tc.thebearandthedragon-第103部分

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ng　perfection　to　ourselves。
　〃Gerry　and　I　had　a　good　talk　that　day；　and　that　was　the　beginning　of　our　friendship；　as　all　ministers　of　the　Gospel　ought　to　be　friends；　because　we　preach　the　same　Gospel　from　the　same　God。
　〃The　next　week　we　were　talking　again；　and　Gerry　told　me　about　his　friend　Skip。　A　man　from　the　other　side　of　the　world；　a　man　from　a　place　where　the　religious　traditions　do　not　know　Jesus。　Well；　Skip　learned　about　all　that　at　Oral　Roberts　University　in　Oklahoma；　the　same　as　many　others；　and　he　learned　it　so　well　that　he　thought　long　and　hard　and　decided　to　join　the　ministry　and　preach　the　Gospel　of　Jesus　Christ。。。〃
　
　〃Skip's　skin　was　a　different　color　than　mine；〃　Gerry　Patterson　was　saying　in　another　pulpit　less　than　two　miles　away。　〃But　in　God's　eyes；　we　are　all　the　same；　because　the　Lord　Jesus　looks　through　our　skin　into　our　hearts　and　our　souls；　and　He　always　knows　what's　in　there。〃　〃That's　right；〃　a　man's　voice　agreed　in　the　congregation。　〃And　so；　Skip　became　a　minister　of　the　Gospel。　Instead　of　returning　to　his　native　land；　where　freedom　of　religion　is　something　their　government　protects；　Skip　decided　to　keep　flying　west；　into　munist
　〃China。　Why　there？〃　Patterson　asked。　〃Why　there　indeed！　The　other　China　does　not　have　freedom　of　religion。　The　other　China　refuses　to　admit　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　God。　The　other　China　is　like　the　Philistines　of　the　Old　Testament；　the　people　who　persecuted　the　Jews　of　Moses　and　Joshua；　the　enemies　of　God　Himself。　Why　did　Skip　do　this？　Because　he　knew　that　no　other　place　needed　to　hear　the　Word　of　God　more　than　those　people；　and　that　Jesus　wants　us　to　preach　to　the　heathen；　to　bring　His　Holy　Word　to　those　whose　souls　cry　out　for　it；　and　this　he　did。　No　United　States　Marine　storming　the　shores　of　Iwo　Jima　showed　more　courage　than　Skip　did；　carrying　his　Bible　into　Red　China　and　starting　to　preach　the　Gospel　in　a　land　where　religion　is　a　crime。〃
　
　And　we　must　not　forget　that　there　was　another　man　there；　a　Catholic　cardinal；　an　old　unmarried　man　from　a　rich　and　important　family　who　long　ago　decided　on　his　own　to　join　the　clergy　of　his　church；〃　Jackson　reminded　those　before　him。　〃His　name　was　Renato；　a　name　as　foreign　to　us　as　Fa　An；　but　despite　that；　he　was　a　man　of　God　who　also　took　the　Word　of　Jesus　to　the　land　of　the　heathen。
　〃When　the　government　of　that　country　found　out　about　Reverend　Yu；　they　took　Skip's　job　away。　They　hoped　to　starve　him　out；　but　the　people　who　made　that　decision　didn't　know　Skip。　They　didn't　know　Jesus；　and　they　didn't　know　about　the　faithful；　did　they？〃
　〃Hell；　no！〃　replied　a　white　male　voice　from　the　pews；　and　that's　when　Hosiah　knew　he　had　them。
　〃No；　sir！　That's　when　your　Pastor　Gerry　found　out　and　that's　when　you　good　people　started　sending　help　to　Skip　Yu；　to　support　the　man　his　godless　government　was　trying　to　destroy；　because　they　didn't　know　that　people　of　faith　share　a　mitment　to　justice！〃
　
　Patterson's　arm　shot　out。　〃And　Jesus　pointed　and　said；　see　that　woman　there；　she　gives　from　her　need；　not　from　her　riches。　It　takes　more　for　a　poor　man　or　a　poor　woman　to　give　than　it　does　for　a　rich　man　to　do　it。　That　was　when　you　good　people　began　helping　my　congregation　to　support　my　friend　Skip。　And　Jesus　also　said　that　which　you　do　for　the　least　of　My　brethren　you　do　also　unto　Me。　And　so　your　church　and　my　church　helped　this　man；　this　lonely　minister　of　the　Gospel　in　the　land　of　the　pagans；　those　people　who　deny　the　Name　and　Word　of　God；　those　people　who　worship　the　corpse　of　a　monster　named　Mao；　who　put　his　embalmed　body　on　display　as　though　it　were　the　body　of　a　saint！　He　was　no　saint。　He　was　no　man　of　God。　He　was　hardly　a　man　at　all。　He　was　a　mass　murderer　worse　than　anything　our　country　has　ever　seen。　He　was　like　the　Hitler　that　our　fathers　fought　to　destroy　sixty　years　ago。　But　to　the　people　who　run　that　country；　that　killer；　that　murderer；　that　destroyer　of　life　and　freedom　is　the　new　god。　That　'god'　is　false；〃　Patterson　told　them；　with　passion　entering　his　voice。　〃That　'god'　is　the　voice　of　Satan。　That　'god'　is　the　mouthpiece　for　the　fires　of　Hell。　That　'god'　was　the　incarnation　of　evil…and　that　'god'　is　dead；　and　now　he's　a　stuffed　animal；　like　the　dead　bird　you　might　see　over　the　bar　in　a　saloon；　or　the　deer　head　a　lot　of　you　have　in　your　den…and　they　still　worship　him。　They　still　honor　his　word；　and　they　still　revere　his　beliefs…the　beliefs　that　killed　millions　of　people　just　because　their　false　god　didn't　like　them。〃　Patterson　stood　erect　and　brushed　his　hair　back。
　〃There　are　those　who　say　that　what　evil　we　see　in　the　world　is　just　the　absence　of　good。　But　we　know　better　than　that。　There　is　a　devil　in　creation；　and　that　devil　has　agents　among　us；　and　some　of　those　agents　run　countries！　Some　of　those　agents　start　wars。　Some　of　those　agents　take　innocent　people　from　their　homes　and　put　them　in　camps　and　murder　them　there　like　cattle　in　a　slaughterhouse。　Those　are　the　agents　of　Satan！　Those　are　the　devotees　of　the　Prince　of　Darkness。　They　are　those　among　us　who　take　the　lives　of　the　innocent；　even　the　lives　of　innocent　little　babies　。。。〃
　
　And　so；　those　three　men　of　God　went　to　the　hospital。　One　of　them；　our　friend　Skip；　went　to　assist　his　parishioner　in　her　time　of　need。　The　other　two；　the　Catholics；　went　because　they；　too；　were　men　of　God；　and　they；　too；　stood　for　the　same　things　that　we　do；　because　the　Word　of　Jesus　is　THE　SAME　FOR　ALL　OF　US！〃　Hosiah　Jackson's　voice　boomed　out。
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　the　same　white　voice　agreed；　and　there　were　nods　in　the　congregation。
　〃And　so　those　three　men　of　God　went　to　the　hospital　to　save　the　life　of　a　little　baby；　a　little　baby　that　the　government　of　that　heathen　land　wanted　to　kill…and　why？　They　wanted　to　kill　it　because　its　mother　and　father　believe　in　God…and；　oh；　no；　they　couldn't　allow　people　like　that　to　bring　a　child　into　the　world！　Oh；　no；　they　couldn't　allow　people　of　faith　to　bring　a　child　into　their　country；　because　that　was　like　inviting　in　a　spy。　That　was　a　danger　to　their　godless　government。　And　why　is　it　a　danger？
　〃It's　a　danger　because　they　know　that　they　are　godless　pagans！　It's　a　danger　because　they　know　that　God's　Holy　Word　is　the　most　powerful　force　in　the　world！　And　their　only　response　to　that　kind　of　danger　is　to　kill；　to　take　the　life　that　God　Himself　gives　to　each　of　us；　because　in　denying　God；　they　can　also　deny　life；　and　you　know；　those　pagans；　those　unbelievers；　those　killers　love　to　have　that　kind　of　power。　They　love　pretending　that　they　are　gods。　They　love　their　power；　and　they　love　using　it　in　the　service　of　Satan！　They　know　they　are　destined　to　spend　eternity　in　Hell；　and　they　want　to　share　their　Hell　with　us　here　on　earth；　and　they　want　to　deny　to　us　the　only　thing　that　can　liberate　us　from　the　destiny　they　have　chosen　for　themselves。　That　is　why　they　condemned　that　innocent　little　baby　to　death。
　〃And　when　those　three　men　went　to　the　hospital　to　preserve　the　life　of　that　innocent　baby；　they　stood　in　God's　own　place。　They　took　God's　place；　but　they　did　so　in　humility　and　in　the　strength　of　their　faith。　They　stood　in　God's　place　to　fulfill　God's　will；　not　to　get　power　for　themselves；　not　to　be　false　heroes。　They　went　there　to　serve；　not　to　rule。　To　serve；　as　the　Lord　Jesus　Himself　served。　As　his　apostles　served。　They　went　there　to　protect　an　innocent　life。　They　went　there　to　do　the　Lord　God's　work！〃
　
　You　people　probably　don't　know　this；　but　when　I　was　first　ordained　I　spent　three　years　in　the　United　States　Navy；　and　I　served　as　a　chaplain　to　the　Marines。　I　was　assigned　to　the　Second　Marine　Division　at　Camp　Lejeune；　North　Carolina。　When　I　was　there；　I　got　to　know　people　we　call　heroes；　and　for　sure　a　lot　of　Marines　fall　into　that　category。　I　was　there　to　minister　to　the　dead　and　dying　after　a　terrible　helicopter　crash；　and　it　was　one　of　the　great　honors　of　my　life　to　be　there　and　to　fort　dying　young　Marines…because　I　knew　they　were　going　to　see　God。　I　remember　one；　a　sergeant；　the　man　had　just　gotten　married　a　month　before；　and　he　died　while　he　was　saying　a　prayer　to　God　for　his　wife。　He　was　a　veteran　of　Vietnam；　that　sergeant；　and　he　had　lots　of　decorations。　He　was　what　we　call　a　tough　guy；〃　Patterson　told　the　black　congregation；　〃but　the　toughest　thing　about　that　Marine　was　that　when　he　knew　he　was　going　to　die；　he　prayed　not　for　himself；　but　for　his　young　wife；　that　God　would　fort　her。　That　Marine　died　as　a　Christian　man；　and　he　went　from　this　world　to　stand　proud　before　his　God　as　a　man　who　did　his　duty　in　every　way　he　could。
　〃Well；　so　did　Skip；　and　so　did　Renato。　They　sacrificed　their　lives　to　save　a　baby。　God　sent　them。　God　gave　those　men　their　orders。　And　they　heard　the　orders；　and　they　followed　them　without　flinching；　without　hesitating；　without　thinking　except　to　be　sure　that　they　were　doing　the　right　thing。
　〃And　today；　eight　thousand　miles　from　here　there　is　a　new　life；　a　new　little　baby；　probably　asleep　now。　That　baby　will　never　know　all　the　hubbub　that　came　just　before　she　was　born；　but　with　parents　like　that；　that　baby　will　know　the　Word　of　God。　And　all　that　happened　because　three　brave　men　of　God　went　to　that　hospital；　and　two　of　them　died　there　to　do　the　Lord's　Work。
　〃Skip　was　a　Baptist。　Renato　was　a　Catholic。
　〃Skip　was　yellow。　I'm　white。　You　people　are　black。
　〃But　Jesus　doesn't　care　about　any　of　that。　We　have　all　heard　His　words。　We　have　all　accepted　Him　as　our　Savior。　So　did　Skip。　So　did　Renato。　Those　two　brave　men　sacrificed　their　lives　for　The　Right。　The　Catholic's　last　words…he　asked　if　the　baby　was　okay；　and　the　other　Catholic；　the　German　priest；　said　'yes；'　and　Renato　said；　'Bene。'　That's　Italian。　It　means；　'That's　good；　that's　all　right。'　He　died　knowing　that　he　did　the　right　thing；　and　that's　not　a　bad　thing；　is　it？〃
　〃That's　right！〃　three　voices　called　out。
　
　There　is　so　much　to　learn　from　their　example；〃　Hosiah　Jackson　told　his　borrowed　congregation。
　〃We　must　learn；　first　of　all；　that　God's　Word　is　the　same　for　all　of　us。　I'm　a　black　man。　You　folks　are　white。　Skip　was　Chinese。　In　that　we　are　all　different；　but　in　God's　Holy　Word　we　are　all　the　same。　Of　all　the　things　we　have　to　learn；　of　all　the　things　we　have　to　keep　in　our　hearts　every　day　we　live；　that　is　the　most　important。　Jesus　is　Savior