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The Book of Context

Messages  信息

I have something important to tell you, something a good voice would have you know – about your importance in life and how the children of the future look to you to take bold action on their behalf.

我有重要的事情要告诉你。有一个美好的声音将让你明了关于你的生命的重要性。还有，它会告诉你,未来的儿童将怎样看待你，怎么期待着你去代表他们，采取大胆的行动。

Whether you are inclined to believe that what I have to offer comes from God or my own imagination is of no matter. All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say with an open heart and mind. If you do, I promise you will sense something infinitely loving speaking in plain voice. I believe it to be God’s voice.

无论你认为我所说的这一切是来自神，还是我自己的幻想，都没关系。我仅仅想要的是你敞开你的心怀，倾听我的话语。如果你这样做，我保证你会感受到一个平实的声音饱含着无限的热爱，缓缓的向你诉说。我相信那是神的声音。

To truly hear what I have to say, it’s not necessary that you believe in a higher power, or if you do, that you visualize It in any particular way. The words I use simply reflect how God’s voice comes to me. It comes as my Father, and so I refer to (Him) respectfully in that way. There is no demand that you see or relate to Him as I do. The message remains the same. And if you don’t believe in God at all, at least not yet, that’s also of no matter. It’s not my purpose to convince you otherwise. As you will see, what I have to share isn’t as much about God as about us, and about you.

要想完全的明了我的述说，你不必要刻意去相信一种无形的超能力。或者，如果你相信超能力的话，你不必要把它去特别的形象化。 我仅仅是在使用词来反映神的声音是如何降临到我身旁的。神是以父亲的身份来的，这也是我尊称他为父亲的原因。但是你不必要像我一样看待他或者把自己和神和我一样联系起来。因为这个信息的内容是不会改变的。如果你完全不相信神，或者目前还没有信服，那也没有问题。我的目的不是为了说服你。你会看到，也会明白，我所要说和分享的并不仅仅是关于神，更多的是关于我们，关于你。

Today mankind faces issues far more complex than those of the past. These involve not only war and peace, and life and death, but the creation of life.

今天，人类面临的问题比以往要复杂的多。这些问题不仅仅包含有战争与和平，生存与死亡，还有生活的创建。

We’ve created a world of stark moral and ethical inconsistencies. Just as we strive to create human life through alternative means we put the living and the unborn to death， and allow many more to die needlessly from hunger and curable illnesses. At the same time, those who claim to know God discriminate, exclude and kill for His sake or for their religion. As disturbingly, many among us acknowledge nothing greater than themselves and no time frame of importance beyond that of their own brief lives.

我们建立了一个拥有鲜明的道德和矛盾的伦理世界。正如我们努力通过其他手段来创造人的生命一样，我们把依然活着的和尚未出生的生命推向死亡，并眼睁睁的目睹更多的生命被饥饿和疾病所吞噬。与此同时，一些声称了解神敬畏神的人却打着神和宗教的幌子去歧视，排斥和杀害他们身边的人们。令人不安的是，我们之中有大部分人仅仅考虑到自身的利益，完全忽略了时间的流逝，更没有机会去认识他们短暂生命存在的无穷价值。

This shortsightedness is incompatible with the gravity of the issues that confront us. It demonstrates that we are not prepared to make critical, far-reaching decisions - unless we first come to understand our responsibilities in life and recognize the importance of our individual roles in the stream of human existence.

这种鼠目寸光的见识与我们今天所面临的问题是绝对水火不相容的。它的存在表明我们没有深忧远虑。 所以我们必须认识到自身的责任和个人角色在人类的生存之中起到的作用。

In light of this, I ask that you imagine yourself surrounded by all the children of the future. Understand that their hopes are vested in you. You have an important role to play - one that might begin now by listening to something that offers purpose in life and calls you to action to help create a better existence for everyone. 

正因为如此，我请你想象自己被纯真的孩子包围着。你要知道，他们的希望都寄托在你的身上。从现在起，你可以扮演一个重要的角色：倾听一个声音，一个传达着生命的意义，同时也激励你用行动来帮助身边的每个人找寻生命的真谛的声音.

Once you’ve heard all that I have to say, perhaps you will join me in striving to touch the hearts and minds of others to intervene on behalf of future generations. I hope that’s the case. If it is, you can be certain it was God’s voice you heard lifting mine. And you can be sure others will hear that same good voice inspiring yours. 

一旦您听到了我所要说的，可能你会和我一同努力，来召唤和感动我们身边的人们和我们的下一代。但愿如此。你可以确信是神的声音在启发我。你同时也可以确信，你身边的人们会同你一样，听到那开导过你的美好声音— 神的声音。

The First Message  第一条信息

When the first message came, it did so three times as if to assure not a single word would be forgotten. And, not a single word changed. This, my Father made clear.

第一则我父亲的消息一字不变的重复了三次，以保证没有一个字会被人遗忘。这一点，我父亲指示得很明确。

”But, before sharing the message,” He said, “you must first ask a question of those to whom you would give it.”

“但是，在你传播这个消息之前”，他说， “你必须向那些聆听你的人问一个问题。”

“What question?” I asked.

“什么问题？” 我询问到。

“This. Are you a person of great faith? For only those of great faith can hear the message.”

“这个问题：你的信念坚不坚定？因为只有那些信念坚定的人才能读懂这个信息。”

“And then, say that a son comes to reclaim his Father’s house.”

“然后你再告诉他们，一个儿子前来改造他父亲的房子。 ”

--------------------------------------------

Are you a person of great faith? This question is a warning for it asserts that merely listening to the message is not enough. You must be of great faith to hear it. Indeed, this is the only one of my messages that does rely on faith. In order to know the son, you must know the Father.

你是一个拥有极大信心的人吗？这个问题其实是一个警告。它告诉我们，仅仅倾听信息是远远不够的。要完全弄明白其中的道理，你必须拥有坚定的信心。事实上，这也是我唯一一个依赖于信仰的信息。为了了解儿子，你必须知道父亲。

For many this message will speak of no more than unfounded religious fervor and, perhaps, false hope for a messiah. For others it will proclaim the arrival of a brother in the belief that we are all children of God. It will be clear to them that the son is a chosen vessel sent to accomplish a specific mission and to remind us that we are neither alone nor forgotten. Whoever, whatever this son is or may become, whether he is a metaphor for a man or a woman, he represents something new that will stand in no shadow, yet hold all that came before in clear sight.

对于许多人来说，这个信息可能仅仅是在表达无理由的宗教狂热，或者，对救世主的渺茫盼望。对于其他人而言，这个信息却宣告着一个兄弟的到来，因为我们都是上帝的孩子。他们清楚的知道，这个“儿子”是神所选定的一个使者，他遣送过来用以完成特殊的任务。这个神的使者同时也提醒我们，我们不是孤独的，也没有被神遗忘。不管这个“儿子”是人或者是物，是男或者是女，他是那么崭新，那么辉煌，使我们之前拥有的一切都豁然开朗。

What is this “house” the message speaks of? It is not of wood, brick or stone; it is nothing of Man’s construction. Rather, this house is a sacred place that supersedes all others, one built of flesh and blood. We are His house. It is through each of us that God expresses Himself in the world.

这个所谓的“房子”是什么意思呢？它不是木材，砖头，也不是石块。它不是任何人为的建设。相反的，这所“房子”取代了所有其他的建筑，是一个神圣的，有血有肉的活体。我们就是他的“房子”。神正是通过我们每一个人来向世界表达他的思想，传播他的信息。

We must, however, see this house for what it is - troubled, worn by generations of neglect, and damaged by storms of hatred, violence and corruption. God has waited for us to restore it but we have neglected to take on the task. Now, He would reclaim it through an envoy - not for His own sake but for ours and that of all future generations.

然而，我们必须认识到这所“房子”的现状：饱经动乱和风霜，被人忽视，痛恨和损坏。神等待我们修复它，但是我们却对此视而不见。 现在，神派出一位使者来改造它，不是为他自己，而是为了我们和所有的后代。

Reclamation will be a painful process – one of turmoil, strife, and unrelenting hard work. It will be met with great resistance – from those anchored in the material world, those devoid of faith, and those so steeped in dogma that they cannot hear God’s voice over the clamor of their own.

改造将会是一个充满动乱，冲突和艰辛的痛苦过程。它同时也会遇到许多阻挠。这些阻挠来自于沉溺在物质世界中的人们，缺乏信仰的人们，和顽固的教条主义者。他们的世界太喧闹，以至于听不到神的声音。

Despite this, God does not seek to tear away the foundation of His House in order to rebuild it. He will not supplant the basic good we’ve been taught and know of Him, but will build upon it. He asks simply that we renew our understanding of Him - hear His voice as if for the first time. And in the hearing discover what we search for but can not find – an understanding of our place and role in all things, the context for our lives.

尽管这样，神不会在重建他的“房子”前摧毁它的根基。反之，他的“房子”将建立在我们对他的了解之上。他仅仅要求我们再一次的认识他，倾听他，同时去寻找我们一直在追寻的东西：对我们周围的环境，自身角色的认识。我们生命的真谛。

The Great War  重要的战争

We are a house at war – both among one another and within ourselves.

我们是一所交战之中的房子：既有内战又有外战。

We wage war impulsively and technologically – reducing it to a gruesome spectator sport for most. Images of war are turned off and on at will as we float between fascination and indifference. War’s rhetoric has evolved to short bits of sound that impart little understanding, its face to censored snapshots, and the number of casualties to a matter of opinion. Most sadly, we are encouraged to war under various pretexts – only to find our enthusiasm sours when loved ones are lost.
 

现代的科技以及我们的冲动导致了战争的出现。然而，大部分的人们对战争了解甚少，仅仅把它视为一项庞大而恐怖的体育竞赛。战争的画面时断时续，因为我们要么着迷，要么漠不关心。有关战争的言论变的简短而肤浅，有时仅仅包含一些审核过的照片和死伤人数。最可悲的是，我们支持和鼓励因于各种借口发动的战争。这种狂热只有在我们失去自己的亲人之时才得以削减。

Such wars, however, are no more than a symptom of a far more monstrous struggle – one that began the moment humanity took its first breath, and will continue until it breathes its last. This great war surrounds and involves every one of us. Its casualties confront us each and every day. Yet, we barely recognize it.

然而，这样的战争是一个可怕的症状：一种从人类的一出生就开始起源，并将持续到人类灭亡的斗争。这场战争包括和涉及了所有的人。它的伤亡人数每天都在我们面前增加。只可惜我们根本没有意识到。

 

Look around you. See its signs in every act of hate and violence, each cruel word and every head that turns from the pain and suffering of others. Hear its voice in the rhetoric of both clergy and laymen who promote division and exclusion, or incite righteous war - sometimes in the name of a loving God.

看看你的周围吧。你会发现它的足迹：仇恨和暴力，凶狠的言辞，以及对他人痛苦的视而不见。你也会听到它的声音：那些牧师和俗人，他们浮夸，分割，排斥，还煽动所谓的以神之名所进行的正义战争。

Find the great war’s victims among the homeless, the ill who can be cured but are not, the hungry, the abandoned, the murdered, and those who will never be born. All suffer the consequences of our ill will, lack of love, tolerance and understanding, and our neglect. Perhaps you count yourself among these unfortunate souls.

这场战争的受害者存在于在那些无家可归的，那些等待医治的，那些饥饿的，被抛弃的，被杀害的，以及被扼杀在襁褓之中的人们之间。我们的不良用心，对爱，容忍和理解的缺乏让他们遭受到巨大的痛苦。或许你也自认为是受害者中的一员。

 
The motivations for waging this war come as no surprise – pride, anger, hate, fear, greed, indifference and ignorance. They stand arrogantly behind each cruel thought and word, each horrific act, and each expression of apathy toward the suffering of others. And the prize – nothing other than the degradation of life and the human spirit for we are the enemy - and the victims.

发动这场战争的动机并不奇怪：骄傲，愤怒，仇恨，恐惧，贪婪，冷漠和无知。它们的背后有残忍的思想和文字，可怕的行为，对他人痛苦的漠不关心，以及他们的战利品：退化的生命和堕落的灵魂。我们既是敌人又是受害者。

The place from which this war springs lies both within and outside each of us. Just as many believe God speaks to us in countless ways, so do we hear other, darker voices. Whether the voices of our leaders and others around us, or intangible facets of our own minds, they speak subtly by playing upon our hopes, fears and desires. They communicate emotionally and often without clear reason. And we listen - and all too often act on what they tell us.

这场战争滋生于我们每一个人的内外。正如许多人相信神用无数的方法和我们沟通一样，我们也可以听到其他的，一些黑暗的声音。不管这些声音是来自我们的领导者或是其他人，还是我们自己的头脑，他们巧妙的利用我们的希望，恐惧和欲望在悄悄的诱导我们。它们经常是没有理由的感情用事—而我们却常常听信这些谗言。

The voices of good move us to the most inspiring works of creativity, kindness and giving - the darker voices to indifference and acts of cruelty, killing and destruction. We may be creatures of free will, but we are not free from influence on the choices we make.

美好的声音给予我们灵感，创造性，仁慈的心；而来自黑暗的声音却教授我们残忍，杀戮和毁灭。我们或许拥有自由的意志，但是往往在抉择之时，我们却时常受外界的影响，从而失去了自由。

 
What future generations come to know will be based on what we teach them and the world we bequeath them. Will you teach them self-degradation or something more? Will you leave them a better world than you found, or only what remains when you have finished with it? Must we resign ourselves only to hoping our children will act responsibly, or shall we set an example by doing so? If you were among the yet to be born, what would you have us do?

我们的后代对于社会的认识来源于我们的教导和传授。你想让他们自生自灭吗？你想授人以鱼还是授人以渔呢？我们是否应该让他们听天由命还是为他们树立榜样呢？如果你尚未出生，你希望我们可以为你做些什么呢？

If you believe we need to pave a better path, then you must engage yourself in the great war. Whether you do this on a field as broad as the Earth, within your own family, or within yourself, the outcome is no less critical. You may not change the world, but you may inspire others who might. You have an important role to play.

如果您认为我们需要铺平一条平坦的道路，那么你必须加入这场严峻的战争。无论你的战场是大至整个地球，小至你的家庭或仅仅包含你自己在内，影响都是同样重要的。你可能无法改变世界，但你可以激励其他可能的人。你可以发挥极大的作用.

Purpose   目的

After a time I began to doubt my Father’s voice. So I devised the most difficult question I could devise – one to which I thought would come no answer.

“Tell me Father, what is the purpose of my life?”

And without hesitation, He replied, “To write your name.”

过了一会儿，我开始怀疑我父亲的声音。因此，我设计了一个我认为最难的问题：一个我认为不可能有答案的问题。

“告诉我，父亲，我生命的目的是什么？ ”

他回答得丝毫没有犹豫， “为了写下你的名字。”

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He had been listening, and had provided a profound response intended for anyone wishing to lead a meaningful life.

他一直在聆听，并且为那些希望人生过的有意义的人们提供了一个深奥的答复。

When you write your name, you do so with your own unique style - perhaps with a bold stroke, or with a light and delicate sweep. But in putting pen to paper, the result is no more than an impression with no intrinsic value – until it is read.

当你写你的名字之时，你有你自己的独特的风格： 或许粗描，或许淡写。但是，在握笔写字的过程中，文字顶多是一种没有内在价值的印象，直到它被读人阅读。

Your name lives only when someone speaks it. It takes on meaning only in the hearts and minds of others. Your impact on those around you is the true test of your value in life. Measure yourself not in terms of material wealth or position, but in terms of your positive effect on others. If you write your name well, those around you and those to follow may not only speak it, but embody it.
 

只有当某人提及之时，您的名字才可以流芳。 当你的名字存在别人心目中之时，它就变的有意义了。你对周围人的影响就是对你生命价值的考验。我们不应该以物质财富或者地位来衡量自己，而应该看你对他人起到的积极作用。如果你为自己留下了美名，那么你周围的人不仅会提及你，而且会学习你和效仿你。

Accomplishing this does not demand a life sacrificed in unending self-deprivation for others. Life is meant to be a joyous experience. All God asks is that you invest not only in your own welfare but in that of others – most of all children and future generations. He asks simply that you write your name with a hand guided by love, and a pen that flows with the free giving of yourself – and find your life fuller and richer in the doing.

但是这并不意味着你要无止境的为其他人自我牺牲。生命应该是一种愉快的经验。上帝青睐的是人是不单单考虑自身幸福，而把更多注意力投身在他人—尤其是儿童和后代的利益之上的人们。他仅仅要求你用充满爱心和慷慨的手和笔写下你的名字，用善行为你的生活添姿增彩。

Such demonstration of love is the single purpose for our lives. When we love, we write our names well. To do this you have but to recognize need in others, for love is a work of many means.

这种对爱的诠释是我们生命的唯一目的。只要我们心中有爱，我们就可以为自己留名。然而要做到这一点你必须意识到他人的需要，因为爱可以在多种多样的方式之中体现出来。

Too many of us live in the absence of purpose, passing time indulging in life’s pleasures and accumulating material wealth - realizing too late that little of real value remains when we are gone. Too many of us view our lives as isolated, independent events unrelated to the lives of others. We wander devoid of purpose; accepting little responsibility either for what is, or what will be. You waste your life if you follow this path.

我们之中的大多数人缺乏生活的目标，他们在钱财与享乐之中挥霍宝贵的时间。当他们意识到这一点的时候，往往为时已晚。同时大多数人把自己视做和他人毫不相干绝缘体。我们常常漫无目的，不愿意承担责任。如果你在走这条道路，你将虚度你的一生。

Adopt a broader perspective. View your life in context with the long and infinite chain that is the life of Man. Understand that you are not a single being but many. You are the product of all that came before, and the foundation for all to follow. You embody your predecessors both in substance and in spirit, just as your successors will embody you. They are your one true legacy and the imperishable treasure that remains when you are gone.

让我们通过更广泛的角度来看待这个问题。试想你的生命如同整个人类的生命一般漫长；你不是单一的个人，而是群体。你是前辈的结晶，后辈的榜样。你不仅在精神上而且也在实质上体现你的前辈，就像你的继任者将体现你一样。当你一去不复返的时候，你的后代们将是你真正的遗产和不朽的宝藏。

When you place yourself first and foremost in all things, you squander and degrade your birthright as a child of God. You reduce yourself from a vital link in a long chain to a visitor in life that leaves no lasting impression. You write your name in the weakest of inks - and it fades quickly with time.

如果你是一个凡事先考虑自己的人，那么你不仅耗费了青春，而且贬低了上帝儿女之名。你没有发挥你的应起到的作用和影响，因此你的生命无足轻重。你用廉价的墨汁写下了你的名字。随着时间的推移，它很快就会消失无踪。

Can there be any role greater than connecting the past with the future? Life is meant to be the most wonderful of experiences. Life doesn’t just happen - it’s given – but given with purpose.

有没有一种角色可以将过去和将来联系起来？人生应当充满美妙的经验。因为生活并不仅仅是生存，而应是给予，赋予目的的给予。

The reclamation of God’s house begins with a lifelong act of penmanship – the writing of your own name.

改造上帝的房子需要一辈子的雕凿：为自己留名。

Responsibility   责任

When you fulfill your purpose in life, you do so in terms of love and giving with the welfare of others in mind. You demonstrate an understanding of your place in life – that you are the product of all that came before and the foundation for all to follow; an important link in a long chain - a vital part of a greater whole.

当您在实践人生目的之时，你头脑中会常常充满爱，奉献和他人的幸福。你将用行动来证明你生命的位置：你是先辈们的结晶，后辈们的榜样；同时你也是一条长链中的重要的一节，整体的一个至关重要的部分。

In this connection with others, you know there is no greater purpose in living, no more meaningful investment in time, energy and resources than to help prepare the way for those around you, especially children and those to come. And you know that there’s no better defense in the great struggle against the degradation of Man than to act aggressively to strengthen and preserve your fellow men and women. You are responsible for them.

就此而论，你就会明白，生活的目的，没有比这个更了不起的；对时间，精力和资源的投资，没有比花在为他人铺路上更有意义的—尤其是为儿童和后代。你知道，在与堕落的人性做斗争之时，最安全有效的防守就是用积极行动来为你的同伴们加油打气。你有责任保护他们。

You cannot write your name boldly and indelibly in life without recognizing and accepting this responsibility. If you choose otherwise, your contemporaries and successors will bear the burden of your negligence just as we endure the failings of our predecessors and those around us – war and violence, murder, hunger, homelessness, and loneliness. You must do your part to eliminate these conditions now and into the future. Preparing the path for others demonstrates your love for God, for you can’t truly love and honor Him otherwise.

如果你没有意识到这个责任的话，你就不可能留名。如果你逃避责任，你的同辈和后代将承受因为你的疏忽和推卸而带来的后果：战争和暴力，谋杀，饥饿，无家可归，和寂寞。你必须加入进来，才可以减少这些可能的灾难。为他人铺设道路是对上帝的爱的真实表现，因为这是唯一爱他和尊敬他的方法。

If you accept responsibility for others, then you must firmly believe that all people are your people, and that all children are your children. Their well-being is your charge, wherever you may encounter need. This is no trivial undertaking for it means you will not allow a child to go unloved, the hungry unfed, or the sick untreated. You will not permit a person without shelter to remain exposed, you will not ignore a cry of loneliness, nor will you allow a person to perish who might be saved. You must claim those in need as your own - just as God claims you as His.

如果你肩负他人的责任，你必须坚信天下所有的人都是你的子民，天下所有的孩子都是你的孩子。他们的幸福掌握在你的手中，无论走到哪里都有人们需要你。这绝不是微不足道的事情；它意味着你不会让任何一个孩子失去关爱，你也不会忽视饥饿和疾病。你不会让流浪汉失去庇护所，不会忽略寂寞的哭喊，也不允许任何一个能够被拯救的人失去救治的机会。你必须像保护自己的孩子一样保护他们，就像上帝保护你一样。

Do the smallest thing and it will not go unnoticed. Make the least difference and it will be acknowledged. Perform the slightest act of kindness and God will be grateful. Engage in the faintest act of love, and you will be loved.

哪怕你只是做了微不足道的小事，它也不会被埋没。就算产生的变化极其微小，它也还是会被认可。任何善行在上帝的眼里都是伟大的。就算你的所为无足轻重，你都会被拥护和爱戴。

Do not be discouraged by the difficulty of what is asked. You are vested with God’s strength and have the power to perform miracles. Do not call upon Him to do that which you are unwilling to do. Rather, demonstrate to others that what may seem insurmountable can be conquered.

不要被困难所吓倒，因为神授予了你履行奇迹的力量。不要让自己违心的做自己不想做的事情。 反之，你要向人们展示什么叫“世上无难事，只怕有心人。”你要把不可能变成可能。

Above all, to be successful remove the doubt and fear which can bar you from God’s path and your good work. Doubt is a barrier to faith. You may doubt God, but you must not doubt the virtue of His way. Believe first in what He would have you do. Then, rest assured He waits along that good path if you seek Him.

首先,你要消除一切怀疑和恐惧，因为他们能阻挡你行善和前往神的道路。怀疑是信念的阻碍。你也许对神还存在疑问，但是你不能怀疑他的美德。首先要充分信任他所托付你的；然后，如果你寻求他，他肯定会在通往美好的道路上等待你。

As for fear, eliminate it within yourself. It is a barrier to action that can deter even those of great strength and faith. Recognize its many faces – fear of material loss, physical harm, failure, and ridicule – fear of taking a courageous step. 

至于恐惧，你要争取自我克服它。它是一个阻止伟大力量和信心的行动障碍。我们必须认清它的诸多面目：物质损失，人身伤害，失败和嘲笑；种种的担忧和恐惧让我们无法迈出勇敢的步伐。

Seek encouragement and strength not from those who reject God’s path, but from those who follow it along with you. Find your courage among them and let it grow with each step you take. Seek them out and you will find they are many.

你应该从与你随行的人们中间寻找勉励和力量，而不应依赖那些拒绝遵循神的旨意的人们。让你的勇气随着你前进的步伐而增长。只要你用心的去寻找，你就会发现，与你并肩作战的大有人在。

And, remember always that your comrades in travel along the good path, however silent and invisible they may seem, are with you. And God, however you may envision Him, is at your side.

而且，你应当记住，就算你的战友无声或无形，他们都永远在你身旁。还有神，不论你如何构想他，他总是与你同在。

Along His path, you will never travel alone.

沿着他的道路前行，你将永远不会孤单。

Simple Rules  简单原则

God’s path is one based on love and respect – a path bound only by two simple rules that help steer a steady and true course through life. They are the foundation upon which all else rests.

神的道路建立在爱和尊重之上，这两个简单的规则能指引我们稳步走向积极的人生道路。它们是所有其他一切的基础。

The first: To love one another.

第一条原则：要彼此相爱

And the second: To act according to God’s Law - and not in His name.

第二条原则：要遵循神的律法，而不是为他的名字而工作。

These rules are exquisitely simple, yet all-encompassing. They neither mention the countless wrongs we might commit, nor any punishment for having done so. They rely on the idea that in understanding what lies along the good path; we will surely recognize what does not.

这些规则貌似简单，却包罗万象。它们既没有提到我们所犯的不计其数的错误，也没有涉及这些错误将受到的惩罚。因为在意识到美好道路上将会呈现的一切，我们肯定可以分辨什么是丑恶。
 
In most holy books, there is much said about God’s laws (perhaps too much) – and inevitably Man’s laws. The two have become almost inextricably tangled and we have lost sight of what is truly God’s. Discernment, however, requires little more than recognizing God’s voice.

神的律法和人的律法在很多神圣的书籍里面都有体现，有的时候出现得似乎太多。这两者几乎已经密切缠结，混为一体，以致让我们无法辨别哪个才是神的律法。要想拥有识别的法眼，你要具备的能力不仅仅只是识别神的声音。

Hear it as you consider the first rule – to love one another.

让我们边听边考虑这第一条律法：彼此相爱。

What does this mean? It means that you will not seek to kill, for in killing you destroy not only life but generations. You will not bear false witness to harm another. You will not usurp that which is not yours. You will honor others, as you would have them honor you. And, that you will respect the gift of life in all things.

这是什么意思？这意味着你将不会荼毒生灵，因为那样摧毁的不仅是一个人，而是几代人的生命。你也不会做伪证去伤及他人。你不会强占他人财物。你会尊重他人，就像他人尊重你一样。而且，你会感激生命所赐予你的所有一切。

While not explicitly stated in the rule of love, all is clearly demanded in its application. None of this is new. Indeed you may dismiss what I say simply because you have heard it all before. But, have you incorporated it into your life. Do you live it? In reminding you of this simple rule, God asks that you integrate it into all you do for you cannot fulfill your purpose otherwise.
 

虽然以上这些都没有刻意的强调彼此相爱，但是神的用意实际上很明显。这些都不是闻所未闻的。事实上，你可能会忽视它们，因为你觉得我说的是陈词滥调。但是，试着把它融入到你的生活中去。你做得到吗？在提醒你这个简单规则的同时，神要求你把它运用到一切行为当中去，不然你就没有达到你的生活目的。

I’ve spoken of love for one another, but what of love for God? Simply, there is no greater demonstration of love for Him than an expression of love for others. He would have you bend your heart toward another before bending a knee in worship to Him. Demonstrate your love for God through good thoughts, words and deeds.

我已经谈到了要爱彼此，那么，怎样表达我们对神的爱呢？简单的说，爱他人就是爱神的最佳表现。他需要你在崇拜敬仰他之前做到关心他人爱护他人。良好的思想，言论和行动就是你对神的爱的最有力的证据。

He would have you worship no images for He has no face, and no single name. Rather, look for Him in the faces of everyone you encounter and in all good things - and know that He is called by many good names. Seek Him in all creation, in the hearts and minds of your fellow men and women, and above all, seek Him within yourself.

他不希望你崇拜任何图腾，因为他没有脸孔，也没有任何名姓。要知道，人们给予神无数美名。所以，你应该在你周围的人和所遇到的美好事物中间去寻找他，在神所创造的万物中，在你男女同伴的心中去寻求他。最重要的是，你要在你自己身上去搜寻他的影子。

He would have you come together to celebrate your faith for in doing so your love for one another is strengthened and increased. And, remember always that the only ritual of true importance is the practice of love.

他希望你们走到一起，庆祝你们的共同信仰。这样的话，你们会更加相爱。同时，始终记住，只有实践的爱才有真正的重要意义。
 

Call Him what you choose, celebrate your faith according to your traditions, but practice in all things according to the simple rule of love. Above all, recognize that those who follow His path are one people - and one with Him - as He is one with you. Be united in God – and not divided by your vision of Him.

 
你可以随便怎么样称呼他，你可以根据你的传统来庆祝你的信仰，但是你要把爱贯穿于你的一切所行之中。最关键的是，那些追随他的脚步的人们是一个不可分割的整体，就像你和神是一个整体一样。团结在神的周围，而不要因为各人对神存在不同的构想而产生隔阂分裂。

As with God’s first rule, the second is also very simple. It asserts and reminds us that no man or woman sits at the head of His table: act according to His Law and not in His name.
 

如同神的第一条规则，第二条也很简单。它声明并警告我们，没有任何男人或是女人有权力传达“神的旨意”。我们应该按照神的律法行事，而不是为他效力。

Throughout history and in the present day, God’s good words have been corrupted with the self-serving words of Man. Indeed, we have imposed and continue to inflict great wrongs upon one another because of such words. Worst of all we have done so in God’s name as if we are somehow empowered to inflict punishment or exact vengeance on His behalf. This practice is immoral and offensive not only to those who truly follow God’s path, but to God Himself.

纵观历史和现在，神的好名声已经被自私自利的人们的言词所腐坏。事实上，因为这些缪论，我们不断的对彼此施加迫害。最糟糕的是，我们打的是神的招牌，于是乎我们便有了权力去施罚和复仇。这种做法对于神和神的信徒来说，既不道德又具有攻击性。

Recognizing the corruption of God's words requires that we distinguish His voice from Man’s. Look for the signs. Recognize them in all who would subvert God’s words to their own purposes, seek to impose God’s will upon others, advocate hate, inflict harm, subjugate one person to another, incite violence, or exploit others.

我们要把他的声音和世人的声音区分开来，从而认识到什么是善恶美丑。睁大你的眼睛寻找一切迹象。有人为了达到自己不可告人的目的从而颠覆神的话语，把神的天意强加于人，主张仇恨，施加迫害，让他人屈服，煽动暴力，或利用他人。

Reject any person or cause that would discriminate among the family of Man or seek to exclude some from God’s grace for there are no outcasts from God’s family. All are equal, and all are loved equally.

我们应该反对一切不公平的歧视和对待，因为在神的家中永远没有孤独的流浪者。众生平等。所有的人都应该享受一视同仁的爱。

Test the words you hear and actions you observe against God’s simple rules and you will find the truth. His Law is absolute and knows no exception. If you know what is right and good, you will surely recognize wrong.
 

把你所听到和看到的一切用神的简单规则来测试，你将会发现真相。他的律法是绝对的，并且不容许例外。如果你知道什么是正确和美好的，你一定会明了什么是错误和丑恶。

As for the practices and laws of Man, they are the affair of Man. These must not, however, violate God’s Law which rules over the heart and mind. Our own laws govern only practice. If our hearts and minds follow God’s path, then surely our practices and laws will as well. Reject any effort or law of Man that seeks to infringe upon God’s domain.

至于人的律法，那是人的事。然而这些律法绝不能冒犯上帝的法律规则。我们的法则是规范言行的；一旦我们的心灵选择了神的道路，我们的法则和规章自然而然的也会遵循神。我们应当拒绝任何试图侵犯神的领土的行为和规章。
 
God is the good wind that blows across our lives. He guides us toward meeting our highest potential through simple rules – asking only that we do our best to make them the foundation for our thoughts, words and actions. In doing so we demonstrate our determination to do what is right – and so we bend with the good wind - and follow His path to fulfilling our purpose.

神是一股贯穿我们的生命的好风。通过简单规则，他引导我们去发掘和发挥我们的最高潜力。他只要求我们尽最大努力让我们的思想，言论和行动来以这些规则做基础。这样的话，我们就表明了选择正义的决心，于是我们顺好风而行，沿着他的道路去实现我们的人生目标。

The Gift of Life    生命的礼物

Despite my Father’s good messages, I grew troubled and confused. I could not understand why a God of such love would cause or condone the endless infliction of suffering and death.

在听到我父亲的好消息之后, 我还是不断的有麻烦和困惑。我无法理解为什么一个博爱的神会导致或纵容无休止的痛苦和死亡。

So I called to Him. “Father, why do you permit atrocities against the innocent?”

所以我对他说，“父亲， 你为什么容忍对无辜者的施暴？”

And He replied, “Do I commit such acts - or does Man?”

他回答到， “是我犯下这种罪行呢，还是人类？”

Then, after a brief pause He asked, “Will any fewer be dead in a thousand years?”

然后，在沉默片刻之后，他问道： “在一千年之后，死亡的人数会减少吗？”

-----------------------

The first part of His response is clear. The atrocities that offend us are self-inflicted. While we often take extraordinary steps to avert single acts of violence and destruction, we fail in the more difficult task of convincing ourselves that such behavior is unacceptable. God waits impatiently for us to learn this important lesson. Until that time, self-destructiveness will remain mankind’s curse - and its own severe punishment.

他的回答的第一部分是十分清楚的。那些触怒我们的暴行全都是我们一手造成的。虽然我们往往采取特别措施来避免特殊的暴力和破坏行为，但是我们面临的更艰巨的任务是来说服自己：暴力和破坏行为是不可接受的。神等我们学习这一重要的教训已经等到快失去耐心了。到那时，自我毁灭仍将是人类的诅咒，以及对自身的严厉惩罚。

There is little doubt that we as a people abhor and fear death. Why is it then that we glorify killing? We associate greatness with wars and victories; we exalt war heroes without recognizing any contradiction in the term. Killing is condoned and encouraged in the rhetoric of our leaders, the passivity of our clergy, and in our support for allegedly righteous wars. All the while, our children watch – and learn that killing is indeed permissible behavior. It becomes engrained in their minds. And we lose sight of the fact that death is the inevitable result of killing - ultimately standing aghast when a loved ones become victims.
 

毫无疑问，人类憎恶和恐惧死亡。那么我们为何颂扬杀戮呢？我们常说“伟大战役，”“伟大胜利，”我们歌颂战争英雄而忽视他们同时也是凶手的另一面。在我们领袖的演讲里，在牧师的消极对待里，在我们对所谓“正义战争”的支持里，我们无不纵容和鼓励杀戮。与此同时，我们的孩子一直在注意和观察着，而且意识到杀戮的确是可允许的行为，这一想法从而在他们头脑中扎根。我们忽视了死亡是杀戮不可避免的结果这一事实。最后，当我们的亲人和爱人成为受害者之时，我们只会束手无策，呆若木鸡。

We are inconsistent in our approach to killing because we have failed to adopt a single, clear code to live by – God’s simple Law. It should come as no surprise then that many of those who cry out in favor of protecting the unborn are equally vocal in support of capital punishment and war. Under such conditions, we cannot and will not know lasting peace and we condemn future generations to suffer the same fate. We will continue to kill and, perhaps, even hold God responsible for what we ourselves have done.
 

我们对杀戮的荒缪理解是因为我们没有遵循神的简单法则。因此，当我们看到那些赞成保护后代的人们也同样积极的支持死刑和战争之时，我们就不会那么吃惊了。在这种情况下，我们不会也不能知道什么是持久和平，我们的子孙后代也将遭受同样的命运。我们将继续杀害，而且甚至可能让神来替我们的所行负责。

After William Sloan Coffin’s son died when his automobile ran off a bridge, he said this in a sermon:

在William Sloan Coffin的儿子因车祸（汽车撞破桥梁后落水）丧生之时，他在一个讲道中提到：

”God is dead set against all unnatural deaths…The one thing that should never be said when someone dies is "It is the will of God." Never do we know enough to say that. My own consolation lies in knowing that it was not the will of God that [my son] die; that when the waves closed over the sinking car, God's heart was the first of all our hearts to break.”
 

 “上帝坚决反对全部不自然的死亡… 当某人去世时，我们决不应该说‘这是上帝的意愿。’ 我们没有资格这样说，因为我们知之甚少。我知道我儿子的死不是神的意愿；当波浪淹没那辆下沉的汽车之时，最先受伤的心是神的心。”

The same can be said of our war dead and all those lost through acts of violence. Surely God's heart is the first to break when a person is killed. We must come to understand that God does not deem His greatest gift an experience to be either cut short or spent in suffering. And so we must ask ourselves why we hold this gift in so little esteem – especially when it comes to lives other than our own.

这个说法也同样适用于战争死难者，以及那些所有在暴力行为中丧生的人们。毫无疑问，当一个人被杀害之时，最先破碎的心是神的心。我们必须明白，神是博爱的，他并不希望我们短命和痛苦。因此，我们必须自问，为什么我们不把神的恩典放在眼里，特别是当我们在谈论他人的生命之时。

Death is not pleasing to God. He takes no pleasure in it nor does He seek it. He places value not in death, but in the active pursuit of His path in life. Only in life can you fulfill your purpose. Only in life can you write your name.

死不是神想要的。他不能从中获得欢乐，也没有刻意去寻求它。生命的意义存在与乐观积极的追寻神的道路，而不是死亡。只有拥有生命你才能满足你的目的。只有在生活中你可以为自己留名。

It is a grievous reality that many people view pain, suffering and death as cleansing paths to God. Do not make that error. Do not seek to demonstrate your love for Him through the infliction of suffering or death upon others or yourself, but through adherence to His Law, service to your fellow men and women, and the protection of life.

这是一个严重的现实：许多人认为疼痛，苦难和死亡是通往神的必经之路。不要有这个错误的认识。不要通过对他人和自己施加痛苦或死亡来试图表现出你对神的爱，而应该坚持他的法律，服务他人，保护生命。

Do not aspire to come closer to God in death if you spurn His path in life. You will not find in darkness what you did not seek in the light. Rather, rejoice in knowing that He is near you now, and you have only to follow His path to find Him.

如果你唾弃神的道路，那么你就不要期望在你死后会接近神。在明亮的时候没有找到的东西，

在黑暗之中你是不可能找到的。相反，你应该为知道神就在你的周围，并且你会沿着他的道路找到他而欢欣鼓舞，。

But what of the question – will any fewer be dead in a thousand years?

但是，“在一千年之后，死亡的人数会减少吗？”这是一个什么问题呢？

At first this seems callous. But after careful thought His message becomes clear. It is a certainty that all those born will die. War, murder and destruction do no more than change the manner of death – not the fact of it. But, what of life and the manner of life? In the absence of killing how many more might live? How many would be born of those whose lives are cut short? And, in the absence of killing, how much better might life be for all? With His question, God focuses our attention on matters of life and living rather than death and dying.

乍看，这似乎有点麻木不仁。但在仔细考虑后，我们会发现他的信息是明显的。死对于每个人来说，是一件必然的事。战争，谋杀和破坏顶多只是改变死的方式，并非它的事实。但是，至于我们的生活和生活的方式呢？如果没有杀戮，又会有多少人能够存活下来呢？这些人又能拥有多少后代呢？如果没有杀戮，生命对于每个人来说，能好出多少呢？随着他的问题，神把我们的注意力集中在生活和生存之上，而不是弥留和死亡。

We must understand that each life is an important link in a long chain. The destruction of a single person can mark a holocaust as the human cord grows weaker with each thread cut from it. In God’s eternal view, no fewer will have died during the passing of a thousand years but how many generations might have been born of the murdered? There lies the tragedy.
 

我们必须明白，每一个生命都是一条长链的一个重要环节。一个人的毁灭可以造成一次大规模的破坏，因为人类这条绳索经不起一次又一次的切割。神纵观过去现在和将来，一千年里，死亡的人数的确不会减少，但是这些死去的人也就死去了，不再会有繁衍后代的机会。这就是悲剧的所在。

God reminds us that the choice to protect what we claim to love most is ours alone. Only when we truly respect life in everyone and see them as part of ourselves - our family - will we finally reject killing. Only then will murder and war disappear from our vocabulary, and that of our children. And only then will we truly be able to appreciate God’s gift to each of us – life itself.

神提醒我们，保护我们的所爱是我们自己的决定。只有当我们真正尊重每一个人，并且把他们视做我们家庭的成员的时候，我们才会拒绝杀戮。只有那时，谋杀和战争才会从我们和后代的字典里消失，我们也才能真正理解神赐予我们每一个人的礼物—生命本身。

Hate, Violence and War    仇恨，暴力和战争  

If we are to preserve the sanctity of life, we must preclude the birth of violence and war. These are not creatures born of themselves. Violence and war are brother and sister, sired by hate and born of disregard for human life. Violence is its father’s favorite son, and war stepchild of the apathetic who tolerate it in silence.

如果我们要维护生命的神圣性，我们必须排除暴力和战争。这些都不是无中生有的。暴力和战争是兄弟和姐妹，它们的前身是仇恨和对生命的漠视。暴力是它父亲的宠儿，战争的背后是无动于衷和麻木不仁。
 

If you choose God’s path, you must reject not only hate, violence and war but those who incite and engage in them. There is no satisfaction to be found in hate, no valid cause for the use of violence, no righteous war, and no place in human society for aggressors. Beware of them; repudiate their words, manner and means. Take warning from their rhetoric and recognize their true intentions.

如果你选择神的路径，你必须拒绝的不仅是仇恨，暴力和战争，还有那些煽动者和参与者。仇恨里没有快乐，暴力缺乏合理理由，战争不存在正义，侵略者不应有容身之处。谨防他们，拒绝他们的言辞，方式和手段。在他们华丽的辞藻之中识破他们真实的意图。

Know that God’s path begins with a declaration of love while aggression’s with hate and the naming of an enemy.

你要知道，神的道路以爱开端，而侵略则是怨恨和寻仇。

Overcoming hate and aggression relies on recognizing, understanding and peacefully resolving differences. However, even when all efforts to find peaceful solutions fail, we must not place ourselves on the offense but on the defense. We must direct our energies toward protecting ourselves and others rather than destroying an adversary. And then, even as violence may come, we must be guided by a clear understanding that reconciliation is the better choice.

克服仇恨和侵略依靠认识，理解与采取和平方式解决分歧。然而，即使一切寻求和平的努力失败了，我们也绝不能发动进攻，而应该防守。我们必须把精力用在保护自己和其他人身上，而不是处心积虑的去摧毁对手。然后， 即使暴力仍然可能出现，我们必须清楚的意识到，和解是更好的选择。

We must eliminate violence and war as acceptable solutions to problems. God would have us erase those words from our vocabulary. Future generations call out to us to take such bold action on their behalf. They beg us to prove our courage in dialog and acts directed toward the preservation and improvement of life - rather than the degradation and loss of it on the battlefield. In this they anxiously await the emergence of a new breed of heroes among us to inspire them when their time comes.

我们不应该把暴力和战争视为可以解决问题的方法。神将让我们从词典里除去这些单词。后代期待我们代表他们来采取大胆的行动。他们恳求我们在言语中体现我们的勇气，用行动来保护和改进我们的生活，而不是堕落和损失我们的阵地。他们焦急地等待着一批新英雄出现在我们中间，当他们时机成熟之时好激励他们。

Become neither an aggressor nor a combatant. If you would risk your life and the lives of others in hostile acts for any cause, then direct that same courage toward the pursuit of peace, for there is no greater cause. Demonstrate heroism not by inflicting suffering and death, but by lessening and preventing it. Engage in discussion rather than combat; protect rather than destroy or kill. God challenges us to develop a different and greater form of strength than that of the warrior – the strength to control our darkest nature.

不要成为侵略者或是战斗员。如果你愿意为任何原因的敌对行为用你的生命或是他人的生命去冒险，那么不如把你的勇气转移到对和平的追求之上，因为世上没有比维护和平更为伟大的事业。你的英勇应该用在减少死亡和痛苦上，而不是去贸然体验他们。选择辩论，放弃争辩；选择保护，放弃破坏和杀害。与武士相比较，神挑战我们去发掘另一种形式的强大力量—控制我们内心最黑暗的一面。

Remember that all people are your people and all are your family. through this belief you will surely avoid hate and find peaceful means to resolve differences. You will protect those threatened by aggression rather than becoming the aggressor. If you hate, incite violence, kill or cause suffering, you violate God’s Law.

请记住，天下所有的人都是一家人。拥有这个信念的话，你一定可以避免仇恨，寻求和平手段来解决分歧。您将保护那些受到侵略的威胁的人们，而不是成为侵略者。如果你满怀仇恨，煽动暴力，杀害无辜，制造痛苦，那么你就违反了上帝的法律。
 

Peacemaking is not a passive endeavor, nor is it for the weak. It must be engaged in boldly and courageously. It is for the truly strong。

和平不是被动的努力，也不是弱者的选择。它需要大胆和勇敢的人们，它等待着真正的强者。

Violence and war degrade and destroy our present and future generations. Death is a natural consequence of life; we must not hasten the inevitable. Realize that the infliction of violence and war upon one another is its own punishment. We suffer as a people, destroy our future, and diminish ourselves in God’s eyes.

暴力与战争破坏和摧毁我们和我们的后代。死亡是生活的必然结果， 我们不可加速也不可避免它。然而我们必须认识到，施加暴力和发动战争，是人类的自我惩罚。我们不仅会遭受痛苦，自毁前程，并且也会在神面前自我抹黑。

God does not condone acts of anger, hate and violence but in our right to choose allows us to err, to bear the consequences of our actions, and to learn that there is a better way. He waits for us to recognize and accept life as a gift and to protect and preserve it. He waits for us to accept responsibility for future generations that rely on our wisdom to follow the good path to secure their places in life.

上帝没有纵容愤怒，仇恨和暴力行为，但我们有权选择犯错，承担后果，并吸取教训。他在等待我们视生命为礼物，用心保护它和保存它。他也期待我们肩负起保护后代的责任，依靠我们的智慧，沿着良好的道路前进。

The War Can Be Lost       战争可能失败   

Even as I came to understand what God asked of us, I grew critical at what seemed His own inaction to end mankind’s infliction of pain and suffering upon itself.

即使我明白神对我们的要求，但是对于他不采取行动来结束人类的痛苦和苦难存在批判态度。

So I called to Him.

“Father, why do you not command good and force us to follow your path?”

于是我对他说： “父亲，你为什么不召集好人，或者迫使我们沿着你的道路前进？"

In response there came nothing but silence.

但是我得到的答复只有沉默。

But the silence was not empty, for in it lay the answer to my question.

但是这个沉默不是空白的，因为沉默之中就有我所追寻的答案。

The good path is ours to choose. And in not doing so, the great struggle against our own degradation and destruction can indeed be lost.  

良好的道路是我们自己的选择。但是如果我们不选择它的话，我们将极有可能面临人性的堕落和退化。

The persistence of violence and killing says little about God but much about us. It says nothing of His attention or inattention to our many crimes against one another. Nor does it say anything about God’s ability or inability to stop these crimes. It speaks only of us, and the choices we make.

持续的暴力和杀戮说明的主要是我们的问题。它没有提及神是否关注或能否制止我们彼此伤害。这仅仅说明了我们的问题和我们的选择。
 

As creatures of free will, we must take responsibility for our actions – and their consequences. That violence and killing continue unabated is evidence that a great struggle continues. This is a timeless war incited by voices seeking our destruction. Whether they come from within us or from elsewhere, these voices speak to our darkest and most vulnerable nature. They appeal to us when we hunger most and we all too often heed their counsel and as a result we unleash unspeakable horrors upon one another.

我们是具有自由意识的高级生物，所以我们必须对我们的行动及其后果负起责任。那些暴力和杀戮有增无减的持续表明一个巨大的斗争仍在继续。这是一场由破坏煽动的永恒的战争。无论这些呼声来自我们自身或是其他地方，它们所魅惑的都是我们内心最黑暗最脆弱的部分。它们煽动着我们的欲望，让我们毫无招架的听从它们的使唤，从而犯下无比恶劣的罪行。

We must neither be so foolish as to refuse to recognize the power of these voices, nor should we be lulled into complacency by the misconception that good must and will prevail. If good is the greater force in our lives there is scant evidence of it for sadly it is easier to hate than to love, to destroy than to build and to kill rather than save.

我们既不应该愚蠢到否认这些声音的影响力，也不应该认定正义必胜而蒙蔽自满，放松警惕。要说正义在我们的生命中占上风的话，我们其实没有足够的证据。因为恨人远远比爱人容易，摧毁和杀害比创造和保护要不费力得多。

The many horrors we observe in life are of our making. In their continuation, we must recognize that evil can triumph over good.

在我们生活中存在的许多悲剧其实都是我们一手造成的。在他们的不断延续中，我们必须认识到，邪恶有时也可以征服正义。

To assure that it does not, you must freely choose God’s path and actively engage in the struggle against mankind’s destruction. While this war may be won in the absence of your participation, it might also be lost for the lack of it. Your choice is of critical importance.

为了确保它不会得逞，你必须坦率的选择神的道路，并且积极的投身到这场关乎人类存亡的战争中来。尽管没有你的参与，这场战争可能仍会获胜，但是没有你的加入，它也可能惨败。因此，你的选择确实是至关重要的.

Whether God allows this war to rage, or is powerless to stop it is of no matter. We cannot know the answer. We must simply have faith that His way is the path to victory and be strengthened in the knowledge that He is with us in the battle. 

神是否允许这场战争肆虐，还是无力阻止，这些都无关紧要。我们无法知道答案。只是我们必须有信心。因为他的道路是一条必胜之路，而且他会与我们并肩作战。
 

This struggle is ours to carry on – each of us must work to secure the future.

这场斗争的接力棒传到了我们的手中，我们每个人都必须投身进来，以确保未来的胜利。

God shows us a clear path to success. We must have the good judgment to choose it.

神向我们展示了一条明确的成功之路。我们必须有良好的判断力来选择它。
 

The aggressor, the warrior and the killer do the unthinkable without fear or hesitation. They are bold in pursuing their destructive paths. We who choose the good path must show the same resolve in working to preclude violence and killing through love, compassion, and intelligence. We must rise without hesitation to protect the weak from aggressors, and to teach others to recognize and overcome the dark voices.

侵略者和杀手之所以不同凡响是因为他们没有恐惧和犹豫。他们大胆的选择了破坏的道路。我们这些选择美好道路的人们必须表现出同样的决心，通过爱，同情，和智慧来努力排除暴力和杀戮。我们必须毫不迟疑地保护弱者，并引导他人识别和克服来自黑暗的声音的诱惑.

God’s path is an arduous trail for those who travel it. Along the way, you will be confronted by influences that would confound and hinder you for the voices of good and of evil are akin to those of a truthful man and a liar. The liar confuses and entices so that you may not clearly discern right from wrong.

神的道路上充满艰辛。一路上，你将面临混淆和阻碍。其实好和坏，是与非，本是同根而生。因此，有了这些迷惑和引诱，你可能会失去辨别是非的能力。

But God has given what is required to make such decisions – a simple law of love. The right choice will never violate this Law. Use it as your guiding star – it points constantly toward the good path, constantly toward victory in the great struggle.

但是，神给予了我们一个先决条件：一条简单的爱的律法。正确的选择将永远不会违反它。用它来为你指路吧，它永远通往美好，通往胜利。

In the direst of circumstances, those in peril look to God to pull them from certain destruction. Now God looks to you. He shows you a certain path to help secure the generations to come. The future depends on your strength and courage. Will you rise to the challenge? Will you answer His call?

在最可怕的情况下，那些处于危险的人们总是希望神可以拉他们一把，从而使他们度过难关。现在神在期待着你。他向你展示了一条道路，以确保子孙后代的平安。未来取决于你的力量和勇气。你会迎接挑战？你会响应他的召唤吗？

The Greatest Invitation     最盛情的邀请

Inspired by my Father’s words, I ventured out to share His good message with others. But despite the value of what I carried, I encountered little more than rejection. Frustrated by my inability to reach into people’s hearts and minds, I sank into such discouragement that I no longer believed I could do all He asked of me.

通过我的父亲话语的激发和鼓舞，我冒昧的传播和分享他的好消息。但是，尽管我一片好心，我还是遭遇到了不少拒绝。因为无法打动他们的心，我十分沮丧，灰心得甚至不再相信我可以完成他所托付我的任何事情。

When I could endure no more, I called to Him saying, “Father, I am not the one you seek to do this work. I am weak and unworthy of the task.”

当我忍无可忍之时，我对他说到： “父亲，我不是你想找的人。我太软弱了，不配完成你的任务。”

And in response, He asked a simple question.

“Would you refuse the greatest invitation made of a man?”

他没有正面回答，而是问了我一个简单的问题：“你会拒绝他人的盛情邀请吗？”

-----------------------

God knows what we are. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. And, He asks no question to which He does not already know the answer. He knew I would not refuse His invitation. Indeed, in inviting me to join in His good work He was telling me there could be no failure regardless of how much resistance I met or how insignificant progress might seem from my human point-of-view. In trying there can be no defeat. My Father’s invitation was, in and of itself, the clearest expression of His confidence in me – confidence I needed to have in myself.

神太了解我们了。他对我们的优点和弱点了如指掌。而且，他也熟悉他所问的每一个问题的答案。他知道我不会拒绝这一邀请。事实上，在邀请我的同时，他已经告诉我，无论我遇到多少阻碍，或者无论进展在我看来有多微小，都不算也不可能有失败。只要努力就会有结果。我父亲的邀请，本身就是在最清楚的表达他对我的信任，所以我也应该拥有自信。

It wasn’t long after that I realized something very important about my relationship with God. From the very beginning He identified Himself clearly and plainly as my Father. Unsatisfied, however, I yearned for the moment when I would hear Him call me His son. But he never did, and even when I pressed there came no response.

不久之后，我意识到了我和神的关系之间十分重要的一点。从一开始，他就直截了当的以我父亲的身份自居。然而，我却不知趣的向往着他称呼我儿子的那一刻。但是他从来没有过，即使我一再纠缠。

Then I realized my error. He had pronounced Himself my Father – something only He could do. And so it was with me. Only I could accept Him as such by declaring myself His son. It was up to me to complete the relationship between us – and to live up to it.

然后我意识到了我的错误。他曾亲自宣称他是我的父亲—只有他可以这样做。对于我来说也是一样。只有我自己可以接受他，并自认是他的儿子。我可以确立这一关系，并且不辜负它。

So it is with you. He comes as your Father. Only you can seal the relationship.

你也一样。他也是以你的父亲的身份而来，只有你可以确立这一关系。

As children of God, many wonders are placed before us along with the ability to discover them. We must endeavor to do so and in that discovery be reawakened. The world we know and the future we bequeath our heirs is the canvas on which we paint our lives and write our names. In accepting kinship with God, we are obliged to do this well through the creation of a better world for ourselves, and those to come.

作为上帝的孩子，许多奇迹和去发掘这些奇迹的能力都已经展现在我们面前。我们必须努力去追寻它们，而且在追寻的同时再度点燃我们对生命的激情。这个我们所了解的世界和我们所要传授给后代的未来就是我们描绘生活，书写姓名的帆布。一旦你接受和神的亲密关系，我们就有义务去为我们自己和后人建立起一个更美好的世界。

In creation we move closer to Him. In discovery we are reminded that we do not know all that is – and so our minds open to the endless possibilities of life, the greatest gift of all.

在创造中我们走近神，在发现中我们意识到我们的不足，所以我们的头脑更为灵活，更加开放，因此我们就有机会去发掘生活中无限的可能，生命中最丰盛的礼物。

It is true that God asks much of us and it is difficult work. Find the strength to take up the task. Is it a fool who believes in something that cannot be seen and makes no sound, and who struggles for a better future he cannot know? Or is such a person a true child of God?

的确，神所要求的不少，也不容易。但是我们应该寻找可以胜任这项任务的勇气。如果你信任一个你听不到也看不到的东西，并且为了一个未知的将来而奋斗，那么你是傻瓜呢，还是一个真正的神的儿女？

Be that child – and remember,

做他的孩子，并且记住，

In this life you are but a visitor. The time has come to gather your tools and to do your good work.

在生命中，你不过是个过客而已。现在时机已到，你应该收集你的工具，展现你最出色的工作水平。

God extends the greatest invitation that can be made of any man or woman.

神所有的人发出了最盛情的邀请。

Would you refuse it?

你会拒绝吗？