說新語言 Speak New Tongues

說新語言（谷16:15-18）

雖然「太陽之下決無新事」（訓1:9）是至理名言，但它始終是舊約的智慧，應用到現代，有它的局限。例如，「十誡」禁止我們偷竊（出20:15）。倘若你的財物原封不動，而我卻擁有一份拷貝。在古代社會，算是盜竊嗎？當然不是盜竊，因為你沒有任何損失！今天法學家制訂了一個古代沒有的「版權」觀念，當我在未獲得你的許可而複製了你的創作，我便侵犯了你的「版權」，犯了「十誡」。可見，太陽之下一定有新事物，因為社會在不斷地進化。所以我們不能墨守成規，固步自封。否則遇上新事物時，便會束手無策了。耶穌基督不是教訓過我們，「應把新酒裝在新皮囊裡」（瑪9:17）嗎？

耶穌基督復活後，派遣門徒向一切受造物宣傳福音（谷16:15），並應許信者有奇蹟相隨（16:17）。「奇蹟」是天主臨在的標記。在古代，按手在病人身上治病足以令人信服天主。今天醫學昌明，還有人看見按手病人身上治病痊癒而信天主嗎？「手拿毒蛇，喝致死毒物」，在古代和今天，恐怕不應是傳福音的手段，而是保護信徒人身安全罷了。今天教會仍然舉行驅魔禮，因耶穌基督之名驅逐魔鬼。自古以來，傳教士學習「本土語言」，向本土人士傳福音。明朝的利瑪竇神父便是一個好例子，今天的香港教區，仍有賴不少操流利粵語的傳教士和修女，為基督作見證。

可是，我們有沒有對新事物保持開放呢？今天，附魔祇發生在個別人士身上嗎？倘若有一群人集體附了魔，教會如何奉耶穌基督之名驅逐魔鬼呢？有集體附魔嗎？有使用過社交媒體的人，一定明白互聯網是集體附魔的溫床！

今天的世界，資訊爆炸，人類依靠互聯網生活，有如空氣食水一樣。無可否認，互聯網上流傳著很多新語言，營造了五光十色的語境，可惜其中不少偽資訊和謠言，讓原本是推動民主的生力軍，讓弱小者有機會發聲的平台，變得污煙瘴氣。教會有足夠的胸襟，足夠的智慧，在互聯網「說新語言」，驅逐魔鬼，宣傳福音嗎？
且讓我們一再呼求聖神吧！
天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：The Mirror

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Speak New Tongues (Mark 16:15-18)

The aphorism “Nothing is new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9), which is a piece of Old Testament wisdom, has its limitations when it is applied in modern times. For example, the Ten Commandments forbid stealing (Exodus 20:15). Imagine your possession is untouched and yet I possess a copy. In ancient times, had I committed theft? Of course not because you did not lose anything! Nowadays, legists have invented a concept of “intellectual property” to cover the loophole. When I replicate your creation without seeking your prior consent, I infringe your intellectual property and breach the Ten Commandments. Thus, there are always new things under the sun because the society is evolving continuously. We need to let go the tradition when the time comes. Otherwise, we’ll suck. Hasn’t Jesus Christ taught us to “pour new wine into fresh wineskins” (Matthew 9:17)?

After His resurrection Jesus Christ sent His disciples to proclaim the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15) and promised that miracles would accompany believers (16:17). Miracles are signs of God’s presence. In ancient times, laying hands on the sick to make them cured was sufficient to convert people. But nowadays, with the advancements in medical sciences, will people believe in God after seeing these faith-healings? In ancient times as well as nowadays, being unharmed by serpents or deadly drinks is probably more a protection of personal safety of believers than means of evangelization. Today, the Church still conduct exorcisms, driving out demons in the name of Jesus Christ. Since ancient times, missionaries learnt local dialects to evangelize. Matteo Ricci was an excellent missionary exemplar during the Ming Dynasty of ancient China. Even nowadays, the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong still relies on many missionaries and nuns to bear witness for Christ in fluent Cantonese.

However, are we open to new phenomena? Today, is possession limited to individuals only? What if a group of people are mass-possessed, how does the Church exorcize in the name of Jesus Christ? If you doubt the existence of mass-possession, people who have made use of social media will assure you that the Internet is a hot-bed of mass-possession!
In this age of information explosion, people live on the Internet like air and water. Undeniably, many new languages are flourishing on the Internet creating a glamorous milieu. Regrettably, it has been contaminated by fake information and rumours. What would have been a bulwark of democracy, a platform for the minorities to air their advocacy had turned into a swarm of dungs! Does the Church embrace sufficient wisdom to speak the languages of the Internet, to exorcize demons over there and proclaim the gospel?
Let us invoke the Holy Spirit once more!
God bless!