2006年10月10日凌晨4點鐘， Dale Ward，平安地斷了氣，離開了這世界。他是生命之光廣播電台的節目部經理。
在很多方面Dale逝世很不平凡。我所說的不平凡並不是因為他發生什麼意外，好像車禍或飛機失事等。我所說的不平凡並不是因為他太年輕—他62歲。不是因為他去世很突然—他養病養了幾年。（事實上他進去醫院那天，我們沒想到他會走那樣快。）我用“不平凡”這個詞，意思是Dale在醫院時，他所作的，他所說的，他的為人，他的想法，他面對死亡的態度，都是我們很少見到的。
雖然我是基督徒，又是基督教會傳道人，雖然多年來我見過幾位正在面對死亡，即將要離開世界的，但是我很少見到一位象Dale這樣。Dale沒有因為將要離開世界而生氣，沒有因為大夫不能治好他的病而埋怨大夫，沒有因為見不到孫子、孫女長大而向上帝不滿，沒有因為他的生命快要結束而失去他的信仰。Dale只說：但願主耶穌實行他的旨意在我的身上；願神的旨意在我的生命上顯得完全。Dale臉上有微笑，有時候他會開開玩笑。每次我去看望他時，他都請我給他念聖經，為他禱告。
Dale還表現什麼樣的態度呢？Dale牽着耶穌的手走上世人最後必須走的路。如聖經的作者大衛王所說的，“我雖然行過死蔭的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因為你與我同在”，Dale完全信任他在天上的天父神。Dale禱告時，有信心，說話時，對未來有保障，深信天上的神會為他預備最好的。耶穌基督是他的力量，他的拯救，他的安慰。Dale把自己交託給神，因為知道在神的面前和懷抱里一天，遠超過在受痛苦的身體里一千天。從小Dale信仰耶穌基督，所以躺在床上，準備面對死亡的時候，Dale內心深處就有神所賜的平安。Dale擁有“那超越人所能理解的平安”，就是“藉着基督耶穌來保守[基督徒]的心懷意念”的平安（腓立比書4:7現代中文譯本）。
Dale在醫院的態度就體現了基督徒人生觀。大夫們，護士們，醫院工作人員，包括送菜的和管理衛生間的都認為Dale的態度和一般病人的態度不一樣。
Dale這不平凡的態度來自他的信仰。Dale是一名基督徒；他信仰耶穌基督。Dale知道耶穌愛他，關心他。知道耶穌已經走過萬人必定走的路，耶穌早接受了痛苦，被釘十字架上，死了，所以耶穌完全明白我們的痛苦。Dale也知道耶穌從死里復活了，他從墳墓里出來了。因為耶穌勝過死亡，所以他把復活的盼望給他的門徒。Dale是耶穌的門徒，所以Dale心理有永生的盼望，永生的應許；他對未來有把握。
從Dale Ward入院一直到他平安地離開了人間時，他活出了基督徒的人生觀，信仰觀和死亡觀。他一直把握着基督徒的復活觀。
如果您羨慕Dale的人生觀，請您跟他一樣認識耶穌基督，成為基督徒。請您閱讀聖經，從中得知耶穌是誰，他怎麼愛您，他為您做了些什麼。為了知道如何成為基督徒，請您閱讀聖經新約使徒行傳。請您瀏覽我們的網站或者寫信給我。
Memories of Dale Ward /05: Attitude Toward Death
By Edward Short
About 4:00 a.m. on October 10, 2006, Dale Ward passed peacefully from this life. Dale was the Executive Producer for World Christian Broadcasting.
Dale’s death was unusual in many ways. When I say “unusual,” I don’t mean that he met some tragedy such as a car wreck or an airplane accident. I don’t mean that he died at an unusually young age—he was 62—or that he passed away suddenly; he had had congestive heart failure for several years. (In fact, however, the day Dale entered the hospital, we had no idea that he would pass so quickly.) What I mean by “unusual” is that while Dale was in the hospital, all that he did and said, his demeanor, his thoughts, his conversations, and his attitude toward death were all very unusual, and are rarely seen.
Even though I’m a Christian and a minister of the gospel, even though I’ve witnessed a number of people face death, only a few times have I ever seen someone face death like Dale did. Dale didn’t react to his situation in anger. He didn’t blame the doctor for not being able to cure his illness. He didn’t feel like God cheated him because he wouldn’t be able to see his grandchildren grow up. Knowledge that he was about to die didn’t cause him to loose his faith. Rather, Dale expressed the desire that God’s will be done in his life, and he wanted to give himself over completely to making God’s will manifest in his life.
Dale smiled, and sometimes he joked. Each time I visited him in the hospital, Dale asked me to read to him from the Bible, and to pray for him.
What other attitudes did Dale express? He held the hand of Jesus and walked the Final Road that each of us must walk. As King David said in the book of Psalms, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me,” Dale also completely trusted in God, his Father in heaven. When Dale prayed, he prayed in faith; when he spoke, he spoke with confidence in the future, knowing that God would do for him what was best. Jesus Christ was Dale’s strength, salvation and comfort. Dale put himself into the safe arms of the Lord. He believed that one day in the presence of God was far better than a thousand days of suffering in the body. Dale had believed in Jesus Christ from childhood, and so while lying on his bed in the hospital and knowing that his life would end, deep in his heart he had peace, the peace that God gives. Dale possessed “the peace of God which transcends all understanding,” the peace “that will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 4:7 NIV].
Dale’s attitude in the hospital was the embodiment of the Christian philosophy of life. The physicians, the nurses, other hospital employees including those who brought food trays and those who cleaned the bathrooms, all thought that Dale’s attitude was different from that of most other patients.
This unusual attitude that Dale possessed came from his faith. He was a Christian; he put his faith in Jesus Christ. Dale knew that Jesus loved him and cared for him. He knew that Jesus had already walked this road that all mankind must tread, that Jesus had accepted suffering by being nailed to a cross and dying, and so Jesus completely understands our pain. Dale also knew that Jesus was raised from death and had vacated the grave. Having overcome death, Jesus gave the hope of resurrection to his disciples. Dale was a disciple of Jesus, so deep in his heart, he had the hope of eternity and the promise of eternal life; he faced the future with confidence.
From the time that Dale entered the hospital until he peacefully passed from this life he embodied the Christian philosophy of life and faith, and the Christian view of death. He always held tightly to the Christian belief in resurrection.
If you admire Dale’s philosophy of life, you too can come to know the same Jesus Christ whom he knew; you too can become a Christian. Read the Bible, wherein you’ll find all about who Jesus is, how he loves you, and what he’s done for you. To find out how to become a Christian, read the book of Acts in the New Testament. I also invite you to visit our website or to write me a letter.
懷念Dale Ward （五）: 死亡觀
Memories of Dale Ward /05: Attitude Toward Death
作者：謝德華 By Edward Short
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Franklin, Tennessee USA 37067