| 國家觀念 | |
| 經文: 「祂從一本造出萬族的人。」（使徒行傳十七：26） | |
| 前任英國首相論及波爾戰爭時，提到保護幼小國家不被壓制的原則是應當的；也就是說，這國家所擁有的寶貴人民及黃金，都是上帝給這國的禮物，就像其他國家各自擁有她獨特的自然資源一樣，是上帝賜給這國的禮物，值得保有並發展，以福國利民及增益全民福祉。 這場戰爭將引起更強烈的種族觀念，和國家意識的抬頭，也燃起落後地區人民的希望，人們將逐漸明白國家民族的觀念取決於國民的性格，而國民的性格在於宗教。 在這種彼此傾軋的情況裡要和睦共處，無異是緣木求魚；但至少我們可以培養一種基督徒的情操，就是尊重接納那些與我們不同的人，不再以懷疑的眼光彼此猜忌，我們要相信與我們有差異的人的悔改，並肯花時間不厭其煩地去瞭解他們。 當世人大談國家民族意識，並視其為神聖權利時，我們必須了解，這僅是人類的情感驅力之一，仍在人的罪性控制之下。讓我們記得：「上帝所造的每一個人都是好的，因為藉著上帝的話和悔改的祈禱，都蒙潔淨。」若未經認罪悔改的程序，民族意識和愛國情操將膨脹為政治野心，成為種族歧視的來源，以致兩國互相仇視。 在耶穌基督裡，上帝己將所有的人安置在愛的律法之下，不但基督徒有此呼召，教會傳道人更要在聖靈的引導之下，導正民眾的愛國情緒於「勵精圖治，發奮上進」、「善待其他種族，使人類前途更祥和」的兩個途徑。 | |
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| NATIONAL FEELING | |
| Scripture: "God hath made of one blood all nations of men."—ACTS xvii. 26. | |
| A former Prime Minister of England said in regard to the Boer War, that it "served to maintain the principle that the smaller nationalities should not be oppressed. That is to say, that all these precious lives and the treasures of gold were offered up in vindication of nationality, which may be regarded as a gift of God, as the divine right of each nation, according to its special nature, to preserve and develop its individuality in the service of the common life of all the world. This war will develop national feeling more intensely, and will increase a national consciousness, and arouse hope amongst the peoples who have hitherto been considered the most backward in the world. People will slowly learn that national feeling depends on character, and character depends on religion. "In a struggle such as this we cannot expect the breach to be healed at once; but we can cultivate a spirit of Christian sympathy with those who differ from us, and cease to regard each other with suspicion and distrust. We can trust the honesty of each other's convictions, and take more trouble to understand one another." This extract speaks most strongly of the divine right of national feeling, yet we must also clearly understand that the feeling, as a merely human force, is under the power of sin. Let us remember "every creature of God is good, for it is sanctified by the Word and by prayer." Without that sanctifying process, national feeling may become the prey of ambition, and the source °fhatred, and aversion, and contempt for other nations. God has, in Christ, placed all men under the law of Heavenly Love. It is the holy calling of every Christian, and more especially of every minister of the Gospel, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to point out to others the way by which national feeling may attain its twofold aim: (1) the development and uplifting of the people themselves, and (2) the right attitude to other peoples in the upbuilding of all mankind. | |
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