becoming

the trail of a family becoming

離家

Ben Myers的Faith and Theology那邊開始了新的系列叫Encounters with Tradition,頭炮由Queensland的博士生Aaron Ghiloni分享自己離開五旬宗的經歷。開始的時候他說:

Like many Pentecostals, I was nurtured in revival. From birth, I was born-again on a weekly basis (if not more frequently). This was my life, my family’s life. Therefore, departing was incredibly difficult. If you’ve gone through this, you will know what I mean. It was obvious that I must leave – still, leaving was gruelling.

事實上,離開自己的家永遠是痛苦的,除非你所離開的,你從來都沒有以它為家。我鄙視那些動不動就讓著要離開教會(個別教會),轉到另外一個教會聚會的人:「分手避免尷尬」、「意見方向不同」、「受到傷害」都是「冠冕堂皇」的原因;但有多少選擇離開的人真正體會不是「他們欠了我」,已是「我欠了他們」的哀愁?不論Aaron Ghiloni由五旬宗轉到聖公宗,是聖公宗轉到五旬宗也好;多少人會明白「I must leave」(無奈和痛苦)和「I want to leave」(狂妄和自私)的分別?

未段令我特別有感受:

Being a part of this or that movement is no longer that important. And while for career purposes I may identify myself with a particular church, it is not because they have won my devotion. I simply cannot change the fact that my heart beat the hardest and my blood pumped the fastest at an old Pentecostal altar.

「一日五旬人、永遠五旬人」:或者,你可以用到任何的宗派背景身上,特別當你仍然以那個孕育你的信仰搖籃為傲時!