想像一個偉大的戰士,他以仁慈和正義統治著他的居民,而且每個公民都忠於他。
Imagine a great warrior who rules over his inhabitants with mercy and justice and whose every citizen is faithful and loyal to him.
這個偉大的戰士名為「愛」,他與每個公民都有親密的關係。此外,「愛」選擇把自己的王權賦予他的公民,然後讓他們照顧和保護他的王國。公民統治的整個土地都享有和平與繁榮。
This great warrior's name is Love and he has an intimate, personal relationship with each of his subjects. Furthermore, Love chooses to impart his full kingly authority over the land to his subjects and then charges them to care for and protect his kingdom. The whole land which is subject to these citizens enjoys peace and prosperity.
但是隨後發生了意外(因為它從未在這個王國發生過):來自異國的敵人秘密的入侵,並透過欺騙手段推翻了這些公民的權威,說服他們放棄自己的權力,把權力給了敵人。
But then the unthinkable happens (unthinkable because it has never happened in this kingdom before): an enemy from a foreign land invades on a stealth mission and overthrows the authority of these citizens through a deceit tactic, essentially tricking them into abandoning their authority to their enemy.
當敵人剝奪了公民應有統治權時,原本一個和平的王國突然陷入了詛咒,從公民不再重視「愛」開始,且被敵人洗腦了。他們開始彼此打架,用自己的力量摧毀而不是祝福。
As the rightful rule over the land is stolen away by the enemy, the kingdom which had never experienced anything but peace is suddenly plunged into a curse since the citizens no longer focus on Love, but are instead tainted by the enemy to such an extent that they turn on each other and use their strength to destroy rather than to bless.
面對這樣的狀況,「愛」很難過,同時,他說他的敵人會被消滅,但不會立刻發生,而是在將來的某個時候透過與他的公民的合作而被消滅。這讓他的公民帶來希望的曙光,但是隨著土地和公民的心越來越黑暗,這希望的預言開始消失。實際上,這片土地變得如此黑暗,只剩一個家庭忠心於「愛」。
Love is so extremely distressed about this situation that he proclaims then and there that the enemy will be destroyed, not immediately, but sometime in the future through his co-labor with his citizens. This sparks a small light of hope within his citizens, but as the land and people's hearts grow darker and darker, this prophecy of hope begins to fade. In fact, the land becomes so dark that only a single family remains loyal to Love.
偉大的戰士別無選擇。如果他在這一刻不干預,將不再有希望的痕跡。在一場混亂和動蕩的大戰中,「愛」殺死了那土地的居民,因此只有忠於他的那個家庭仍然活著。這是一個偉大的重置,是重新開始的機會。但是,黑暗依然存在在這個家中,雖然地球已經清除了威脅其生存的污漬,但黑暗仍然籠罩著光明。
The great warrior has no choice. If he doesn't intervene in this moment, there will no longer be a trace of hope left. In a great battle of chaos and turmoil, Love slaughters the inhabitants of the land so that only that single family which was loyal to him remains alive. It is the great reset, the chance to start again. But even the darkness in this family lingers on, and though the earth was removed of the stains that threatened its existence, darkness still prevails over light.
可是,「愛」對這一切都不是不可預見的,他用了一個敵人看不到的簡單且精確地行動來完成計畫的下一步。他選擇一個人,並要求他跟隨「愛」的方式。透過這個人,一個家庭,乃至整個民族被確立為抵抗周圍國家黑暗的盟軍基地。「愛」本人就是透過這個盟軍基地進入故事的,雖然沒有很大的犧牲和死亡威脅。
None of this was unforeseen to Love, though, who makes his next move in such simplicity and precision that the enemy can't see it coming. He chooses a single man and calls him to follow in the ways of Love. Through that man, a family and ultimately an entire nation of people are established as an ally base against the darkness of the nations around it. It is through this ally base that Love himself steps into the story, though not without great sacrifice and the threat of death.
「愛」在他的公民中間行走,但他的公民無法認出他。他們絆倒在絆腳石上,是因為他們認為這位偉大的戰士會像殘酷而支配優勢的敵人的戰士一樣。相反地,「愛」對貧窮和軟弱的人仁慈,但對未能幫助社會底層的那些被尊敬的精英公民卻是嚴酷的。最後,敵人說服了「愛」的公民出賣他們的國王並殺他。
Love walks among his people, but his people can't recognize him. They stumble over a stumbling block because they assumed the great warrior would be like the enemy's warriors who majored in brutality and dominance. In contrast, Love is merciful on the poor and weak, yet harsh on the respected elite of his own citizens who fail to help the lowest of society. In the end, the enemy convinces Love's own people to betray their king and murder him.
但這並不是「愛」所無法預料的。事實上,這全是他的計劃。由於「愛」自己的公民活在戰俘中,不一定是敵人的戰俘,而是他們內部的黑暗的戰俘,所以他們無法跟隨「愛」的方式。即使「愛」從敵人手中奪回的土地的權威並將其歸還給他的公民,黑暗仍然會佔上風。統治著他的公民的這種黑暗需要先被恢復才這土地可以被治癒。
But this too, was not unforeseen by Love. In fact, it was all according to his plan. Since Love's own citizens were living as prisoners of war, not necessarily to the enemy, but to the darkness within them, they were unable to follow the ways of Love. Even if Love took back the authority to rule the land from the enemy and restored it to his citizens, darkness would still prevail. This darkness ruling the hearts of his citizens needed to be restored before the land could be healed.
前提,這些變成戰俘的當值士兵並不無辜。他們是叛國者,應該受到最嚴厲的懲罰。敵人從一開始就知道這一點,並以此作為對付偉大戰士的槓桿。「愛」的公民犯下的戰爭罪行必須償債,而只有「愛」本人才有資格付出正義的代價。那正是他會做的。
It must be noted that these prisoners of war were not innocent soldiers taken in duty. They were treasonous renegades who deserved the worst punishment that could be offered. The enemy knew this from the beginning and used it as leverage against the great warrior. A debt had to be paid for the war crimes committed by Love's citizens, and only Love himself could be worthy to pay the price that justice demanded. And that's exactly what he would do.
為消滅他公民內心黑暗而犧牲,「愛」甘願地變成了居住在他們身上的黑暗,讓他們可以成為他愛的光明。這位偉大的戰士憑著自己的意志,陷入死亡的深淵,使他的公民的債務被免除,但他並沒有就此止步。
As a sacrifice to eradicate the darkness within the hearts of his subjects, Love willingly became the darkness that inhabited them so that they could become the light of his love. Of his own volition, the great warrior descends into the depths of death to even out the accounts of his people, but he doesn't stop there.
這位用了自己的生命來換取戰俘的偉大的戰士有著完美的人生,沒有理由讓他死。讓偉大戰士犧牲的敵人竭盡全力將「愛」牢牢地關在死亡的束縛中,但即使是最黑暗的邪惡也沒辦法阻止「愛」無辜生命的力量。
The great warrior who gives his life in exchange for the prisoners of war had lived a perfect life and there was no reason for him to die. The enemy who agreed to sacrifice the great warrior tries with all his might to imprison Love in the bonds of death, but the power of an innocent life is too great even for the darkest evil.
作為戰爭的重大轉折點,「愛」以謙虛的勝利從墳墓中升起,戰勝了奴役他的公民的黑暗。 一旦敵人的力量被擊敗,「愛」就能夠用他的愛之光交換其公民心中的黑暗。 對於所有選擇進行這種偉大交換,他們的黑暗被籠罩在「愛」犧牲的永恆迴響中,他的公民給給予新的心來跟隨「愛」的方式,並作為士兵來戰勝被擊敗的黑暗 。
As the great turning point in the war, Love rises from the grave in a humble triumph over the darkness that enslaves his people. Once the power of the enemy is defeated, Love is able to exchange the darkness in the hearts of his citizens for the light of his love. For all who choose to engage in this great exchange, their darkness is slain in the eternal echo of Love's sacrifice that would ring throughout eternity, and his citizens are given a new heart to follow the ways of Love and fight as soldiers against the defeated darkness.
許多人拒絕這位偉大戰士的犧牲,但許多其他人接受了他的犧牲,將他們的黑暗換成光明,並再次獲得了以憐憫和正義統治該國的權力。 然後他們出去宣告跟建立新的王國,這個新王國首先在人心中統治,然後繼續祝福所有創造物,並有盡可能多的人接受它能夠成為「愛」王國的新公民。
Multitudes reject this great warrior's sacrifice, but multitudes of others accept it, exchanging their darkness for light and receiving again the authority to rule over the land with mercy and justice. Then they go out to proclaim the new kingdom that begins by ruling in the hearts of men and then proceeds to bless all of creation, and as many as accept it become new citizens of Love's kingdom.
這是聖經的故事,我們歷史的故事,以及我們人生的目的。 有一天,「愛」的王國將被完全恢復,他的勝利將吞噬死亡。 在那之前,我們像「愛」的好士兵一樣奮戰,始終相信為我們而死和復活的國王將有一天再來,讓一切都變好。
This is the story of the Bible, the story of our history, and the purpose of each of our lives. One day, the kingdom of Love will be restored in full and death will be swallowed up in his victory. Until then, we fight like good soldiers of Love, always believing that the king who died and rose for us will return again one day to make all things right.