Love conquers all.

爱能胜过一切。

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Luke 6:32

你们若单爱那爱你们的人，有什么可酬谢的呢？-路加福音6章32节

When war broke out in 1950, fifteen-year-old Kim Chin-Kyung joined the South Korean army to defend his homeland. He soon found, however, that he wasn’t ready for the horrors of combat. As young friends died around him, he begged God for his life and promised that, if allowed to live, he would learn to love his enemies.

在1950年，朝鲜战争爆发。当时，15岁的金镇庆加入南韩军队，保卫自己的家园。但他很快就发现，他还没有准备好面对残酷的战役。当他看见许多年轻的同胞在他身边死去，他祈求上帝保守他的性命，并且帮助他学习去爱他的敌人。

Sixty-five years later, Dr. Kim reflected on that answered prayer. Through decades of caring for orphans and assisting in the education of North Korean and Chinese young people, he has won many friends among those he once regarded as enemies. Today he shuns political labels. Instead he calls himself a loveist as an expression of his faith in Jesus.

65年后的今天，金镇庆博士回顾过去，看见上帝回应他的祷告。数十年来，他照顾许多孤儿，并开办平壤科技大学，协助北韩及中国青少年就学。在那些以往视为仇敌的人当中，他赢得许多朋友。如今他已破除政治藩篱，并自称是爱的使者，以爱来表达他对耶稣的信仰。

The prophet Jonah left a different kind of legacy. Even a dramatic rescue from the belly of a big fish didn’t transform his heart. Although he eventually obeyed God, Jonah said he’d rather die than watch the Lord show mercy to his enemies (Jonah 4:1–2, 8).

先知约拿的态度却是截然不同。即使约拿曾被大鱼吞吃，又蒙上帝奇妙的拯救，但他的心却没有改变。虽然约拿最后顺服了上帝，但他却说自己宁愿死，也不愿看见上帝对他的敌人施行怜悯（约拿书4章1-2、8节）。

We can only guess as to whether Jonah ever learned to care for the people of Nineveh. Instead we are left to wonder about ourselves. Will we settle for his attitude toward those we fear and hate? Or will we ask God for the ability to love our enemies as He has shown mercy to us?

我们不知道约拿最终是否学会关怀尼尼微人，但我们应扪心自问：我们要以约拿那样的态度，去对待那些令我们害怕或憎恨的人呢？还是我们愿意祈求上帝，让自己有一颗爱敌人的心，正如上帝向我们施恩呢？

Father in heaven, like Your reluctant prophet, 

we are inclined to love only those who love us. 

Yet You loved us even when we cared only for ourselves. 

Please give us the grace to be more like Jesus than Jonah.

 天父，我们常像先知约拿一般，只爱那些爱我们的人。
然而，即使我们单爱自己，祢却仍然爱我们。
愿祢赐下恩典，使我们不像约拿，而更像耶稣。

Jonah 3:10-4:11New International Version (NIV)

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knewthat you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now,Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a]and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

约拿书 3:10-4:11Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

神鉴其所行不降其灾

10 于是神察看他们的行为，见他们离开恶道，他就后悔，不把所说的灾祸降于他们了。

约拿见之不悦

4 这事约拿大大不悦，且甚发怒， 2 就祷告耶和华说：“耶和华啊，我在本国的时候，岂不是这样说吗？我知道你是有恩典有怜悯的神，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱，并且后悔不降所说的灾，所以我急速逃往他施去。 3 耶和华啊，现在求你取我的命吧！因为我死了比活着还好。” 4 耶和华说：“你这样发怒合乎理吗？” 5 于是约拿出城，坐在城的东边，在那里为自己搭了一座棚，坐在棚的荫下，要看看那城究竟如何。

6 耶和华神安排一棵蓖麻，使其发生高过约拿，影儿遮盖他的头，救他脱离苦楚。约拿因这棵蓖麻大大喜乐。

神以蓖麻为喻责约拿惜物过于惜人

7 次日黎明，神却安排一条虫子咬这蓖麻，以致枯槁。 8 日头出来的时候，神安排炎热的东风，日头曝晒约拿的头，使他发昏。他就为自己求死，说：“我死了比活着还好！” 9 神对约拿说：“你因这棵蓖麻发怒合乎理吗？”他说：“我发怒以至于死，都合乎理。” 10 耶和华说：“这蓖麻不是你栽种的，也不是你培养的，一夜发生，一夜干死，你尚且爱惜， 11 何况这尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二万多人，并有许多牲畜，我岂能不爱惜呢？”

整理：于姊妹