一無可失(中英文)
原作者: Helen Chan
中譯者:楊光(《真理報》加西版2008年3月號)

想象一下：一種致命的瘟疫正在肆虐全球。再過幾年，人類將會滅亡，大家都在想方設法地延長生命，避免那必然的結局。止疼藥只帶來短暫的幫助，但是因藥效逐漸消失了，人們繼續經受着痛苦。世界人口正在迅速減少。

一天， 有一個人決定去爬山，做為生前最後一次的旅行。他爬得很累，因得病而加倍的痛苦。他已一無可失，所以就繼續向上爬。終於到了頂峰，他發現了一潭溫泉，精疲力竭地用最後一份力量爬進去了，準備好要了此殘生。

但是死亡沒有到來。反而，他感到一種變化，一股他都記不起來的感覺充滿了他全身。難以忍受的刺痛沒有了，劇烈的疼痛消失了，他的整個身體痊癒了。這人找到了治癒方法興高采烈地跑下山去，想說服所有人跟他上山。話傳開了，有些人因好奇就跟去了，但也有人卻很懷疑：有那麼好的事兒嗎？他們試了那麼多的治療方法：溫泉浴、礦泉浴、草藥都沒有用。這人是瘋了吧。

有一組人決定要上山，跋涉太辛苦了，大家都很虛弱，飽受烈日曝曬、風吹雨打。他們向痊癒的那個人大罵道，“為什麼帶我們上這兒來？想讓我們在這鬼山上找死嗎？我要止痛藥！我寧願死也不要繼續下去。不就是個破溫泉嘛，讓醫生去弄清楚吧。”
那人苦苦哀求，但他們不願意聽他的話。雖然止疼藥不能治病根，但起碼比現狀好。有些人便轉身下山去了。

但還是有人繼續往上爬，渴望也能得到同樣的新生命。他們知道在山下無藥可救，已經一無可失了。達到山頂後，他們爬進泉浴里，第二天也經歷了奇蹟般的痊癒，高興地跑下山 。
那些半途回頭的人非常忌妒、心懷怨恨，他們想說服別人不要去溫泉，說路上太艱苦，他們應該倚靠能帶來及時解脫的止疼藥。有些人開始爬山，卻同樣半途而廢。有些人以為可以坐直升飛機直接上山頂，在溫泉里泡了一晚上，但還是全身酸痛地出來。只有那些一路步行，上到山頂後疲憊不堪的，才能精力充沛地下山。

被治好的那些人想告訴大家真實情況，但還是被眾人諷刺。這讓他們感到焦急不安：親友們就在眼前一步步接近死亡，但還是不願意聽從勸告，覺得對方在裝樣子，也許他們看上去更健康了，但誰能肯定他們真的得醫治了呢？那只是個效果更長的治療，會逐漸失效的。
得着醫治的人不肯就這樣放棄，他們確定自己被治好了，所以不會讓人們的奚落和責難阻止他們去分享那醫治的方法，即使他們得罪了人也沒關係，親友們都快不行了，自己的名譽還算什麼：什麼更重要，一條生命還是我的自尊心？

如果這真的發生了，你會怎麼做：為了活命而上山還是坐以待斃？第二個選擇很愚蠢吧？答案應該很明顯。

我寫這個是為了說明我的感受，疾病代表罪惡，跋涉山川代表跟隨耶穌基督。我知道有天堂，有地獄：生命和死亡。我知道如何得到永生。地上生命的結束不是句點，而是一個開始。我是否會因為跟隨神很困難而選擇安逸的生活，頹廢至死？

天堂是一個沒有罪孽的地方，而我們全身都是罪。我們沒資格進入神的家，所以神提供了一個進入的辦法：一個無罪的人代替其它所有的人的罪面對審判。但如果我們不為這個人而活，甚至連一點時間都不願給他，他為什麼要為我們而死？

當你最終站在父神的面前時，耶穌會不會站出來說：“父親，這個人愛我，為我活，請讓我代替他受審判吧。”還是祂只能站在旁邊，傷心地看着你說：“我不認識這個人，他從沒承認過我，我的犧牲，或我的愛。”

我想要你認識耶穌，我不希望你有一天被逐出神的面前，進入永遠的黑暗。你可能覺得我很煩，也許你在想，“為什麼不能自己想怎麼活就怎麼活？是我的生命呀！”如果我有能救你命的方法，難到你不想我告訴你嗎？我不告訴你是對的嗎？如果你有補救方法，難到你不會告訴別人，不會告訴你關心的人嗎？

我是否害怕激怒你，使你反感？當然！我可不想讓你覺得我奇怪、傲慢或無禮，但什麼更重要，你的生命或我的自尊心？我選擇你的生命勝過我的自尊，所以我要分享治療方法，分享我在耶穌基督里得到的平安喜樂，那位為你為我犧牲生命的。跟隨耶穌不是一件容易的事，是一條艱難的旅途，但最後的賞賜是大的。這不是一個能草率做的決定，而是你一生要做的最大的決定。

我希望你抽出時間讀了一下，好好想了一下。希望你能感覺到我向你分享主耶穌的熱切心情。如果你有問題請來問我，我不會逼你相信任何東西，我會尊重你的決定。你有什麼好失去的呢？你要知道我好想讓你明白，我好渴望你能經歷耶穌基督。
你有什麼好失去的呢？

Nothing to Lose
Author: Helen Chan
Chinese translation: Linda Yang

Picture this: a pandemic has taken over the world. Everyone on earth would die in a matter of years and were trying to delay the inevitable end. Painkillers helped for a short time, but eventually everyone became immune to it, and the pain continued to rip through every being. The human population was quickly diminishing.

One day, a man went on a hike up a mountain for one last trip. It was a grueling climb, compounded by the weight of the disease. He had nothing to lose anymore, so he kept going. Finally at the top of the mountain, he came upon a steaming hot spring. Beaten and weary, he used his last ounce of strength to climb in. He was now ready to die.

Death did not come. Instead, something changed, something his mind could not even remember feeling. Where was the stinging, the excruciating pain? He could feel with every fibre of his being that he was well. The man ran down the mountain, ecstatic with joy that he had found the cure. Going to the people, he tried to persuade everyone to go up the mountain. News spread. Out of curiosity, some followed. Others were skeptical. It was too good to be true. They had tried hot springs and mineral baths and herbal medicine. Nothing worked. The guy was just delusional.

A group made the trek into the mountains. It was hard going. Everyone was already weak, but the sun, the wind, and then the torrential rains were relentless. They cried out at the one healed man. "Why did you bring us here?" "Did you want us all to die on this forsaken mountain?" "I want my pain-killers!" "I would rather die numb and painless than go through with this pointless journey." "It's just a stupid hot spring. Leave it up to the doctors."

The man pleaded with them, but they didn't want to hear anything he had to say. The painkillers weren't cures, but it was better than this. Some turned and left.

Others, however, continued forward, yearning for the new life they saw in him. They knew there was no cure down below. They had nothing to lose. They reached the mountaintop and climbed into the spring. The next day, they too leapt down the mountain, filled with joy at their miraculous healing.
The ones who quit were envious. Embittered, they tried to turn others away. They told how the journey made the pain intensify and how they should rely on the treatments instead for instant gratification. Some started the journey but quit halfway. Others, who tried to be smart, took helicopters to the top, soaked in the spring all night, but still came out in pain. Only those who went through the entire journey on foot, who reached the top weary and defeated, came down cured and renewed.

The Healed tried to tell people the truth, but they were ridiculed. They were desperate: their loved ones were dying before their eyes, yet still they refused to listen. They were probably just pretending, the people told themselves. Sure, they seemed more alive, but who could tell they were really cured? It was just a longer treatment; it'd wear off.

The Healed persisted. They knew for sure they were healed. They would not let mere taunts and glares keep them from sharing, even if it meant offending the people. What good is popularity when your loved ones are dying? What was more important, a life or your pride?

If that really happened, what would you do? Make the journey in order to live, or sit around and wait for death? The latter sounds foolish, doesn't it? The answer seems so obvious.

I wrote this to illustrate how I feel. The disease is sin. The journey is following Jesus Christ. I know that there is a heaven and a hell: life and death. I know that we are heading towards death, every single one of us. But I know the way to eternal life. The end of this life on earth is not the final end but a beginning. Do I take the easy way out and waste away until death just because the journey in following God is difficult?

Heaven is a place without sin, yet we are covered in sin. We have no right to step into God's house, so God created a way for us to enter: one sinless Man was judged in the place of every sinful individual. However, if we don't live for or even give our time to this Man, why should he lay down His life for us?

When you stand before the Father at the end, will Jesus step forward and say, "Father, this person loved me and lived for me. Judge me in place of him/her." Or will Jesus stand at the side, look at you sadly and say, "I don't know this person. S/he never acknowledged me, my sacrifice, or my love."
I want you to know Jesus. I don't want you one day to be turned from His presence into eternal darkness. I may seem annoying. Perhaps you're thinking, "Why can't she just let me live my life my way? It's my life!" If I had a cure to a disease that you carried, wouldn't you want me to share it with you? Would it be right to keep it to myself? Wouldn't you, if you had the cure, want to share it with others, with the people you loved?

Am I scared of offending you or pushing you away? Yes! I don't want you to think I'm weird, or stuck up, or offensive. But what matters more? Your life or my pride? I choose your life over my pride. So I will share the cure, the joy and peace that I have found in Jesus Christ, who put down His life for me, and you. Following God is not easy. It is a difficult journey, but the reward is great. This is not a light decision. It's the biggest one that you will ever make in your life.

I hope you read all that and will reflect on it. I hope you felt my eagerness in showing you my Lord Jesus. Please feel free to come to me if you have any questions. I won't try to force you to believe anything. I will respect your decision. What have you got to lose in knowing? Know that I want this for you so badly. I want you to experience Jesus Christ.

What have you got to lose?