Autumn in Sydney, although slightly chilly, is a beautiful season. The trees change colour, with red maple and golden ginkgo all adding vibrant colours to nature. When we take a breather from our busy work and life to appreciate the beauty of nature, it's natural to marvel at the wisdom and power of the Creator God, as beauty also comes from Him. Isaiah 40 describes God as:
“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counsellor?” (Isa 40:12-13)
This passage reminds me of a hymn video “Behold Our God” made by the students of Sydney Mission and Bible College (SMBC). What's special is that this song is sung in different languages. Besides English, there are also Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, French, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Hindi, Russian, Irish, Spanish, etc. I am deeply moved every time I listen to this song, that every country and nation will one day come together to praise and worship this great God, which is the ultimate goal of the entire creation. God has given us a glimpse of what will be fulfilled. Even though our understanding and imagination are quite limited, we can still experience God's greatness and solemnity when we see the beauty of autumn or hear the beautiful melody of a hymn.
God has called us to participate in his plan, laying the foundation of redemption for us through Jesus Christ. Building on this foundation, He has also called us to continue preaching the gospel, leading more people to join this army of worshippers. This is our duty regarding eternity that all Christians need to join in and participate. When we are tired from our busyness, or feel pressured from conflicts, just pause and think about our wonderful God and our eternal hope. Maybe our hearts will open up and rediscover God’s good purpose.
Note: the hymn can be found on YouTube “Behold our God – World Edition (Lyric Video)” or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA96oPEJis4
悉尼的秋天雖略感寒冷，卻是一個美麗的季節。樹木變了顏色，楓葉的紅色，銀杏的金黃，為大自然增添了許多色彩。當我們從忙碌的工作生活中稍作停頓，欣賞這些美麗景色的時候，很自然地讚歎創造天地宇宙的神，是多麼富有智慧和大能，美也是來源於神。以賽亞書40章記載了先知對於神的認識：
誰曾用手心量諸水，用手虎口量蒼天？用升斗盛大地的塵土，用秤稱山嶺，用天平平岡陵呢？誰曾測度耶和華的心，或作他的謀士指教他呢？（賽40:12-13）
讀著這段經文的時候，也叫我想起悉尼宣教與聖經學院（SMBC）的學生們曾經製作的一個詩歌視頻 -「看啊，我們的神」（BeholdOur God）。特別之處在於，大家用了不同的語言來唱這首歌，除了英語以外，還有國語、粵語、印尼語、法語、日語、韓語、尼泊爾語、印度語、俄語、愛爾蘭語、西班牙語...或許這是一首囊括了最多語言的詩歌。每次聽這首歌的時候，我的心都深深感動，每一個國家，每一個民族，終有一天要一起來讚美敬拜這位偉大的神，這是整個宇宙最終要達成的景象。
神已經把未來所要成就的，稍稍啟示給我們知道，雖然我們的理解能力和想像力都有限，但是我們仍然可以在看到秋日美景，或者聽到詩歌的美好旋律時，略為體會神的偉大和莊嚴。神已經呼召我們參與他的計劃中，他使耶穌基督為我們打下救贖的根基，又呼召我們在此根基上繼續傳福音，帶領更多人一起加入將來敬拜神的大軍。這是一個關於永恆的職分，是所有的基督徒要一起參與的。當我們在忙碌中感到疲累，或者因為衝突而感到壓力的時候，停一停，思想一下我們這位偉大的神和我們永恆的盼望，或許我們的心就會豁然開朗，重新發現神的美意。
注：詩歌可在YouTube網站搜索“Beholdour God - World Edition (Lyric Video)”orhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA96oPEJis4
