9按照神在创造里的原则，任何东西要生长，必须有消极的一面。以一只鸡为例，我们都喜欢鸡蛋、鸡胸、鸡腿，我们必定不去留意鸡粪、鸡毛、鸡骨头。然而，若没有粪、毛、骨头，鸡就无法生长。一只鸡要成为鸡，必须有些东西，但这些不是给我们吃的，我们应当享受鸡蛋、鸡胸、鸡腿，忘掉鸡粪、鸡毛、鸡骨头。我们若专注于鸡的积极方面，就要得著许多营养。我承认各地的召会都犯过一些错误，我承认我也犯过错误。每一个人都会犯错，没有人能否认这事。为著生长，我们无法避免犯错。但你若收集这些『毛、』『骨』和『粪，』你不会破坏召会或职事，你却必定会破坏自己。这样作不是明智的。让我们忘掉消极的事物，享受『蛋，』『胸』和『腿。』我们中间有几位弟兄曾经很接近的认识倪弟兄。倪弟兄把他自己完全向我们敞开，我们知道他的缺点。但我们知道这些缺点是使他能生存的『粪。』我们不像别人，我们不愿接近在上海的那些『鸡毛』或『鸡骨头。』我们若这样作，就会牺牲自己。我从来没有受到这种损害，我乃是一直享受倪弟兄职事中新鲜营养的『蛋、』『胸』和『腿。』当一个大的骚动起来反对他的职事时，我不以说我是倪弟兄的绝对跟随者为耻。我不在意别人怎样说他的错，我只知道我对他是何等的感激，因为他成全了我。我知道我从他所得的营养。甚至我们在新耶路撒冷，我也能说，主用倪弟兄成全了我。没有他的职事，我绝不会成为今天的我。在召会中，若有人专心发掘『粪，』或用『毛』塞满口袋，说『这是李常受这只「鸡」的「毛，」这是安那翰召会的「骨头。」』这是何等愚昧！如果这是你的居心，那你是在浪费时间。不要以为我们怕被暴露。无论是召会或职事，都不怕被暴露。但你暴露了我们，又会得著甚么？
9According to God’s principle in His creation, in order for anything to grow there is the need for a negative side. Take the example of a chicken. We all appreciate chicken eggs, breasts, and legs, but we certainly do not care for chicken dung, feathers, and bones. Nevertheless, without dung, feathers, and bones, a chicken cannot grow. In order for a chicken to be a chicken, it must have these things. But it is not our portion to eat them. We should enjoy the eggs, the breasts, and the legs, and forget the dung, the feathers, and the bones. If we concentrate on the positive aspects of the chicken, we shall receive much nourishment. I admit that the church in Los Angeles has made certain mistakes, and I confess that I have made mistakes. The elders can testify of this. Everybody makes mistakes. No one can deny this. I have had to make mistakes in order to grow. These mistakes are my “dung.” If you eat this, you are foolish. I also admit that I have “feathers.” The church in Los Angeles also has had a certain amount of “feathers” and “bones.” However, without these “feathers,” “bones,” and “dung,” neither the church in Los Angeles nor my ministry would be able to exist. Do you intend to gather up the “feathers” and say, “Look! This is the church in Los Angeles. Look! This is what Brother Lee has done. See all these awful ‘feathers.’” If you do this, you will not damage the church in Los Angeles or my ministry, but you will surely damage yourself. To do this is not wise. These who have been perfected to be pillars, who surely are not less intelligent than you, are wise. Their eyes are much clearer than yours. But they refuse to devote their attention to the negative things. They would say, “Although Brother Lee has some ‘dung,’ he has a great many eggs. I don’t care for the ‘dung’ issuing out of his ministry—I want to eat all the ‘eggs,’ ‘breasts,’ and ‘legs.’ I have no time to hear about ‘feathers’ and ‘bones.’” Let us follow the example of such brothers to forget the negative things and to feast upon the “eggs,” “breasts,” and “legs.” This is my burden in this message. Are you in Anaheim as a spy, investigating whether or not Witness Lee has any “dung”? I cannot live without “dung.” To be sure, both “feathers” and “bones” can be found here in Anaheim. The elders have made many “bones.” But I would stand, even dance, upon all the “bones” they have made; I would not be so foolish as to eat them. Three or four of us knew Brother Nee very intimately. He fully opened himself to us, and we knew his imperfections. But we realized that these imperfections were the “dung” that enabled him to exist. Unlike others, we would not cling to his “feathers,” nor to the “bones” of the “chicken” in Shanghai. If we had done this, we would have sacrificed ourselves. I never suffered such self-inflicted damage. Rather, I enjoyed the fresh, nourishing “eggs,” “breasts,” and “legs” of Brother Nee’s ministry. When a great turmoil was aroused against his ministry, I was not ashamed to say that I was an absolute follower of Brother Nee. I did not care what others said about his mistakes. I only knew how grateful I was to him for the perfection he had rendered to me. I knew the nourishment I had received from him. Even when we are in the New Jerusalem, I shall be able to say that the Lord used Brother Nee to perfect me. Apart from his ministry, I would never be the person I am today. How foolish it would be for anyone in the church to devote his time to finding “dung” or stuffing his pockets with “feathers,” saying, “This is a ‘feather’ from that ‘chicken’ Witness Lee, and these are the ‘bones’ of the church in Anaheim. Don’t you know that the church in Anaheim has made mistakes?” If this is your intention, you are wasting your time. You are in the wrong place. Neither Witness Lee nor the church in Anaheim would pay you for exposing them. But do not think that we are afraid of being exposed. Whatever Witness Lee is, he is what he is. Whether the church is genuine or not, the church is what the church is. Neither the church in Anaheim nor my ministry is afraid of exposure. On the contrary, we appreciate it. But what will you gain by exposing us?