永不過期

作者：楊世禮    翻譯：以恩

2013 年秋天我和妻子回香港一遊。因為在那裡沒有親人，所以住在巿中心的一間旅館裡。我們對這旅館感到很滿意，因為它的價錢合理，且交通方便。

有一天在出門前喝咖啡時，我忽然注意到旅館供應的咖啡袋上面印有日期，上面註明是 2013 年 6 月 15 日。因為那時已是十月，我想這咖啡原來已經過期幾個月了；但是咖啡過期還不算嚴重，喝了應該不會有問題。我想，大概香港人不像北美的人喝那麼多咖啡吧。

幾天之後，我們正要步出房門時，正好看到幾個負責清潔的員工過來。他們詢問，是否每一件事都合乎我們的期望。我告訴他們，我們很喜歡這間旅館，唯一的不滿，便是咖啡過期了。他們其中一位很有禮貌地回應，會深入調查此事。當我們買東西回來時，我們看到那位員工在樓下等我們。他再一次很有禮貌地向我們指出，旅館供應的咖啡並未過期。我覺得很奇怪，便把其他咖啡袋上的日期指給他看。

他向我解釋：那是製造日期，不是失效期。

我有點尷尬地回應："真的嗎？" 他指出咖啡袋日期旁邊的一行小字：製造日期。

我囁囁嚅嚅地道歉："在加拿大，我們通常只印失效的日期。"

那天晚上我在靈修時，讀到作者形容神那堅定的愛，突然有個領會：神對我們的愛沒有失效期！難怪詩人要一直重覆 "上帝的愛永遠長存！"

我自嘲，若是神的愛有製造日期，那會不會就是我們的生日呢？有一個微小的聲音提醒我，神的愛也沒有製造日期，在我們尚未出生時，神已經認識我們。

著名的神學家沃爾特·布魯格曼這樣說："上帝那堅定的品格向我們保證，我們生活在一個以神的可靠忠誠為基礎的世界裡。"

讚美神，因祂對我們的愛永不過期。

NO EXPIRY DATE
Written by C. S. YEUNG

Last fall we went back to Hong Kong for a visit. Since we do not have family there, we stayed at a hotel. It was a four star hotel, centrally located. We were quite pleased with it, considering its cost and conveniences.

One morning when we were having our coffee before heading out, I suddenly noticed the coffee package provided by the hotel had a date printed on it. It says 15 JUN 13 and DDMMYY beside it. Since it was already October, I thought it was outdated by a few months. But for coffee, it should still be fine. My assumption is that people in Hong Kong probably do not drink as much coffee as we do in North America.

A few days later, while we were just getting ready to leave our room, we bumped into some housecleaning staff. They asked us if everything was up to expectation. I told them that we liked the hotel very much. Our only complaint was that the coffee packages in the room were outdated. One of them politely replied that he would look into the matter. When we came back from shopping, we found the same staff member waiting for us in the lobby. Again, politely he pointed out to me that the hotel coffee packages were not outdated. I was confused and showed him the date printed on the packages.

"That is the production date and not the expiry date." He explained.

"Really?" I was now embarrassed. He pointed at a very fine print on the other side of the date that read PRODUCTION DATE.

"I am sorry. In Canada, we usually have the expiry date printed on food products..." I mumbled an apology.

That same evening as I was doing my devotion, I came across this description of God's steadfast love: God's love for us has no expiry date! No wonder, the Psalmist uses the refrain "God's love endures forever" so often.

I jokingly said to myself that God's love has a production date and that is our birthday. Then a still small voice inside reminded me that is no production date either. God knows us long before we were born.

The famous theologian Walter Brueggmann puts it this way: "God's steadfast character is our assurance that we live in a world grounded by God's reliable loyalty".

Praise God that His love for us has no expiry date!