“在上有权柄的，人人当顺服他，因为没有权柄不是出于神的。” – 罗 13:1
我从来没有与任何一位总统或首相见过面。（不过，我曾在两个场合中远远望见英国女王伊利沙白二世！）作为一个普通市民，我对我国家的法律和政策没有什么影响力。我投的票只不过是数百万票的其中一票，而出席决策会议对设定国家的路向也起不了什么作用。对移民法律和政策，和大部份其他法律来说，情况都是一样。
然而，尽管我没有参与制定我国家的法律和政策，但我却没有权去漠视或违背它们。即使我认为这些法律是可憎和具毁灭性的，我也没有权去违背。不过，庆幸的是在很多像我国的国家，人民有权去抗议不公平的政策。而当一个政府的要求直接与神的要求背道而驰时，我们就必须选择神的要求（使徒行传5:29）。尽管该撒或许曾使用税款进行不法勾当，耶稣仍然教导衪的跟随者，该撒的物当归给该撒（马可福音 12:17）。
纵使我们对我们政府和它的政策感到大失所望，我们也不应以此为借口来恶待人。举一个例子，无论我们们是支持或反对移民政策，那位吩咐以色列民要爱住在他们中间外人的神，仍然呼召我们也要如此行，就是要爱我们的邻舍如同爱我们自己。
祷告
主耶稣，求你帮助我们像你那样服从治理我们的政权，又爱我们所有的邻舍如同爱我们自己。奉你的名祈求，阿们。
罗马书 13:1-7
1在上有权柄的，人人当顺服他，因为没有权柄不是出于神的，凡掌权的都是神所命的。
2所以，抗拒掌权的就是抗拒神的命，抗拒的必自取刑罚。
3做官的原不是叫行善的惧怕，乃是叫作恶的惧怕。你愿意不惧怕掌权的吗？你只要行善，就可得他的称赞；
4因为他是神的用人，是于你有益的。你若作恶，却当惧怕；因为他不是空空地佩剑，他是神的用人，是申冤的，刑罚那作恶的。
5所以你们必须顺服，不但是因为刑罚，也是因为良心。
6你们纳粮也为这个缘故，因他们是神的差役，常常特管这事。
7凡人所当得的，就给他：当得粮的，给他纳粮；当得税的，给他上税；当惧怕的，惧怕他；当恭敬的，恭敬他。
Obey the Governing Authorities
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” – Romans 13:1
I have never met a president or a prime minister. (I did see Queen Elizabeth II of England from a distance on two occasions, though!) As a regular citizen, I have little influence over the laws and policies of my country. My vote is just one among millions, and attending policy meetings does little to set the nation’s direction. This is true for immigration laws and policies as well as for most other laws.
But just because I do not write my country’s laws and policies, I do not have the right to ignore them or to rebel against them. Even when I think the laws are horrible and destructive, I do not have the right to break them. Thankfully, however, in many countries like mine, people have the right to protest unfair policies. And if a government’s demand is in direct conflict with God’s commands, we must choose God’s way (Acts 5:29). Still, Jesus taught his followers to give to Caesar what was due him (Mark 12:17), even though Caesar may have used taxes for unethical purposes.
Even when we are disillusioned with our government and its policies, we cannot use that as an excuse to treat other people poorly. Whether we are pro-immigration or anti-immigration, for example, the God who told Israel to love the foreigner among them also calls us to do the same, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help us to obey our governing authorities as you did, and to love all our neighbors as ourselves. For your sake, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
