Love Your Loved Ones 爱你的伙伴

[Dexu Xia]

If he comes to you, welcome him.  Colossians 4:10

Amos was an overbearing extrovert, and Danny was a loner wracked with self-doubt. Somehow these eccentric geniuses became best friends. They spent a decade laughing and learning together. One day their work would receive a Nobel Prize. But Danny tired of Amos’ self-centered ways and told him they were no longer friends.

Three days later, Amos called with terrible news. Doctors had found cancer and given him six months to live. Danny’s heart broke. “We’re friends,” he said, “whatever you think we are.”

Paul was a hard-nosed visionary and Barnabas a soft-hearted encourager. The Spirit put them together and sent them on a missionary journey (Acts 13:2–3). They preached and started churches, until their disagreement over Mark’s desertion. Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance. Paul said he could no longer be trusted. So they split up (15:36–41).

Paul eventually forgave Mark. He closed three letters with greetings from or commendations for him (Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24). We don’t know what happened with Barnabas. Did he live long enough to be reconciled with Paul in this life? I hope so.

Whatever your situation today, try to reach out to those with whom you may have had a falling out. Now is the time to show and tell them how much you love them.

With whom do you need to reconcile? What can you do with your pain if that person is no longer living?

Father, help me to see that one primary purpose of life is to show love to those around me.

他若到了你们那里，你们就接待他。—歌罗西书4章10节

艾莫的性格霸道外向，而丹尼则孤僻且缺乏自信，但这两个怪异的天才竟成了好朋友。十年来，他们在一起欢笑和学习，后来他们的研究也获得了诺贝尔奖。但在这期间，丹尼厌倦了艾莫的自以为是，于是告诉他，他们不再是朋友了。

三天后，丹尼接获艾莫的来电得知噩耗，就是医生发现艾莫患了癌症，只剩下六个月可活。丹尼伤心极了，他对艾莫说﹕“无论你认为我们的关系如何，我们还是朋友。”

保罗是个刚毅果决且有远见的人，而巴拿巴则是个仁慈宽厚的劝慰者，圣灵将他们招聚在一起，并差派他们踏上宣教之旅（使徒行传13章2-3节）。他们到各处宣讲福音并建立教会，直到他们因马可的问题而产生分歧。巴拿巴想给马可第二次机会，但保罗却认为此人再不可信，于是他们就分开了（15章36-41节）。

保罗最终原谅了马可，他在所写的其中三封书信的结尾都附有马可的问安或对马可的称赞（歌罗西书4章10节；提摩太后书4章11节；腓利门书1章24节）。我们不知道巴拿巴后来怎么样了，他在离世前是否已与保罗和解了？但愿如此。

无论你今天的情况如何，都可以尝试联系曾与你闹翻的人，现在是与他们和解并表达爱的时候了。

你需要与谁和解？若那人已不在人世，你要如何处理你的伤痛？

亲爱的天父，求祢帮助我看到，生命的主要目的是向身边的人表达爱。