我於 1985-1989 年事奉於菲律賓的馬尼拉聯合教會，時為他們的主任牧師。此教會於 1912 年成立，定意服侍日益增加的非菲人口。於我事奉初期，會眾中約 65% 為外國人仕，而菲律賓人則佔 35%。外藉會眾中，約三份之一為各國外交使節人員、三份一為跨國企業高層、另三份一為宣教工人。
我剛開始於這瑰奇的亞洲都市事奉便帶著極大的壓力。後推三年，當時總統馬可斯被指幕後指使謀殺其自美回國、剛完成一項心臓手術的政敵亞基諾，令他身亡於馬尼拉國際機場。從那時起，與亞基諾同一陣線的，無不感到馬可斯日趨白熱化的獨裁手腕，而期望能把國家轉向民主。及至 1985 年，局勢發展至臨界點，馬可斯的反對者被以各種方法及手段懲治。眼看着這個曾立於世界上自由民主的橋頭堡，今非昔比，我為此而心痛！
就在此時，長年在我心內萌芽的理念「福音影響政治」 終被確立。何解？說實在的，福音「是」什麼？馬可福音一開始，耶穌自己宣告福音的唯一定義便呼之欲出 -- 『耶穌來到加利利 ，宣講上帝的福音， 說：「日期滿了，上帝的國近了。你們要悔改，信福音！」』 依耶穌所言，福音乃由祂並藉祂讓上帝的國進迫臨格於世界。常被認為在末世才發生的事實卻應在現世中實現，更顛覆地說，上帝的新秩序其實已展開，並開始蔓延遍及世界。此新秩序為 -- 公正、慈悲、憐憫、真理、公義、聖潔、醫治的秩序，這一切已彰顯於耶穌道成肉身的在地生命。這把當時的政權放在準繩下 - 凡與上帝的國的秩序不乎的必於大君王前傾覆；因耶穌不斷的呼喚：「悔改」- 意即：警醒、轉身！為何？因有一新君王！
然而，我卻有兩重掙扎。一、馬尼拉大部份民眾都活於赤貧；他們貧窮，並不能脫貧，因富人在不斷無止境的斂財下變得富有、更富有、極富有，多個世紀以來，這已成了世界各地的通疾。二、最大的挑戰是要讓基督徒聽從耶穌、聽見福音，降服於祂、以祂為王，徹底以不一樣的顛覆性跟隨到底。祂呼召我們這些有財有勢的人當為貧乏人行使我們的財、我們的勢，特別是那些既得利益者，更應用其所有去分享天國的福音 - 寛恕、醫治、盼望、受壓的得自由。
耶穌的登山寶訓在我????頭「爆發」。於掙扎中，我終於聴到主的話 - 「不復仇、愛仇敵」。作為一個傳主道的外國人，我不住的宣講，當我們去服侍那些傷害我們的人，上帝的國便在我們當中臨格並展開，但我們必須不「回響」(我借用了印度宣教士斯坦利·瓊斯之詞）那些欺壓者和支配者之所行。
1985 年 11 月，馬可斯宣佈大選，而他的主要對手便是被殺參議員亞基諾的遺孀亞基諾夫人。不得了！1986 年 2 月，亞基諾夫人確實勝選，此令局勢更為緊張，因馬可斯無視選舉結果宣佈他順利當選。往後的二月中旬，軍中發生政變，成千上萬的民眾湧到軍政大樓前的道路，要求馬可斯宣佈其競選落敗。三天接近三百萬人充斥著軍政大樓附近的大街小巷，他們在作什麼？他們在祈禱！再祈禱！我舉目所見，眼所及的乃是一群一群人，擁在一起 -- 祈禱。無石頭、無汽油彈、無槍枝，只有祈禱的人，高呼 "Tapas Na" 「足夠」。三日後，馬可斯投降，投奔美國夏威夷。
對於此時此刻活於極權下的人，我希望你們好好地讀寫於極權統治下新約聖經。它的內容全是上帝的國如何進迫臨格於現實世界並把它轉化。兩個重點：一、拒絕各種暴力 - 暴力從來不能成就神的國，當暴力取替和平請願時便導致失敗。二、禱告 - 祈求大君王教導我們的禱文：「願祢的國降臨，在地如在天」。1986 年的革命稱為「人民力量革命」(The People Power Revolution)，其實它更應被稱為「禱告人民力量革命」(The Praying-People Power Revolution)。噢，還有一點 - 傳福音，作耶穌首次差遣祂的門徒所作 - 「去，宣告 - 上帝的國近了！」看所要成就的事。
還有很多無盡之言，説之不畫盡！但以理書1-7章是一很好的研讀教材， 當然，啟示錄更是在極權壓制下作主門徒的代表之作。
註：作者為加拿大維真神學院客席教授。
Kingdom of God & kingdom of man
Rev Darrell Johnson
From 1985 to 1989 I served as the Senior Pastor of Union Church of Manila, the Philippines. The church was formed in 1912 to serve the then growing foreign population. By the time I arrived the congregation was roughly 65% ex-pat, 35% Filipino. The ex-pat portion was made up of roughly one-third international diplomatic corps personnel, one-third multi-national corporation leadership, one-third missionary servants.
When I began serving in that amazing Asian city, there was great tension. Three years before, the then President of the country, Ferdinand Marcos, was alleged to have had one of the opponents of his administration, Benito Aquino, murdered after he stepped out of the airplane on which he flew returning from the United States, where he had under-gone and recovered from major heart surgery. From that time on, those associated with Aquino, became more and more concerned about the growing dictatorial ways of Marcos, and were working to reign him into a more democratic way. By fall of 1985 the tensions were reaching a breaking point, those who spoke out against Marcos being punished in one way or another. I ached for the country. The Philippines was not long before seen as a beacon of democracy by the rest of the world.
It was there that I came to the conviction that had been growing in me for years that the Gospel affects politics. Why? Well, what IS the Gospel? The only definition that Jesus Himself even gave in found in the opening of the Gospel according to Mark. "Jesus came into Galilee announcing the Gospel of God, saying, 'The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God has come near. Repent, and believe the Gospel" (1:14-15). The Gospel according to Jesus is that in Him and because of Him God's Kingdom in breaking into the world. What was thought to only happen in the end of time was happening in the middle of time (so to speak). To put it provocatively, God's New World Order has come and in beginning to spread throughout the world. This New World Order is one of justice, mercy, compassion, truth, righteousness, holiness, healing. All of which we see being manifested in Jesus' earthly life. The powers-that-be were rightly concerned. For that which is not consistent with the Kingdom of God will collapse before the King. Hence Jesus' consistent call, "Repent." It means, "come to your senses and turn around." Why? Because there is a new King!
The struggle I faced was two -old. One, the majority of people in Manila were very poor. And they were poor because the rich were getting richer and richer and richer needing the poor to remain poor. It is the way it has been all over the world throughout the centuries. Two, the biggest struggle was helping Christians hear Jesus, hear His Gospel, surrender to Him as King, and follow Him in His radically different way. He calls those of us with wealth and power to use that wealth and power for the sake of the poor. Especially to use that wealth and privileged position to share the good news of the Kingdom – forgiveness, healing, hope, freedom from oppression.
During that time Jesus' Sermon on the Mount "exploded" in me. I finally heard what He is saying. As the tensions mounted Jesus' teaching on non-retaliation and love of enemy especially rose to the surface. As I preached His Sermon, needing to be careful as a foreigner, I kept emphasizing the fact that the Kingdom of God comes and advances as we seek to serve those who hurt us, as we choose not to simply "echo" (I got the word from E. Stanley Jones, missionary to India) the behavior of those who seek to dominate and oppress.
In November of 1985, Mr. Marcos called for a new election. His primary opponent was Cory Aquino, the widow of the murdered Senator Aquino. Oh my, the tensions increased! The election was held in February of 1986. She clearly won. But Mr. Marcos declared himself the victor. Then in mid February, there was revolt within the military, and millions of Filipinos flooded the freeway in front of the Military Headquarters, demanding that Mr. Marcos acknowledge that he had lost. For three days nearly three million people filled the streets near the Headquarters. What did they do? They prayed! And prayed! All over I could see people huddled in groups praying. There were no rocks, no cocktail bombs, no guns. Just praying people, saying, "Tapas Na," "Enough." At the end of the three days, Mr. Marcos gave in, and was flown by the US to Hawaii.
What do I say to those under totalitarian authorities? Read the New Testament. It was written under totalitarian rule. It is all about how the Kingdom of God breaks into the world and slowly changes it. Two major words. One, resist all forms of violence. Violence never brings about the Kingdom of God. it is when peaceful protests are allowed to be taken over by violence that they loose. Two, pray. Pray what the King taught us to pray – "Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." The 1986 Revolution is called "The People Power Revolution." It should be called, "The Praying-People Power Revolution." Oh, and third word, evangelize. Do what Jesus told His disciples to do the first time He sent them on mission: "Go, say, 'The Kingdom of God has come near'." And watch what happens.
There is so much more to say! Daniel 1-7 would be a great text to study. And, of course, Revelation, written to disciples under very oppressive rule.
Note：Rev Darrell Johnson, Teaching Fellow, Regent College