充斥著各種令人分心的事。有時候我們只能和人匆匆打個招面，卻沒有時間和他們相處。向他人表達關愛之情，似乎是令人卻步的事，我們永遠無法確定是否能承擔這樣的任務，畢竟我們還有其他的承諾。以下是我們能愛其鄰舍的一些具體而基本的方法。
Our
modern culture is filled with distractions, whether it be technology, work, or
busyness in general. Sometimes people are just passing faces we say hello to
but don’t really have time for. Showing love can seem like a daunting task that
we’re not always sure we can take on with all our other commitments. Here are
several concrete and basic ways we can love people.
1. 像歡迎朋友一樣歡迎鄰舍，而不是把他們當成陌生人。
1.
Welcome people like friends rather than strangers.
愛心往往始於我們的態度。一個「像基督」的態度會接納人、歡迎人，而不是拒人於千里之外。一個像基督的態度會承認，我們同屬一類人，因為我們都是罪人，都需要基督的豐盛恩典。
Loving
often begins with our attitude. A Christlike attitude welcomes people rather
than excludes them. A Christlike attitude recognizes that we are all alike in
that we are all sinners in need of the bountiful grace of Christ.
所以，你們要彼此接納，如同基督接納你們一樣，使榮耀歸與神。（羅十五7）
Therefore
welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Rom.
15:7)
愛弟兄，要彼此親熱；恭敬人，要彼此推讓。（羅十二10）
Love
one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Rom.
12:10)
2. 關心他人的需要。
2.
Look to the needs of others.
使徒行傳第二章告訴我們，這正是早期的基督徒在他們歸信耶穌之後所作的：
Acts
2 tells us this is exactly what the early Christians did right after they were
converted.
信的人都在一處，凡物公用； 並且賣了田產，家業，照各人所需用的分給各人。他們天天同心合意恆切的在殿裡，且在家中擘餅，存著歡喜、誠實的心用飯， 讚美神，得眾民的喜愛。主將得救的人天天加給他們。
儘管他們代表著許多不同的民族和語言（徒二9～10），
And
all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling
their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any
had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in
their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising
God and having favor with all the people. (Acts 2:44–47)
早期的基督徒卻願意深入到各自的生活裏，分享生活的各種必需品。捨棄我們的財富和財產需要智慧和分辨。然而，照顧窮人這個總原則，在整本聖經中都可以找得到，這是上帝吩咐我們愛鄰舍的命令的一部分（太廿五36～40；約壹三17～18）。
Despite
the vast variety of people and languages represented (Acts 2:9–10), the early
Christians willingly entered into one another’s lives, sharing the necessities
of life. Giving away our money and possessions requires wisdom and discernment.
However, the general principle of looking after the poor is seen throughout
Scripture as part of God's command to love others (Matt. 25:36-40; 1 John
3:17-18).
3. 和那些不同於你的人談話。
3.
Talk to someone who is different from you.
我的弟兄們，你們應當持守對我們榮耀的主耶穌基督的信仰，不要懷著偏待人的心。（雅二1；《中文標準譯本》）
My
brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lord of glory. (James 2:9)
留在我們感到自在的環境裏，只與年齡相近、有同樣工作、同樣興趣的朋友圈裏的人交往，是很容易的事，但這卻會使整個社群變得冷漠、盲目。上帝拯救人是不偏心的，因此當我們關心各式各樣的人的時候，也應當敞開心胸。對那些與我們生活在不同環境下的人的思維、盼望、恐懼、喜樂，我們必須拓寬我們的認知和同情心。
It is
easy to stay in our comfort zones and stick with the circle of friends who are
similar in age or have similar jobs or like similar things. Comfort is a
wonderful blessing, but it can lead to apathy and blindness in the community as
a whole. God shows no partiality when he saves, so we also should have an open
heart when it comes to caring about all types of people. We also broaden our
awareness of—and compassion for—the thoughts, hopes, fears, and joys of people
who are living in circumstances different from our own.
4. 邀請人到你家中吃飯。
4.
Invite someone over to your house for a meal.
聖徒缺乏要幫補；客要一味的款待。（羅十二13）
Contribute
to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Rom. 12:13)
如果你缺乏招待人的經驗，敞開家門、煮一頓飯，也許會令你卻步，但是重要的事情是：大多數人並不在意你家中是否有一點髒亂，晚餐也不一定至少要上四道菜，加上最好的酒，在桌子上還要點上蠟燭。真正必要的只是一種歡迎人的態度，以及交談甚歡的飯局，這就會讓人感到舒服。敞開家門，這個行動本身就會打動人心，開始形成深刻和持久的情感聯結，使彼此得到造就。
If
you don’t have much experience with hosting, opening up your home and cooking a
meal can be intimidating, but here’s the thing: most people don’t care if your
house is a bit messy and dinner isn’t a four-course meal topped off with the
finest wine and candles on the table. A welcoming attitude and a communal meal
are usually all that is needed to make people feel comfortable. The very act of
opening your home often leads to the opening of hearts and minds to begin
forming deep and lasting bonds that build one another up.
5. 容許人摘下他們的面具。
5.
Allow people to take off their masks.
弟兄們，若有人偶然被過犯所勝，你們屬靈的人就當用溫柔的心把他挽回過來……你們各人的重擔要互相擔當，如此，就完全了基督的律法。（加六1～2）
Brothers,
if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore
him in a spirit of gentleness...Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the
law of Christ. (Gal. 6:2)
在罪中失落、與罪爭戰，或正在經歷困難處境的人，需要一個他們覺得夠安全、可以誠實地表達他們遇到的挑戰，並承認他們的罪，以尋求幫助的地方。這意味著要花一些時間真的去傾聽、關心鄰舍，明白罪的誘惑力究竟有多大。但是，愛一個人，不表示要忽視他們的罪，或容忍他們的罪。對持續和未悔改的罪相應不理，不去挑戰，就是未能向人顯明像基督一樣的愛心，因祂是為人的罪而走上十字架的。我們蒙召要溫柔、有愛心地去幫助那些在罪中失喪的人，讓他們明白上帝的良善和偉大，好叫他們可以用悔改和信心轉向上帝，因此得救脫離罪，得到永生。上帝往往是藉著人的愛來行事，將祂救贖的愛帶進到人的生命裏（林後五20-21）。
People
lost in sin, struggling with sin, or going through difficult circumstances need
a place where they feel safe enough to be honest about their challenges and
confess their sin and get help. This means taking the time to really listen to
and care about people, understanding how tempting sin is. Loving someone,
however, does not mean ignoring or putting up with their sin. Allowing continual
and unrepentant sins to go unchallenged fails to show that person Christlike
love, who went to the cross because of sin. We are called to gently and
lovingly help people lost in sin to see God's goodness and greatness so that
they turn to God in repentance and faith and thereby find salvation from sin
and eternal life. God often works through the love of people to bring his
redemptive love into a person’s life (2 Cor. 5:20-21).
6. 禱告。
6.
Pray.
請弟兄們為我們禱告。（帖前五25）
Brothers,
pray for us. (1 Thess. 5:25)
為人禱告有時候看起來似乎不算是真的在愛這個人。然而，禱告意味著來到宇宙最有能力的存有者面前。在基督裏，一個信徒的禱告是有能力的，我們可以確信，上帝會聽我們的禱告，並且關心我們所求的。為他人禱告實際上是我們可以為他們所做的最有力的富有愛心的事。
Praying
for someone can sometimes seem like it doesn’t really count as loving that
person; however, prayer involves coming before the most powerful Being in the
universe. In Christ, the prayers of a believer are powerful, and we can be
confident that God hears us and cares about what we ask. Praying for others is
actually one of the most powerfully loving things we can do for them.
7. 對他們微笑。
7.
Smile at them.
微笑這個簡單的行動可以傳遞溫情、接納、愛心，為日後的談話鋪路。一個臉上帶著微笑的人，也是比較容易接近、容易談話的人。而如果你沒有時間停下來招呼某人，一個微笑就說明你注意了到這個人，也承認這個人的存在。我有許多最甜蜜的友情是從彼此微笑開始的——在我們最終真正談話發生之前，有時候是好幾個星期！
The
simple act of smiling can communicate warmth, welcome, and love and pave the
way to a conversation. A smiling person is also easier to approach and talk to;
and if you don’t have time to stop and say hello to someone, a smile says you
noticed and acknowledged that person. Many of my sweetest friendships began by
smiling at one another, sometimes for several weeks, before a conversation
eventually happened!
大多數時候，愛心是一種掙扎、爭戰。要我們彼此完美地相愛是不可能的。愛心需要耐心、謙卑、好意，最重要的是要倚靠上帝。愛鄰舍有時候很容易變成律法主義，但是愛心不應該讓人有負擔，或讓人耗盡精力，以至於我們變得憤世嫉俗。這就是我們為什麼不可信靠我們自己愛人的能力的原因，我們只信靠那位向我們顯明真正的愛是什麼的那位。
神差祂獨生子到世間來，使我們藉著祂得生，神愛我們的心在此就顯明了。不是我們愛神，乃是神愛我們，差祂的兒子為我們的罪作了挽回祭，這就是愛了。親愛的弟兄啊，神既是這樣愛我們，我們也當彼此相愛。（約壹四9～11）
Most
of the time, love is a struggle. It is impossible for us to love each other
perfectly. Love requires patience, humility, kindness, and most importantly,
dependence upon God. It can be easy to be legalistic about loving others, but
love shouldn't feel like a burden or be so draining that we become cynical.
This is why we don’t trust in our own ability to love but rather trust in the
one who showed us what love truly is. In this is love, not that we have loved
God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9–11)
差遣祂死在十字架上的是愛。祂除去我們的困乏，將祂無限量的聖靈賜給我們，使我們能向上帝呼求，就像一個孩子向他們充滿愛心和恩典的父親呼求一樣。靠著上帝豐盛的恩典，我們被祂豐富和永不改變的愛所充滿。我們如今有愛上帝和愛鄰舍的自由，這不是一種想要靠好行為來贏得上帝偏愛的方法，而是出於對上帝在基督裏的愛與感恩。
It was love that sent him to die on a
cross. He
takes our weariness away and gives us his infinite Spirit that enables us to
cry out to God as a child calls to their loving and gracious Father. By God's
abundant grace, we are filled with his bountiful and unchangeable love. We now
have the freedom to love God and love others, not as a way of trying to be good
enough to win God’s favor, but out of an overflowing love and gratitude for
God’s love in Christ.
