The Journey of Love

"What do you think？If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, ...And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost"
                                                                                                                       Matthew 18:12~14

I have known a pastor who follows the description so that he doesn't want any one to be lost and finds all lost sheep.

When I went to my church for the first time, I didn't want to be recognized as an unbeliever, especially in a group of Christians. I just had some unclear thoughts in my mind, I just kept silence at a corner and listened to what this propagandist said, this may solve my problems? When I entered the auditorium, I was stopped by Pastor Huang, he opened his note, asking me "What's your name? Do you come here for the first time?". I felt embarrassed but told him my name honestly.

When I was stopped for the seconed time, I wondered how he could distinguish new members? There are more than one thousand members in my church. After the worship, he  introduced God to me ambitiously, I felt he loves God so much that he wants to introduce God to everyone.

Till the third time,  I made representations,"Pastor Huang, this is the third time, my name is recorded in your note". He replied smilingly, "Don't worry, I just write again". After that, he was not sure about what's my name, but he could recognize me. A year later, I encoutered my senior high school classmate, she told me the same story..

I think that Pastor Huang must be a close friend of God, he wants to find all lost sheep as a shepherd. 

"一個人若有一百隻羊，一隻走迷了路，你們的意思如何呢? ... 若是找著了，我實在告訴你們，他為這一隻羊歡喜，比為那沒有迷路的九十九隻歡喜還大呢！你們在天上的父，也是這樣不願意這小子裏失喪一個。" 
                                                                                                                      馬太福音18:12~14

我認識一位牧師，他就像經文裡描述地一樣，一直尋求迷失的羊群，不願有人失喪。

第一次到教會，也不知道為什麼很怕被人認出來，我只是心裡有些困惑，我只想安安靜靜地坐在角落，聽聽看講道的人說些什麼，或許會解決我的問題，而混在一群基督徒中間，我實在不想被認出來"你跟我們不一樣"，就在我要進入會堂時，被黃牧師攔了下來，他馬上拿出他的記事本說，"你叫什麼名字? 第一次來嗎?" 我的感覺非常地尷尬，也只能老實地告訴他我叫什麼名字。

之後，我並沒有每個星期都到教會，第二次被攔下來的時候，我心裡很納悶，教會的人數很多，約有一千多人，黃牧師怎麼會知道誰是新來的，我再一次告訴他我叫什麼名字，主日結束後，他熱切地介紹這個信仰給我，讓我第一次感受到有人如此愛神，想把神介紹給所有不認識祂的人。

直到第三次被攔下來後，我才抗議地說，"黃牧師，你已經問我第三次了，你的簿子上已經有我的名字了"，牧師仍笑笑地說，"沒關係，我再記一次。"從此之後，黃牧師雖然不一定每次都能記得我的名字，但他總算認得我了。約過了一年，我在教會遇見一位高中同學，當我們說著黃牧師的時候，她也是笑笑地說，"我之前也是這樣被問了三次，你叫什麼名字"。

我想牧師一定跟神很親近，像牧羊人一樣，要找回所有迷失的羊群。


素描 / Sketch
牧師的手 / hand of pastor

原照片作者：陳炳勳弟兄