【双语灵修】神是阴霾中的牧者God, the Shepherd in the Shadow

「我虽然行过死荫的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因为你与我同在。」 ― 诗23:4

在一些圣经译本中，诗篇 23:4中「最黑暗的山谷」被译为「死荫的幽谷」。但无论是怎样翻译，一个有阴影投射的山谷都是相当可怕的。这个意象会令我们想起一次令人颤动的创伤，或一个很困难的危机，而这些回忆总是很可怕和吓人的。

我记得有一次与一个刚丧偶的人谈话，他们结婚近六十年。当时她正坐在厨桌上，围绕着我们的是他们一起生活的照片与故事，她与我分享她对诗篇23篇的看法。

她谈及「死荫的幽谷」和哀悼失去了一个至爱，那种感受是多么黑暗。她说屋子变得多么无声和寂静，留在一间充满着回忆的房屋是多么难受。听到她的话真令人心碎，但她同时也分享了，在经过这幽谷时她发现的一线希望。她说，一定要有一个光源才会形成一个阴影。有阴影不是说没有光，而是证明有光在附近。她也注意到光源愈大，所投的影也是愈小的。

朋友，无论你现在或将来身处甚么样的幽谷，我祈求基督的光会照得更大更亮，惟愿祂成为你力量的源头。

祷告

主祢就是光，求祢让祢的怜悯和慈爱照耀我们最黑暗的幽谷，引导我们永远把眼目和心灵放在祢身上。阿们。

诗篇 23篇

1 耶和华是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。

2 他使我躺卧在青草地上，领我在可安歇的水边。

3 他使我的灵魂苏醒，为自己的名引导我走义路。

4 我虽然行过死荫的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因为你与我同在，你的杖、你的竿都安慰我。

5 在我敌人面前，你为我摆设筵席，你用油膏了我的头，使我的福杯满溢。

6 我一生一世必有恩惠、慈爱随着我，我且要住在耶和华的殿中，直到永远。

God, the Shepherd in the Shadow

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” - Psalm 23:4

In some translations of the Bible, the “darkest valley” in Psalm 23:4 is called “the valley of the shadow of death.” Regardless of the translation, the idea of a shadow-cast valley can be frightening. This imagery can remind us of a traumatic loss or a difficult crisis, and our memories of such things can be fearful and frightening.

I recall a conversation I had with a widow not long after her spouse of nearly 60 years had passed away. While sitting at her kitchen table, surrounded by photos and stories of their life together, she shared with me her insight on Psalm 23. She spoke about the “valley of the shadow of death,” and how dark it can be when mourning the loss of a loved one. She talked about how quiet and still the house had become; how hard it was to stay in a home filled with memories. It was heartbreaking to hear, yet she also shared a glimpse of hope she had discovered while traveling through that valley. The only way for a shadow to exist, she said, is for a source of light to be present. A shadow is not the absence of light, but rather the evidence of a light nearby. She also noted that the greater the source of light, the smaller the shadow that is cast.

Friends, I pray that whatever valley you may be in today or at some other time, the light of Christ may shine bigger and brighter—and that he may be the source of your strength.

Prayer

Lord of light, shine your mercy and love into our darkest valleys, guiding us always to keep our eyes and hearts on you. Amen.

诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳