我居住的城市曾經歷一場大規模的冰暴，數公里長的電線全都毀壞了，整座城市幾乎一片漆黑。這也導致許多朋友在嚴寒的冬天，因缺乏電力供應而開不了暖氣設備。那時，家家戶戶都渴望看到電力維修車進入社區，期盼電力能儘早恢復。後來，我得知某間教會的停車場成為臨時指揮中心，負責安排調度電力維修車，好讓家家戶戶儘早恢復電力。

當我聽到大家都需要電力維修車，令我想起耶穌在使徒行傳中應許賜給門徒的能力。耶穌復活後的四十天內，屢次向門徒顯現，鼓勵他們，並向他們講述上帝的國度（使徒行傳1章3節）。耶穌升上高天之前，給了他們最後一個應許：「聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得著能力。」（8節）

基督向門徒承諾，當聖靈降臨在他們身上，他們就能得到上帝無以倫比的能力。但上帝賦予他們能力不是要他們將此據為己有，而是要使他們有能力去傳福音，告訴別人如何重新連結上帝的能力和慈愛，因為罪已經破壞了我們與上帝的關係。

當我們走進社區，上帝也同樣賦予我們能力和使命。上帝的靈會賜我們能力，使我們可以關懷那些受苦的人，並告訴他們如何得到上帝的能力。

Our city fell almost dark after a massive ice storm took down miles of power lines, leaving many of our friends without electricity to heat their homes in the dead of a frigid winter. Families longed to see repair trucks in their neighborhoods working to restore power. Later, I learned that a church parking lot served as a temporary command center for the vehicles being sent out to assist those in need.  

Hearing about the repair trucks brought to mind Jesus’ command to His disciples in the book of Acts. For forty days after His resurrection, Christ appeared to His disciples to encourage and teach them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Before Jesus’ return to heaven, He gave them one last promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (v. 8).

Christ promised that God’s incomparably great power would be available to the disciples through His Spirit. But the purpose of having power wasn’t to keep it to themselves. Instead, the disciples let God empower them in the mission of telling others how to experience once more the connection to God’s power and love that was broken by sin.

As we go out into our communities, we have the same power and calling. Empowered by God’s Spirit, we can care for those who are suffering and share how they too can have access to God’s power.