12. Manna issue 58 - The Blessing of a Campus Fellowship 校園團契的祝福
Growing in faith and spirituality with spiritual siblings.
by Shammah
與屬靈的兄弟姐妹一起成長信仰和靈命。
A WARNING FROM GOD 神的警告
It was the summer of 2005 and things were going great.
I had just spent two weeks close to God at the National Youth Theological Seminar (NYTS),
so I was in high spirits.
那是 2005 年的夏天，一切都很順利。
我才剛在全國青年神訓班（NYTS）用兩週親近神，
所以我的精神非常振奮。
I was recently accepted as a transfer student at the university of my dreams.
Thank God I was able to find a cheap room to rent in a house close to campus,
and I was now on my way to sign the lease.
我最近才被自已夢想的大學錄取轉學生。
感謝神，我可以在校園附近屋子便宜租到一間房，
現在我正要去簽租約。
When I got there, my housemates showed me pictures
of people laughing, dancing, and drinking at a housewarming party earlier that summer.
當我到那裡的時時，我的室友給我看了大家嘻笑的照片，
那年初夏在一次入住慶祝會，大家一起嘻笑，跳舞，喝酒。
The pictures weren’t of anything I hadn’t seen before and,
by worldly standards, were fairly tame.
However, when I saw them anxiety came upon me.
It’s the feeling you get when you’re in a situation
that you really don’t to be in.
這些照片裡並不是我以前也沒有看過的東西，
按照世俗的標準，這相當無聊。
然而，當我看到他們時，卻感到焦慮。
這是當你處於某種境況時的感覺，
就是你真的不想加入。
During the drive home,
I realized that NYTS had heightened my spiritual sensitivity.
Prior to NYTS, I would have had no problem being in environments like those in the pictures
because I was far from God and did not realize when I was in spiritual danger.
I was glad for the warning from God
because it told me that I needed to be cautious
as I began my schooling at the university.
在開車回家時，
我才明白 NYTS 全國青年神訓班提高了我的屬靈敏感度。
在 NYTS 全國青年神訓班之前，我完全可以安然待在圖片這樣的環境中，
因為我遠離了神，沒有了解到那時自已處於屬靈的危險中。
我很高興收到神的警示，
因為這個警示告訴我需要謹慎，
在我開始上大學的時候。
When the semester started,
I immediately became aware of the reason for God’s warning.
It didn’t truly become apparent
that I was the only True Jesus Church member in a house of seven
until I spent my first night there.
I felt very lonely but found it difficult to pray
because I had a roommate.
I realized that spiritual battles could happen anywhere
—even within your own room.
學期開始的時候，
我立刻了解到神警告的理由。
它並沒有真正顯示出來，
我是七人屋中唯一的真耶穌教會信徒，
直到我住在那裡度過第一個晚上。
我感到很孤獨，但發現要禱告很難，
因為我有一個室友。
我意識到屬靈戰鬥可能發生在任何地方，
—即使只在你自己的房間。
The second challenge I faced was the environment.
I lived down the street from all the off-campus bars.
From Thursday night to Sunday morning,
it was normal to see people walking back from the bars drunk.
我面臨的第二個挑戰是環境。
我住的街區離全部校外的酒吧都很近。
從週四晚上到週日早上，
看到人們酒醉從酒吧走回去是很正常的事。
My house was also about a few hundred feet away from a hospital.
Ironically, this only added to my stress
because every couple of minutes, ambulances zoomed by with their sirens blaring.
我家距離醫院也大約只有幾百英尺。，
諷刺的是，這只會增加我的壓力，
因為每隔幾分鐘，救護車就帶著警笛鳴聲呼嘯而過。
A SPIRITUAL FAMILY 屬靈家庭
However, thank God my university’s campus fellowship
had become stable eight years earlier.
One of the reasons I dreamed of attending my school was
because a lot of the brothers and sisters I grew up with were there.
不過，感謝神，我大學的校園團契，
早在八年前就已經穩定下來。
我夢想上此大學的原因之一就是，
因為有很多與我一起長大的兄弟姐妹都在那裡。
We had a prayer meeting every Wednesday night,
when we’d come together to share about our week and our prayer requests,
then pray for thirty minutes.
From these prayers, I felt that there was something in this campus fellowship
I couldn’t find in any other group or club
—a family in Christ.
每週三晚上我們都會舉行禱告會，
那時我們會聚在一起分享自已一週的經歷和代禱請求，
然後就禱告三十分鐘。
從這些禱告中，我感受大學團契帶來某些特質，
是在其他團體或社團都沒有發現，
—就是基督的家庭。
During my third year, I felt conflicted while choosing a career.
It was down to two different possibilities,
and I needed to make the decision soon
in order to graduate at a reasonable age.
There were friends who would listen to my concerns,
but I didn’t feel like they had the heart to sympathize.
大三的時候，我在選擇職業時感到很矛盾。
那被縮小到兩種不同的可能性，
我需要盡快做出決定，
以便在合理的年齡畢業。
有些朋友會傾聽我的擔憂，
但我並沒有感到他們有同理心。
However, when I brought this up during a prayer meeting,
I finally felt that there were people who sincerely cared about my situation.
They offered me words of encouragement from their own experiences,
which I cherished.
But it was their willingness to pray for me that really touched my heart.
然而，當我在禱告會提起這件事時，
我終於感到有人真心關心我的處境。
他們以自己的經驗柔聲鼓勵我，
這很讓我珍惜。
但那真正讓我感動的是他們樂意為我禱告。
How many people are there
who honestly intercede on your behalf to the heavenly Father
when you go to them with an issue?
All the words and ideas in the world can only do so much,
but truly it is only prayer that can bring about a resolution.
到底會有多少人
他們會真心為你代禱向天父祈求，
當你帶著問題去找他們時？
世界所有的語言和想法都只能起到很有限的作用，
但其實只有禱告才能解法。
Through the prayer and support of my fellow brothers and sisters,
I received the strength from God
to overcome the spiritual and physical loneliness I felt.
I developed the courage to pray in my room
no matter who or what was around me.
透過我的兄弟姐妹的禱告和支持，
我從神那裡得到力量，
來克服我所感受到的屬靈和肉體的孤獨。
我鼓起勇氣在自已的房間禱告，
無論有誰或什麼事物在我旁邊。
I distinctly remember one evening when my roommates walked in
while I was praying and were very accepting and even respectful of it.
One of my roommates shushed the other one,
saying, “Shh! Be quiet, he’s praying!”
Thank God!
我很清楚的記得有一天晚上，我的室友走進來，
而我正在禱告，他們非常接受甚至尊重它。
我一位室友噓聲要另一個人安靜下來，
說：“噓！安靜，他正在禱告！”
感謝神！
From that point on, though I was still the only believer,
I felt the spiritual peace and confidence I would have in a house of believers.
And although all the drinking going on down the street didn’t stop,
I realized one very important thing.
If I didn’t have those brothers and sisters on campus,
there was a good chance that I would have been one of those people
walking to the bar on Thursday night, drinking and partying as a result of loneliness.
從那時起，儘管我仍然是唯一的信徒，
我感受到了像自已在信徒之家所能夠有的屬靈平安與自信。
儘管街上的飲酒活動並未停止，
我意識到了一件非常重要的事情。
如果我在校園裡沒有這些兄弟姐妹，
我很有可能早就成為這些人其中的一員，
週四晚上走到酒吧，因為孤獨而喝酒狂歡。
A SPIRITUAL SIBLING 屬靈的手足
I now realize that God provided the campus fellowship
not only to help me but also so I could help others.
A year after I arrived on campus,
a younger brother entered as a freshman.
Instead of living in the dorms, he rented a room offcampus.
我現在意識到神提供校園團契，
不只是為了幫助我，也是因此我可以幫助別人。
我來到校園一年之後，
有一個年輕的弟兄新生入學。
寧可不住在學校宿舍，他去校外租房。
I had to commute that year because resources were tight.
However, the Lord provided for me
because that brother invited me to stay over
whenever my travels got tiring, which became most of the week.
In time, I came to see the Lord’s plan for us to be roommates.
那年由於經濟緊張，我必須通勤。
然而，主為我預備，
因為那位兄弟邀請我留下過夜，
每當我通勤感到疲憊時，那就會佔據我一週大部分的時間。
隨著時間的推移，我開始明白主給我們成為室友的旨意。
I was mentally transitioning from late adolescence to early adulthood that year,
and being around him helped the process.
Since I was older, I felt compelled to set a good example,
which refined my spiritual and physical life.
那年，我心理正從後青春期過渡到成年早期。
而待在他旁邊有助於順利度過這個過程。
因為我年紀較大，我覺得有必要去樹立好榜樣，
而這完善了我的屬靈和肉體生活。
I developed a more rigid schedule of Bible reading and prayer
and took better care of my body by sleeping earlier.
I came to view our relationship as that of two brothers who benefited from each other
—the younger being guided by the older,
and the older learning a lot about himself from the younger.
我制定了更嚴格的讀經禱告安排，
並藉早睡來更好照顧自已的身體。
我開始看待我們的關係就如兩個彼此造就的弟兄，
—學弟受學長帶領，
且學長可以從學弟身上更深入了解自己。
We shared almost everything with one another:
our trials, our joys, and our aspirations.
I remember a few times when we experienced God’s mercy during exams.
One of us would burst into the room sharing how awesome God is.
It’s one thing to experience this on your own,
but when you’re able to edify someone else,
it becomes so much sweeter.
我們幾乎彼此分享一切：
我們的試驗，我們的喜樂，我們的盼望。
我記得有好幾次，在考試期間那時體驗到神的憐憫。
我們其中一人會衝進房間，分享神有多麼的偉大。
親身體驗這事是一回事，
但是當你能夠造就別人之時，
它就會變得更加甘甜。
More importantly, we shared some of the most touching prayers together.
I remember times when one of us felt weighed down with burdens
and unmotivated to pray.
The other would take note of this and automatically start praying,
eventually moving the other to pray.
We would keep praying until we felt satisfied and peaceful,
a beautiful experience I believe would have been difficult to attain on our own.
更重要的是，我們會一起分享一些最感動的禱告。
我記得好幾次我們有一人感到重擔心情沉重時，
而且沒有動力去禱告。
另外一個人會注意到這種情況，並自動開始禱告，
最後感動對方來禱告。
我們會一直禱告，直到我們覺得感到滿足和平安，
我相信這美好的體驗，若只有我們自己的話會很難獲得。
Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
(Eccl 4:9, 10)
9兩個人總比一個人好，
因為二人勞碌同得美好的果效。
10若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；
若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。
（傳 4：9，10）
The spiritual siblinghood I experienced those two years
is one of the sweetest and most important relationships a college youth can have.
那兩年我體驗的屬靈手足之情，
是大學青年所能體會到最甜蜜最重要的關係之一。
Being connected to brothers and sisters,
especially during turbulent times like college,
is a blessing and providence.
It enhances our college experience,
and, more importantly,
it’s something that every one of us needs in our spiritual journey
—someone to help us up when we fall.
可以與弟兄姐妹聯繫在一起，
尤其像是在大學這樣動盪的時期，
是一種祝福和預備。
它增廣了我們的大學體驗，
更重要的是，
那就是我們每個人在屬靈旅程中都有需要的東西，
—當我們跌倒時有人可以幫我們我們站起來。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
Manna 嗎哪 56 (1)