七成市民認為香港人生活痛苦

一項調查發現，七成市民認為香港人生活痛苦。樹仁大學經濟與民生研究計劃，上月以電話訪問了1500人，有七成市民認為現在生活痛苦，當中五成半認為頗痛 苦，一成六非常痛苦，整體痛苦指數，以4分代表非常痛苦計，有2.85分。按照家庭月入劃分，月入1萬至2萬元的家庭最感生活痛苦，痛苦指數約2.9分。 研究員分析表示，他們月入低於全港家庭收入中位數，但卻高於一般貧窮線定義，享受到政府福利相當有限，但同時面對嚴峻生活壓力。另外，以年齡劃分，55至 64歲群組的痛苦指數最高。分析指出，這與他們憂慮日後退休生活是否得到保障有關。而在六大民生問題中，令港人活得最痛苦的是住屋問題，其次是物價。

陳振聰的水禮見證

以下是陳振聰的水禮見證。For the info of my American friends, 陳振聰2007年4月，聲稱自己是香港華懋集團已故主席龔如心千億遺產的唯一受益人而引發令人感可恥的爭產案。
……………………………………
各位弟兄姊妹平安，大家好，這篇是我四月份洗禮，得到救恩的見証。
今天能夠站在這裡，感覺很奇妙，多謝送第一本聖經給我的，譚文華弟兄，和2位牧師不離不棄的帶領，是阡陌社區浸信會的，林以諾牧師，已經榮休的堅道浸信會 的劉少康牧師，引領我決志信主的，潘文信牧師。再加上弟兄姊妹的包容，我才能蒙神的恩典，跟大家分享我被聖靈感動的見證。
我很喜歡以下這節經文：
「若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人，舊事已過，都變成新的了。」(歌林多後書5:17)
我的背景相信不需再多說，以前的我，嚴格來說是沒有宗教信仰，但相信風水能為人帶來好運，今天，受神的感召，有新的看法。認識耶穌基督之後，讓我明白，人是不能預知明天的，一切透過預知而得到的幸運、金錢財富，都是魔鬼的引誘。
風水不靈驗，你的損失只是幾千蚊幾萬蚊；但如果風水靈驗的話，則更要小心，因為魔鬼的動機是，製造靈驗的效果，引誘人們歸向撒旦。
我承認，以前做過一些神所不喜悅的事情。大家見到我，都會唾罵我、厭棄我，當時我的內心真的很難受，被人當作過街老鼠一樣。做了幾十年人，情緒從未如此低落。
有一日，成為我往後人生的轉捩點。
去年3月底，在我家工作了逾十年的司機 Henry （譚文華弟兄）突然向我請辭，原因是找到一份替基督徒家庭辦事的工作，星期日可放假返教會。Henry 臨走時更將跟隨他多年的聖經送了給我。當我伸手接過這本聖經時，奇蹟便出現了。
我接住本聖經時，雙手感覺像麻痺一樣，像是中了風，全身不能動彈，雖然這個感覺只維持了短暫時間，卻令我感到十分奇妙。
過了一會定過神後，翻開聖經看看。一翻便是出埃及記，看到摩西帶領以色列人出埃及。看完聖經後，我再問 Henry，我想單獨見見牧師？(為何要單獨？因為怕被其他人看到傳出是非，影響其他人)
Henry 於是向他所屬教會堅道浸信會主任劉少康牧師道出了要求，劉牧師更找來他的朋友阡陌社區浸信會林以諾牧師一同向我講解基督的救恩。
之後，我便開始參加堅道浸信會主辦 2012年度 Alpha course (啟發課程) 。
回想起，在我18歲的時候，也曾短暫地返過教會，這幾十年一直也沒有想過返教會聽崇拜。第一次返Alpha course 時，有接近200人參加，我坐在5號枱，當日由堅道浸信會的會佐講道，主題是「快樂」。他說，快樂的定義是甚麼？就是「舒心、安心、放心」。講道開始不夠 3分鐘，我的耳及面便開始紅起來。
他說：2010年，香港人的快樂指數上升是因為3件事。（一）是政府派錢$6,000，(二) 是威廉王子結婚. …… 第三件事是甚麼呢？
說到這裡，我的背、額頭開始滲汗，心跳得很快，更想找個地方躲起來，心想可能下次不來了。
大家估到第三件事是甚麼呢？… 陳振聰終極敗訴。
我在留意有沒有人在拍掌、在訕笑呢？誰知，全場毫無異樣，原來都不是一回事，我便鬆了一口氣，內心此時異常平靜，認為這裡就是我的家了。
自此之後，我每天靈修、讀經、祈禱，與神談話。
有個經歷好想同大家分享：
在參加 Alpha Course 時認識了一位姊妹孫太，孫太介紹了她的好朋友 Kitty Chan （陳婉華律師）給我認識。KITTY 邀請我參加了蘇比牧師 (Pastor Julius Suubi) 的佈道會。蘇比牧師來自非洲，在聽他講道時，感覺像是飲醉酒，個身好輕似是飄浮在半空中。
後來我感覺到 Kitty Chan 輕輕拍了我一下，霎時間我才發現自己在坐位前，跪了在地上，Kitty 當時告訴我，原來當時我已跪了一小時，那時候我才感覺到膝部的痛楚。佈道會後，有機會與蘇比牧師為我祈禱，他對我說，聖靈告訴他，上帝要除了我的舊名字， 換上新的名字：Peter。而家教會的朋友都改口稱我為 Peter了。
我有個新名字，舊事已過，一切都變成新的了。
上了3個月的 Alpha Course後，認識了很多弟兄姊妹，更認識了不少聖經金句，有一句更是常伴我左右。
當我感到困惑時：「你的話是我腳前的燈，是我路上的光。我甚是受苦，耶和華啊，求你照你的話將我救活！」(詩篇119:105、107)
我的生命路，如今已經和上帝接軌。我的過去，是神不喜悅的生活方式，於是就無法接觸上帝，神要用一條苦難的路，安排我走過。在途中，我與神相遇，並得到救恩。
今天，我的生命真的改變了，因為得到快樂的時間多了。3年前，2010年2月2日，法庭的判決，我開始走上一條崎嶇的路。就是這樣痛的日子，又怎能忘記呢？但我真的忘記了，今日，執筆至此，我竟要打電話問朋友，才能準確記起這一日。
舊事已過，一切都變成新的了。
環境縱然沒變，但心變了，生命變了，對一切生活和生命的要求都徹徹底底地變了。
我的人生，大起大落，窮過、有錢過；捱過、亦都歎過，但回頭看其實什麼都不是，只不過是過眼即去，幻夢數碼的人生。但上帝就用這工具，改變了我的真正生 命，給予我永恆盼望。也用這工具，改變了大家，要大家反思人生，擁抱祂的恩典。而且，也正因為如此，我和各位弟兄姊妹，本來各人自有完全不一樣的生命軌道 上，靠著神，讓我能藉此機會分享因主而改變。
我相信，上帝對我們每一個都是有祂的旨意，我自己只是靜靜地祈禱，等候祂頒下另一道聖旨，接受任務，開展新的明天。
要跑盡人生的路並不容易，那需要很大的信心與勇氣，因人生充滿了各種的愁苦、絕境，使人的心靈常跌在失望、憂傷之中。因此很多人就用盡各種方法，去追求快樂，使人生能減少愁苦。
一般來說，人會利用金錢以控制一切可能痛苦的日子，所以他們把人生的希望寄託在財富上。可是財富是虛幻的，不能永存；有人指望別人，利用人的幫助減輕或逃 避困苦，可惜人卻是善變的，沒有永遠的朋友；有人利用權勢為自己締造順利的環境，可是權勢並非絕對的，每一天總會有失勢的可能；更有人只信任自己，把一切 希望放在自己身上，滿以為可以控制一切，可惜人生苦短，他卻無法控制自己的壽歲。
真正的人生出路仍是在於神，因祂是創造者，也是掌管萬有者，我們的生命都在祂手中。祂愛我們，渴望我們的生命能有一日回復祂本性上一切的完美，祂置我們於 困難中，乃熬煉我們的生命，至使我們的生命更純全。因此，我們可以默然面對一切的苦難，也可以說：神啊，我的祉望在乎你！
由今天起，我就是新造的人。
如果你今天問我：你害怕坐監嗎？/ 你害怕你餘下的人生道路難行嗎？我會好堅定地回答：「我‧不‧怕」，因為神與我同在，從我決志的那一刻，我已將我的所有交託給神，祂會帶領我、引領我走前面的道路。
最後，我想分享一首很喜愛的詩歌給大家。
這是我在 (2日的經歷神營會）認識的 Raymond Tam 譚弟兄送給我分享l的詩歌，對我很有感動。
(愛與被愛)
哀傷裡尋到擁抱，
低谷裡能夠升高；
艱苦裡能同心禱告，
在跌倒時來鼓舞！
為我擦亮眼，
曉得愛與被愛，
這種感覺極期待！
用愛照亮我，
福杯滿滿盛載，
豐盛無更改！
原來神是愛！
太初開始己是存在。
全憑是愛，
護蔭一生使我空虛不再。
原來神是愛！
太初開始己是存在。
傳揚神是愛，
地老天荒不變不死的愛。
我仲有好多見證，希望將來有機會，再同大家分享。
承蒙主恩，願耶穌基督保守大家。
(將來在街上見到我，記住叫我Peter)
~完~

Forgiveness, Girl in Famous Vietnam photo

Girl in famous Vietnam photo talks about forgiveness

By Kathleen Burge

 |  Globe Staff     February 14, 2013

Now in her 50s, Kim Phuc lives in Toronto and has created an organization to promote peace. She will speak on Feb. 19 at a conference of educators at the Fenn School in Concord.

The girl in the photo — naked, crying, burned, running, with other children, away from the smoke — became emblematic of human suffering during the Vietnam War. Kim Phuc was 9 then, a child who would spend the next 14 months in the hospital and the rest of her life in skin blistered from the napalm that hit her body and burned off her clothes. She ran until she no longer could, and then she fainted.

More than 40 years after her injury, Phuc, now married with two teenagers and living near Toronto, travels the world to talk about the anger she left behind. After years spent in internal pain, she said, she forgave those who disfigured her.

“Through my story, I really give people hope,” she said by phone from her home in Canada. “If they [are] seeking hope and forgiveness, it’s possible. If that little girl can do it, then everyone can do it.”
Phuc, who created a foundation devoted to helping child victims of war, will speak at the Fenn School in Concord on Tuesday as part of the fourth annual Multicultural Educators Forum. (Some seats are available to the public, and can be reserved by e-mailing Jennifer Youk See at jyouksee@fenn.org.)

Phuc will address how schools can develop the qualities of empathy, respect and forgiveness. She was asked to take part in the forum after the independent school’s director of diversity and some faculty members heard her speak at a conference last year.

‘“If they [are] seeking hope and forgiveness, it’s possible. If that little girl can do it, then everyone can do it.’

Phuc lived in Trang Bang, north of Saigon, when the war started. On June 8, 1972, Phuc, her family, other villagers and South Vietnamese soldiers had been hiding in a temple for three days. The day of the attack, they heard planes flying overhead. One of the soldiers told the civilians to run away, that the plane was going to bomb the temple.

Phuc went outside and saw the plane getting closer, and then heard the sound of four bombs hitting the ground. She couldn’t run. She didn’t know until later, but the bombs carried napalm, a gel-like incendiary that clings to its victims as it burns.

“Suddenly I saw the fire everywhere around me,” she remembers. “At that moment, I didn’t see anyone, just the fire. Suddenly, I saw my left arm burning. I used my right hand to try to take it off.”
Her left hand was damaged, too. Her clothes burned off. Later, she would be thankful that her feet weren’t damaged because she could run away, run until she was outside the fire. She saw her brothers, her cousins, and some soldiers running, too. She ran until she couldn’t run any more.
“I called out, ‘Too hot, too hot,’ ” she remembers. “Then one of the soldiers, he tried to help me. He poured water over my body. At that moment, I passed out.”

AP/File

Kim Phuc (center) suffered burns from an aerial napalm bombing in 1972 during the Vietnam War that left her disfigured. She had ripped off her burning clothes while fleeing.

She learned afterward that the photographer, Huynh Cong “Nick” Ut, took her to the hospital. Two of her cousins, ages 9 months and 3 years, died in the bombing. Phuc had burns over two-thirds of her body and was not expected to live.

She spent 14 months at the hospital, undergoing many skin grafts and surgeries. But after she recovered, she was used by the Vietnamese government for propaganda: She was a “living symbol of the war.”

Phuc converted to Christianity 10 years after the attack, when she was living with her sister in Saigon. Phuc was reading about religion in the library, searching for meaning in her suffering, and was moved by the New Testament.

Her conversion displeased her family, she said, who practiced Cao Dai, a Vietnamese religion. She also grew tired of the government’s control over her life. In 1986, she went to study in Cuba, where she met her husband.

They traveled to Moscow for their honeymoon in 1992, and defected to Canada when their plane stopped in Newfoundland for fuel. Now they live with their two sons, Thomas, 18, and Stephen, 15, near Toronto. Phuc had feared that her injuries would keep her from experiencing both marriage and motherhood.

”After I left the hospital, every time I endured the pain and I look at my scars, I never thought in the future no boy [would] love me and marry me, so that I never have the normal life like everyone else,” she said.

Phuc’s scars on her back and arms still hurt, especially when the weather changes. She eats healthy foods, exercises, and tries to distract herself from the pain.

Now 49, Phuc serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, and gives 20 or 25 speeches around the world each year.

“People helped me through — the doctor, nurses,” Phuc said. “People find the way to help me and they give me the future. And so now I really want to give back.”

The iconic photo earned Ut, who was working for the Associated Press, the Pulitzer Prize. Phuc keeps a copy in her house, hidden in a bookcase among magazines. She only looks at it when she is alone.

“It’s horrible, it’s ugly. I can feel the burning, the smell, at that moment,” she said. “I avoid that. It’s my choice. I avoid living that past.”