守護靈魂 Defending Our Souls

守護靈魂（若5:17-30）

人有靈性嗎？為甚麼擁有靈性對人類是重要呢？
目前，科學家證明不了人有靈性，因為靈性不是他們有能力研究的範疇。立法者和教育家頂多祇能指出人有倫理道德，有別於禽獸甚至機械人！有朝一日，倘若人工智能發展到足以自己編寫倫理道德「程式」的話，人類還有甚麼可以意識到自己是有人性的人，而不是一台電腦呢？恐怕「靈性」是人類不能失守的最後一個橋頭堡了！

古今中外出現過不少文明，當中可以找到不同形式的宗教信仰。這些信仰有不少共同點：例如肯定靈魂的存在，而且靈魂是永存不滅的！為甚麼呢？因為在人類心靈深處，與生俱來某種公平、公義的概念。可惜目下好人受苦多，甚至含冤而死，但壞人卻逍遙法外，享盡榮華富貴。試問公義何在？這份矛盾，激發人類尋求在人生以外，取回公道。

基督宗教肯定了人的靈魂，就是天主的肖像（創1:26），把不公義的現象歸咎於罪惡。天主不但把罪人解放，甚至把「肖像」身份提昇成為「義子」的地位，這就是福音的核心意義。所以，耶穌基督在今天福音中所說的「子」，也包括了得救了的你和我！

「凡父所作的，子也照樣作。」（若5:19）既然天父從「混沌」創造了「秩序」（創1:2-2:3），所以作為天主子女的我們，應該締造和平（瑪5:9），團結共融四分五裂的社群！既然天父不再追究世人的過犯，所以作為基督大使的我們（格後5:19-20），就應該富於憐憫，寬恕別人的罪債（瑪5:7，6:12）；既然「天主是愛」（若一4:8），所以我們應該要愛，並且成為一份愛的禮物。作為天父的義子，我們應該跟長兄耶穌基督一樣。且看，天父使那不認識罪的聖子，替罪人成了罪（格後5:21），所以我們應該捨己為人，不求自己的喜悅，而是建立他人，使別人受益（羅15:1-2）…這樣做，我們便不是冷冰冰的機械人，而是有靈性的天主子女。

父啊！不要讓我們隨波逐流，沾污祢的肖像。讓我們成為祢名副其實的子女，光榮祢的聖名。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：knowyourphrase.com

---

Defending Our Souls (John 5:17-30)

Are human beings spiritual? Why does possessing spirituality essential to mankind?
As for now, scientists are unable to prove that men possess spirit because spirit is beyond their turf of expertise. Legislators and educationalists are only able to point out that morality differentiates mankind from animals and even robots! In time, when artificial intelligence is advanced enough to write “morality” programmes to coordinate their behaviours, with what are mankind able to call themselves human persons with humanity and are not computers? I’m afraid spirituality is the last bulwark mankind cannot afford to lose!

Among civilizations sprung up throughout history, we are able to identify different forms of religions. There are many common elements among them: e.g. the existence of souls and their immortality. Why so? It is because deep down in our hearts, there is an inborn sense of fairness. Regrettably in real life, good people suffer and unfairly condemned while wicked people outwit the law and prosper. Where is justice? This contradiction stimulates humanity to see justice done beyond our earthly existence.

Christianity affirms the existence of human souls which are images of God (Genesis 1:26). Injustice is caused by sins. Not only does God deliver sinners from the bondage of sins, but He also elevates our image status to that of adopted children. This is the crux of the gospel. Therefore, when Jesus Christ mentions “son” in the gospel passage today, it includes the redeemed you and me as well!

“For what he (the Father) does, His son will do also.”(John 5:19) Since the Father created order out of chaos (Genesis 1:2-2:3), as children of God we should be peace-makers (Matthew 5:9) to bring conflicting groups into communion! Since the Father does not count the world’s trespasses against them, so we too should become ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19-20), full of mercy and forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 5:7, 6:12). Since God is love (1 John 4:8), so we should become love, a life-giving gift of love. As adopted children of God, we should follow examples set by Jesus Christ our elder brother. Behold, the Father made the Son to be sin who did not know sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), so we should be altruistic, not to please ourselves but for the good and building up of the others (Romans 15:1-2) … Then, we are not cold-blooded robots but children of God with spirit.

Father! Go we not with the flow and smear Your image. Help us become Your authentic children to glorify Your holy name. Amen.