追思林典謨長老的生命見證Remembering Elder Tien Lim's Life Testimony
見證者：秦明盛牧師
「如今常存的有信，有望，有愛；其中最大的是愛。」（林前13:13) "And now these remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).
在台灣花東的原住民部落的記憶裡，故林典謨長老是一位以「愛為生命語言」的信仰長者。他的腳步走過了山路與部落小巷，帶著微笑、福音與主的平安，成為部落人與人之間最溫柔的橋樑。他不愧是ㄧ位活生生的「愛人如己」（路10:33-36）最具體的回應者。
他從不以地位或年齡分別對待任何人。老人、青年、孩子，甚至陌生的訪客，他都以同樣的笑容迎接。有部落的人說：「見到林長老，就像感受到耶穌的手在安慰人。」他愛的方式很樸實——一個伴手禮、一件包裹、一份獎學金。這些看似平凡的行動，卻充滿了天國的香氣。
他常常對我說：「若主愛我到十字架，我也要愛人到門外。」這句話，像山中的溪水，靜靜滋潤了無數原住民的心。
他總是提醒台灣的原住民：「信仰若沒有愛，就像樹沒有根。」因此，他不只是教會的長老，更是許多人的信仰父親，用行動教導何謂真愛──那是願意饒恕、願意陪伴、願意給予。
在部落短暫的教會聚會中，他總是最先出現、最後離開。他之所以最後離開乃基於把聚會的場所收捨得乾乾淨淨，他都以實際行動見證主的愛。
最令我感動的是，我親眼看見典謨長老在我們兩個人所住的民宿約早晨6點，他拿起掃把，掃民宿後方的角落。我對他說：你是付錢來住的，沒有必要幫主人掃地。他就對我說，耶穌豈不是說過：「你們願意人怎樣待你們，你們就怎樣待人。」（太12:12）這不是一句話，而是一種生活的節奏，一種與主同行的日常。
如今他已安息主懷，但他所留下的愛心足跡仍閃耀在原住民心中。許多人回憶他說：「林長老讓我們看見，愛人如己不是口號，而是一生的信仰功課。」他的生命是一首愛的詩，是一盞信仰之燈，照亮仍在摸索信仰山間道路的人。
故林典謨長老以平凡的行動，活出了非凡的信仰。他讓我們重新明白，基督徒的愛並非出於人的力量，而是來自十字架上那永不止息的恩典。他的見證，正呼應保羅的話：「如今常存的有信，有望，有愛；其中最大的是愛。」（林前13:13)
In the memories of the indigenous tribes of Hualien and Taitung, Taiwan, the late Elder Tien Lim was a spiritual elder whose life language was "love”. His footsteps traversed mountain paths and tribal alleys, carrying smiles, the Gospel, and the peace of the Lord, becoming the gentlest bridge between tribespeople. He was truly a living embodiment of "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:33-36).
He never discriminated against anyone based on status or age. The elderly, youth, children, even unfamiliar faces, he greeted with the same smile. Some tribespeople said, "Seeing Elder Lin is like feeling the comforting hand of Jesus." His way of showing love was simple—a small gift, a package, a scholarship. These seemingly ordinary actions were filled with the fragrance of heaven.
He often told me, "If the Lord loved me to the point of dying on the cross, I will strive to love others with all my heart." These words, like a mountain stream, quietly nourished the hearts of countless indigenous people.
He always reminded Taiwan's indigenous people, "Faith without love is like a tree without roots." Therefore, he was not only an elder in the church, but also a father of faith for many, teaching through his actions what true love is—a willingness to forgive, a willingness to accompany, and a willingness to give.
During brief church gatherings in the tribes, he was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. He left last because he wanted to make sure the meeting place was spotless, witnessing the Lord's love through his actions.
What moved me most was seeing Elder Tien sweep the corner behind our guesthouse at around 6 a.m. I told him, "You are paying to stay here; there's no need for you to sweep the guesthouse." He replied, "Didn't Jesus say, “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 12:12)?" This isn't just a saying, but a rhythm of life, a daily walk with the Lord.
Now he is rested in the Lord, but the loving footprints he left behind still shine in the hearts of the indigenous people. Many people recall their memories of him, saying "Elder Lin showed us that loving your neighbor as yourself is not just a slogan, but a lifelong lesson in faith." His life was a poem of love, a lamp of faith, illuminating those still searching their way on the journey of faith.
Therefore, Elder Tien Lim lived an extraordinary life of faith through ordinary actions. He made us understand again that Christian love does not come from sheer human strength , but from the power of the unending grace of the cross. His testimony responds to the apostle Paul's words: "And now these remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).