魔法黑森林 "Into the Woods"

自從魔法奇緣 Frozen後，黑魔后 Maleficient , 繼而到現在的魔法黑森林 Into the Wood, 都看的出迪士尼一心徹換以往童話美好但不真實的世界，完美但太夢幻的故事結局，但Frozen好看，黑魔后也不錯，為何魔法黑森林不太令人受落？

用兩個字來形容此戲 ── 「心寒」。

何解迪士尼充滿奇幻魔法，又加插了這麼多童話的音樂劇會令人心寒？全因為整齣堅定地反傳統，由故事內容，到表達方法貫徹不守規距！開忠名義，魔法黑森林的賣點是一洗過往迪士尼深入民心的「王子與公主從此以後快快樂樂地渡過一生」的完滿結局，但也可算是走到極點。音樂劇本身頗討好，但不像很多歌劇平時押韻的傳統，很多首歌給我我感覺係字的堆砌，音樂亦未見突出，有一兩首歌倒是有少許驚喜，但與 Les Meserable 令我洗腦及朗朗上口的歌實在有很大距離，或者我的口味非常一般，非常大眾化。Haha

另外，可能因為有太多人物，又多支節，所以剪了不少重要部份，令故事欠缺完整性。我不明白女巫何以草草就被泥沼吞沒，由始到終女巫好像只是活在她母親的咀咒中，而明知死路一條，就發完脾氣自我毀滅。更不明長髮公主為何地震就立即拔腿而跑回已殘破的塔，可能由於長期被困在塔入，只有那地方令她能到安全，但為何一見母親又再拔腿而跑，長髮公主的出現太可有可無了。還有Johnny Depp Mrs Fox 一角，出現小時，笑兩笑，就消失了，也許只為了充橕場面。

以上都只是小事令我不甚投入套戲，但最令我感到心寒的就是主要的信息，「這世界沒有對與錯，你父母向你所教授的道德觀念不一定是對，不要看對與錯，不要理會別人告訴你甚麼，只要記住，永遠有人與你同一陣線」。我承認我十分保守，而這一番說話不禁令我想到聖經所提及的末世，在末世的時候，是非對錯無綾兩可，沒有絕對的是與非，而人的道德觀亦越顯得模糊。這正是此劇的中心思想。試想想這劇是給小孩看的，就是想叫小孩子不要絕對服從道德，不用理會父母所言，不必看重是是非非，只要找到朋友就是了，這不是很令人心寒的信息嗎？而且這套戲不只是給小孩看，而是給大人看，告訴大人當與小孩說話時，要想得清清楚楚，不要隨便教授道德，是非黑白，小心每句說話。若我的孩子接受了這一套思想，老實說我真不知可以如何教導他們了。若我的學生告訴我，這世上沒有所謂的規距定界，你說的不一定對，你話我錯是你不對，就不用跟從我的指示去上課或做習作，或作文，或考試，但要我給他合格升班，我真的不知如何教下去。

或者我是想得太極端了，希望如是，但我覺得這世界也真的漸漸走近這方向，不再看重對錯，沒有絕對是非，道德底線消失，人們也慢慢接受適應了。我擔心的不是我這一代，而是我們的下一代，世界可以有幾黑暗呢？

True Humility －Moses's Calling

It's easy to be proud or to be diffident. These two qualities inextricably co-exist within a person. Those who appear to be boastful are, in fact, self-distrustful but they pretend to be strong so as to disguise their inability. Even as a potent spiritual leader, Moses also took himself too seriously. 

Before Moses was appointed by God, he was the prince of Egypt, young with strong physical power and sincerity in solving the dispute between a Hebrew and an Egyptian. He helped his Hebrew brother by killing the dishonest Egyptian. Although this young Moses has sincerity, passion and fitness, this was not the Moses God has chosen. Waited until Moses became weary in devastation and was settled with a simple life shepherding in Midia, God reignited Moses's faith and summoned him for a difficult task. However, the first thing God did was not to train Moses's physicality, but to adjust his focus, shaping how he looked at himself before letting him do his job.  

When Moses encountered the angel of God in the flame of fire, God declared who HE is upfront, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." (Exodus 3:6) After God told him HIS plan, Moses's response revealed that he put all the focus on himself. He replied "Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) Moses considered bringing Israeli out of Egypt as his own duty, in which it relies on his own power. No matter how Moses felt at that moment, flattered, scared or he just wanted to escaped from the calling,  or he wanted to be assured by God and hear more compliments, his replied "Who am I..." reflected true human nature. "Who am I" to achieve this difficult task? Can "I" finish it? "I" don't want to fail. "I" am the reason for the success or the failure. "I" am the key to everything. 

The funny thing is God has not answered Moses's question about who he was. God readjusted Moses's focus, as HE said "Truly, I will be with you." (Exodus 3:12) It seems as if God was telling Moses to look clearly, to listen carefully. It is not "Who I am" but it is "Who God is." Learning from the new angle, Moses has changed his focus but obviously, he didn't know much about God. That's why he asked how he should reply to the Israeli when they asked Who God is? "What is his name? What am I to say to them?" (Exodus 3:13) God, once again, proclaimed "I AM WHAT I AM ... I AM has sent me to you." (Exodus 3:14) It's not you Moses. Listen, it's all about ME, God, the Lord, Jehovah. This whole salvation plan was designed by God and Moses was just a participant, an invited partner, so it did not depend on Moses's power nor his confidence. It all depended on how well Moses know about God and how faithful he was to rely on God. With true understanding, Moses would be willing to let God do wonder through him and God had promised Moses "to be with him." Moses had already got what he needed, God's company, which is the most powerful source a man could ever have. 

Why would we feel disappointed by ourselves? Why would we think more of ourselves or think less of ourselves? It is because we focus too much on "the self." Do remember one important lesson we can learn from Moses: we should not rely on our own strength or confidence to finish what God wanted us to do; instead, we should let go and let God work his incredible wonder on us. We are HIS tools. At the beginning of the year, I hope that we can all learn more about God every day. Adjust our focus. Think about ourselves less and experience "God is with us" each and every day.  It is not "Who I am", but "Who God is" as always.  

自視過高還是自愧不如？（摩西被神呼招）

人很容易自視過高或自愧不如，兩者其實交錯在一起，很多自大的人其實是很自卑，所以便喜歡自我吹虛以掩蓋自已的不足。強如屬靈領袖摩西，也會把自己看得太重要了。

在未被  神揀選的時候，摩西乃埃及王子，頗有能力亦頗熱心，自已作希伯來人及埃及人的審判者，滿腔熱誠為被欺壓的希伯來弟兄伸張正義，可是這時熱血年青的摩西不被  神所揀選。然而經歷逃難，安頓於米甸去牧羊的摩西，卻為  神所使用，但  神要他先把目光調正，先處理好自身的看法，才讓他上路。

當摩西在何烈山上看見耶和華的使者向他顯現，耶和華  神起首便向摩西宣告自已是誰，「我是你父親的  神，是亞伯拉罕的  神，以撒的   神，雅各的   神…」 （出3:6), 但當耶和華把委託摩西的事情告訴了他後，摩西的回答顯然表現出摩西的視線放在自已的身上。（出3:11)摩西對  神說「我是甚麼人？竟能去見法老，將以色列人從埃及領出來？」摩西把帶領以色列人出埃及視為自已的工作，要靠自己的力量去作，無論摩西那一刻是受寵若驚或是想逃避責任，還是想得到   神的美言和肯定，「我是甚麼人」正好反映了人性最真實的一面。這麼大的任務，「我」怎能有能力完成？「我」做得到嗎？「我」不想失敗。「我」就是成敗得失的關鍵。

有趣的是  神的回答，祂沒有回答摩西是甚麼人而是叫摩西調正目光， 神說「我必與你同在」（ 出3:12) ，看清焦點 ──不是你是誰，而是   神是誰。這次摩西把目光改換了一點，但他顯然不太了解  神是誰，所以問「他們若問我說，他叫甚麼名字？我要對他們就甚麼呢？」（出3:13) 耶和華  神再次宣告 「我是自在永有的… 那自在永有的打發我到你們這裡來」（出3:14)。整件事由始到終都是  神策劃的，摩西只是參與者，是被邀與  神同工，  所以不是靠摩西的力量和自信去完成  神的工作，而是憑著摩西對  神有多認識有多信心，而讓  神在他身上發揮祂無限的大能。  神的一句「我必與你同在」就足夠令摩西面對前面一切看不見的困難及估不到的未來。

為何人會對自己失望，會自視過高或自愧不如？正因為我們把自己看得太重了。要僅記不是靠我們的力量和自信去作任何的一件事，而是放心放手讓神在我們身上發揮祂無限的大能。讓我們在新的一年每天更認識  神，調較焦點，不是「我是誰」，然是「神是誰」，並深深體會「神與我同在」。祝福你！