First Touch with Church, or God Tue.Nov.14 2006 It is my first time to have dinner in a church, quite a fresh experience. The atmosphere is quite informal, out of my imagination ,people wear casual clothes, background music is fashionable, and the equipments in the church are so modern. Every one seems to be nice and familiar with each other, like old friends, or family members, even it is the first time they meet with each other. The food is good; the talk is good; the people are good. I am not sure whether God could understand Chinese, so I used English to talk with him, or with myself. I am not sure whether God is too busy to hear people's wishes, so I did not make any wish to make him much busier. Until today, I understand why people say church is a kind of community. It is really a good opportunity to meet people. At least, church is a place where I have the desire to talk with others, especially in English. As human beings, we do need a kind of theory to believe in, to live with, and systematic standards and conventions to obey, no matter they are from the moral, culture or Bible; we do need to communicate, no matter with friends, families, God or ourselves; we do need to help others and be helped, no matter through prayer, blessing or other methods. Lovely evening, isn't it? Here are some sentences from the talk I quite agree with: Never be shy to ask others whether they need your prayer. Do believe your prayer makes something different. It does not need to be something we called miracle. At least, because your prayer, people would feel your care, compassion and love. 今晚受宛蓁和Jenny 邀请去了教堂,生平头一次坐在教堂里用餐,心里还是有点 小激动的。 教堂的气氛相当轻松随意,完全出乎我的意料,毕竟根据之前的经验,教堂都是 神圣肃穆的地方。而这里,大家穿着随意,背景音乐相当时尚,教堂内的装修也是非 常现代化。每个人都很友好、很亲切,似乎是多年未见的老友,或者家人,即使很可 能这才是他们头一次碰面。或许,这就是宗教的力量,因有着相同的信念和坚持,自 有默契。 于我而言,宗教,不管基督、佛教、道教,都是一种哲学,或者更单纯点说,是 一种理论。作为理论,最根本的存在要素就是要能自圆其说。不论哪种宗教,发展至 今,都经历了相当长的历史过程,仍能存留,自然有其道理,或者说,都已经相当完 善,形成类似或独特的理论体系。单就这一点而言,任何一种宗教都是值得我们尊重 的。不论哪种宗教,要想广泛传播,必然会有其通俗化的一面,假如只是让人心生敬 畏而后敬而远之,那么必然导致与受众的疏离。所以,我们会看到佛教有了具体的膜 拜偶像,基督教有了兄弟姐妹的交流群体。 不论是宗教也好,哲学也罢,只要能给人以指导,或者牵引,使人向善,平和安 定,那么,也就是好的理论了。无论最初产生的原因是什么,教会控制也好,统治工 具也罢,在现代社会,宗教更多的成为人们的心灵寄托。不论个性软弱或者坚强,人 都会有茫然失措举棋不定需要寻找坚强后盾的时候,有人诉诸知己,有人诉诸上帝。 不论哪种方式,有了诉说对象,有了发泄途径,负面情绪就不会累积到不可收拾的局 面。人性的脆弱,往往会滋生不信任,不信任自己,不信任他人。于是上帝似乎成为 更加可靠的聆听者。 其实,很多宗教的理念和我们日常生活的哲学很多时候不谋而合,区别只在于价 值评判标准的来源有所差异而已。但不管是哲学还是文化,在我看来都是能让人心生 安全感的东西,因为有着很大一群人同样信仰着一种理念,不论那种理念是否真实反 应这个世界。又或许,原本就并不存在绝对正确或准确的途径。