Let’s be friends to the end! The rise of the digital age has seen us more connected than ever before. But are we really connected? Or just functioning as robots performing daily tasks within everything we need to do? The digital age has created virtual communities, but it can never ensure we develop deep friendships. The function of interaction is happening between us, but humans must go further than only texting, emailing, or zooming to cultivate our deep friendships.
Do not get me wrong, the technological advancements have provided us with the most praiseworthy features to have quick access to things like ordering food, calling for medical emergencies, education and studying tools, self-care in entertainment, and communicating over great distances to maintain relationships. These are all graces and wonderful luxuries which have benefited our society for the better. However, the Apostle shows the desire of Christians should be to embody our community in a place where we can cultivate these relationships and share common experiences of God i.e. bearing fruit and showing our love in the Spirit in physical presence.
Gospel Friendships that bloom and flourish are the result of Christ’s energy working powerfully in us, and thus we should come to see ourselves as part of one body. The growth of these friendships occurs both from a distance and also in each other’s presence, where the word, singing and peace dwell and rule in our hearts together (Col 1:3-29 cf 3:1-4:2-18). The Hope of Glory that the Apostle Paul proclaimed in his chains was to bless the community of God’s people. This Hope caused him and others to see their ministry functions as an inseparable thing from their personal and deep friendships. Therefore, let us ask ourselves, then, how do we see each other? Do we view people in church as dear friends or brothers and sisters in Christ? or only as co-workers performing tasks? Christ-like service demonstrates an ability to love each other like the Saviour befriended us. These are the kind of Gospel friendships that generate from the Hope of Glory in Christ alone, and relationships like these are more than earthly friendships or family relations, because they are motivated by God’s divine love like Christ described in John 15:13-17.
Friendship in Church and Functions in ministry should always go hand in hand. Paul did not just proclaim his personal redemption in the Gospel’s Hope but also our corporate redemption to new life in God’s family. To put it another way the branches that have their life from the vine are also intimately bound spiritually as Christ’s Body. The Church shares every aspect of Christ, including his sufferings. For Paul his chains are a literal symbol of walking in the footstep of Christ and calling them to friendship in serving the Gospel’s cause. Paul, once the enemy who attacked the Body of Christ, now only sees them as friends like his Saviour did also. So, let’s be friends to the end is the heavenly perspective of Paul, because he knows God’s Will included suffering before glory. The question for us is will we let this heavenly perspective change us, and what is one way we can cultivate an attitude of Gospel friendship in our heart to others in CPC?
讓我們成為終生的摯友！數字時代的興起使我們前所未有地緊密相連。但我們是否真的彼此聯結了嗎？還是只是像機器人般機械地完成日常任務？數字時代創造了虛擬社群，卻永遠無法確保我們能建立深厚的友誼。人際互動雖然存在，但要培養真正深厚的情誼，就必須超越僅僅通過短信、郵件或視頻會議交流的層面。
請不要誤會，科技進步的確為我們提供了諸多值得稱道的便利：點餐、醫療急救、教育學習工具、娛樂自療，以及遠距離維繫人際關係。這些是恩典，當然也會不斷造福社會。但使徒指出，基督徒的渴望應當是“活出真實的群體”。在其中我們要能彼此建立關係、共享屬靈經歷，例如結出果子、在真實的相交中經歷聖靈里的彼此相愛。
在我們裡面運行的基督大能可以使福音的友誼綻放，讓我們得以視彼此為一體。這些情誼既能在相隔兩地時生長，更可以在彼此同在時茁壯，皆是因為神的道、詩歌與平安住在我們心裡並掌權（西1:3–29；3:1–4:2,18）。使徒保羅在捆鎖中“榮耀的盼望”是為祝福神的子民。這盼望使他和同伴們看見：事奉職能與彼此之間深厚情誼是不可分割的。因此，讓我們問問自己：我們是如何看待彼此的呢？我們是否把教會中的人視為親愛的朋友，或在基督裡的弟兄姊妹？還是僅僅把彼此當作一起執行事工的同工？像基督一樣的服事，則應該展現出我們能彼此相愛，正如救主曾與我們為友一樣。唯有源於基督的榮耀盼望而產生的福音情誼，才能孕育出超越世俗親情的屬靈聯結——正如基督在《約翰福音》15:13-17所描述，這情誼是基於神的愛。
教會中的情誼與事工應當相輔相成並行不悖。保羅不只是宣講他個人因福音得贖的盼望，更是宣告全體在神家中得著新生命的群體的救贖。換句話說，那些從葡萄樹得生命的枝子，也在靈里緊密相連，成為基督的身體。教會分享基督的一切，包括祂的受苦。對於保羅而言，他的鎖鏈是他“跟隨基督腳蹤”的真實印記，呼召眾人一同在福音的使命中以友誼相連。昔日與基督為仇敵的保羅，如今只視信徒為他的救主所愛的弟兄。因此“讓我們成為終生摯友”正是保羅的天國視野——因他深知神的旨意：榮耀之前必先經歷苦難。對於今天的我們而言，這屬天的眼光能否改變我們？在CPC，我們該如何在心中培育福音的友誼呢？
