今天早上在崇基禮拜堂講道，講章中文題目是「知．不知」。與各位分享。

"Deceptive Knowing"

Mark 6:1~6

1-2 He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?"  3But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter—Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.  4-6Jesus told them, "A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child." Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all. He couldn't get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching. (Eugene Peterson, Message)

         There is something in our texts this morning that resonates with some of the Chinese sayings like: 「本地薑不辣」,「外來的和尚會唸經」,「隔離阿婆飯香」，「外國的月亮比較圓」, etc.  Because of  this "knowledge" people hold the vew that anything or any one spectacular could not be produced locally.

Then again there are also sayings at the other end that stress exactly the opposite point: 「猛虎不及地頭蟲」,「茶是故鄉濃」 etc.  Accordingly folks share the opinion that local is always the better.

Which of the two views is closer to the truth any way?  I suppose we would have no problem proving either view valid with experiences and illustration of cases.  It seems that what really matters, however, is what we think we see and understand. In fact, it does not have much to do, if not nothing, with geographical location.  Indeed it is not a matter of physical distance but a distance of mind and heart.  It is not where others are or where they are from, it is really what’s already in our mind, and presumption is its name.