The BLESSED Mask 蒙福之人

[Dexu Xia]

You show that you are a letter from Christ . . . written . . . with the Spirit of the living God. 2 Corinthians 3:3

As the mask mandate requirements during the pandemic loosened, I struggled to remember to keep a mask handy for where they were still required—like my daughter’s school. One day when I needed a mask, I found just one in my car: the one I avoided wearing because it had blessed written across the front.

I prefer to wear masks without messages, and I believe that the word on the mask I found is overused. But I had no choice, so I reluctantly put the mask on. And when I nearly showed my annoyance with a new receptionist at the school, I caught myself, partly because of the word on my mask. I didn’t want to look like a hypocrite, walking around with blessed scrawled across my mouth while showing impatience to a person trying to figure out a complicated system.

Though the letters on my mask reminded me of my witness for Christ, the words of Scripture in my heart should be a true reminder to be patient with others. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “You are a letter from Christ, . . . written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3). The Holy Spirit who “gives life” (v. 6), can help us live out “love, joy, peace” and, yes, “patience” (Galatians 5:22). We’re truly blessed by His presence within us!

By:  Katara Patton

What are your words and actions saying to others? How can you represent Christ in what you do today?

Dear Jesus, with each person I encounter today, help me to share what it means to live for You.

你们明显是基督的信，⋯⋯乃是用永生上帝的灵写的。—哥林多后书3章3节

当疫情减缓时，强制戴口罩的规定开始放宽，但我仍必须提醒自己随身携带，因有些场所仍规定要戴口罩，例如我女儿的学校便是如此。有一天，当我需要口罩时，却发现车内只有一个我不想戴的口罩，因上面写着“蒙福之人”的字样。

我喜欢没有任何字样的口罩，而且我认为“蒙福之人”这句话已被滥用。可是当时我没有其他选择，只好勉强戴上。然而，当我差一点向学校新来的接待人员发火时，口罩上的字眼却提醒了我，使我及时控制了自己。我不希望自己看起来像个伪君子，戴着“蒙福之人”的口罩，却对一位正在尝试弄懂复杂系统的人那么不耐烦。

虽然印在口罩上的字提醒我是基督的见证人，但那存在我心里的经文才是我最真实的提醒：对人要有耐心。正如保罗写给哥林多教会的信上说：“你们显明自己是基督的书信⋯⋯。不是用墨写的，而是用永生上帝的灵写的；不是写在石版上，而是写在心版上的”（哥林多后书3章3节，和合本修订版）。那赐生命给人的圣灵（6节），能帮助我们活出“仁爱、喜乐、和平”，以及“忍耐”（加拉太书5章22节）。我们因祂的同在而成为真正的蒙福之人！

作者：  潘恺兰

你的言行举止向别人述说了什么？
今天你要如何在所做的事上代表基督？

亲爱的耶稣，求祢帮助我，让我今天遇到每一个人时，
都能见证祢的名，与人分享为祢而活的意义。