I’m not sure why it is, but it seems that if a person loves a restaurant, for example, he or she can be the best advertisement that restaurant has. But let that person have a bad experience, a bad meal or bad service and suddenly that person seems to feel it is his or her duty to make sure everyone else doesn’t like that restaurant either. 

我不确定为什么会这样，但似乎如果一个人喜欢一家餐馆，例如，他或她可以成为该餐馆最好的广告。但是，如果让那个人有一次糟糕的经历、一顿糟糕的饭菜或糟糕的服务，那么这个人似乎突然觉得他或她有责任确保其他人也不喜欢那家餐厅。

They tend to put as much effort into singing about its faults, failures and shortcomings the same way they sang it’s praises when all was well.

他们倾向于付出同样多的努力来歌颂它的错误、失败和缺点，就像他们在一切顺利时歌颂它一样。

It’s the opposite side of the coin, but still made up of the same material. They are as passionate about noting the bad as they are noting the good.

它是硬币的反面，但仍然由相同的材料制成。他们热衷于注意到坏处，就像他们注意到好的地方一样。

Now I’m not tossing out the whole bushel of apples just because there are a few rotten apples among it. There are good people who just because they have had a bad experience they aren’t ready to toss out the baby with the bathwater. 

现在我不会仅仅因为其中有一些烂苹果就扔掉整蒲式耳的苹果。有些好人只是因为经历了一次糟糕的经历，他们还没有准备好把孩子和洗澡水一起倒掉。

They are ready instead to chalk it up to someone was a little off their game that day and concede that it happens to all of us at some and time. But for those certain people, whoever they may be, they aren’t always quite so ready and willing to give second chances.

相反，他们准备把这归因于那天有人表现不佳，并承认这种情况有时会发生在我们所有人身上。但对于某些人来说，无论他们是谁，他们并不总是那么准备好并愿意给予第二次机会。

The thing is, the attitude doesn’t really stop with restaurants. It doesn’t usually matter what it is – even churches. With this being a religious column, you had to know this was heading somewhere in that direction, right? Of course.

问题是，这种态度并不仅仅限于餐馆。通常它是什么并不重要——甚至是教堂。既然这是一个宗教专栏，你必须知道它正朝着那个方向发展，对吗？当然。

But I have seen it so many times over the years. Someone goes into a church and because everything is new and fresh, they fall in love with the church. They enjoy the praise and worship, they fall in love with the friendly people and they even go so far as like the way the preacher preaches. 

但这些年来我已经看过很多次了。有人走进教堂，因为一切都是新鲜的，他就爱上了教堂。他们享受赞美和敬拜，他们爱上友善的人们，甚至像传道人所讲的那样。

And so it goes for a while. They invite their family and tell their friends about this great church they found until something goes awry. 

这样的情况持续了一段时间。他们邀请家人并向朋友介绍他们发现的这座伟大的教堂，直到出现问题。

They don’t like the way something was done or didn’t like that something wasn’t done, but something along the way went off kilter and the coin gets flipped and it lands face up on the opposite side. 

他们不喜欢某件事被完成的方式，或者不喜欢某件事没有完成，但一路上有些事情出了问题，硬币被翻转，面朝上落在了另一面。

Suddenly, these same people who one week thought the church was the greatest thing since sliced bread, now can’t find anything good to say about it. And the grudge isn’t usually gotten over anytime soon. 

突然之间，这些一周前认为教堂是自切片面包以来最伟大的事物的人们，现在却找不到任何好话可说。而且怨恨通常不会很快消除。

Churches are supposed to be in the forgiving business and handing out second chances, but they are seldom extended the same consideration. Some folks tend to forget that the church is run by human beings just like themselves and people do make mistakes, but it’s not always a mistake on the part of the church. 

教会应该宽容并给予第二次机会，但他们很少给予同样的考虑。有些人往往忘记了教会是由像他们一样的人来管理的，人们确实会犯错误，但这并不总是教会的错误。

It could be as simple as not agreeing with a decision that was made and now they feel that same passion for making sure family, friends, coworkers and everyone else know not to attend that church.

这可能很简单，就像不同意所做的决定一样，现在他们也同样热衷于确保家人、朋友、同事和其他人知道不要去那个教堂。

And only God knows how many people never give the church a chance because of someone’s opinion or attitude about that church. And it hurts the church but that is not all that’s hurt. 

只有上帝知道有多少人因为某人对教会的看法或态度而从未给教会机会。这伤害了教会，但这还不是全部。

The cause of Christianity gets hurt. Folks don’t want to get involved with a gospel where its people can’t get along. Nearly every time someone leaves a church angry and upset, the devil has a field day because he knows the hit the Kingdom of God is going to take as Christians once again show how much they can’t get along and they don’t really love each other like they profess. 

基督教事业受到伤害。人们不想卷入与人们无法相处的福音中。几乎每次有人带着愤怒和不安离开教会时，魔鬼都会大发雷霆，因为他知道神的国度将遭受打击，因为基督徒再次表明他们是多么无法相处，他们并不真正爱别人。彼此就像他们所宣称的那样。

If someone feels he or she has a good reason to leave a church, how about at least let others make their own mind to either attend there, or even to just give it a try. There are always two sides to every coin, but all of us, in and out of the church, should think a little more what our other side says to others.

如果有人觉得他或她有充分的理由离开教会，那么至少让其他人自己决定是否去那里，或者只是尝试一下。每一枚硬币总是有正反两面，但我们所有人，无论是教会内外，都应该多思考一下我们的另一面对其他人所说的话。

“And they will know we are Christians by our love.” 

“他们会因我们的爱而知道我们是基督徒。”

First published April 21, 2021.

首次发布于 2021 年 4 月 21 日。