降临节之一（圣诞节前第四十天为降临节之始）

反倒虚已

——腓立比书二章七节

神子基督，先于万有。他本有神的形象，本有神的威严、权能与尊荣；但他竟甘愿卑微，并为奴仆。

惟其降卑至极，故上帝将他升为至高，其高超乎万有之上。他本富足，竟为人类成为贫穷；惟其贫穷，故上帝乃立他承受万有。

权柄与名位，既非他所留恋，亦非他所企求。他甘愿虚己，故上帝能使他充满万有；他倒空自己，故上帝能叫一切丰盛在他里面居住。

何时我有此心：贫穷之中显为富足，降卑之中蕴涵升高，虚己之中显为丰盛，倒空之中充沛万有？

注：每年12月份圣诞节前的四周为“降临节”，

藉以等待、守候基督的降生。

 Advent 1

Philippians 2:7

But emptied himself

Christ, Son of God, preceded all creation. He is in the image of God, with all of God’s majesty, power and glory. Yet he was willing to be humbled, even to be a servant.

It was precisely because he was humbled to the lowest that God exalted him to the highest, above all things. Though he was rich, he became poor for our sake. And because he was poor, God made him the heir of all creation.

He cared for neither power nor position, nor did he seek them. He willingly humbled himself, and therefore God filled him with all things. He poured himself out, but God filled him, that all things might find their richness in him.

When will I learn, O God, to see poverty as riches, to see humility as exaltation, to find plenty in emptiness, and empty myself, so that I may be filled with all of creation?