親愛的弟兄姊妹平安:
上周二英國保守黨主席的兩位候選人Johnson和Hunt在電視台上進行直播公開辯論, 讓英國公民對未來首相的施政理念和策略有更多的了解, 並且給16萬的保守黨員為投票黨主席作參考。縱然他們其中一人當了首相, 但能否在10月30日限期前完成脫歐, 仍是未知之數, 到時可能又引發另一輪的政治風暴。
7月11日是聯合國的世界人口日, 在1987年統計的人口為50億, 到2019年的今日, 人口漲至77億, 並預計2050年人口會漲至97億。有些地區面臨人口老化而減少, 如中國, 日本; 但有些地區卻急劇加增, 如印度, 巴基斯坦, 印尼和非洲的一些國家。這77億人口以每秒鐘一個人計算, 77億秒, 要數到2263年了!
每一個人的個體存在都是極大的奧秘, 思考著人的壽命長短和健康狀況, 不禁追問: 我從哪裡來? 要往哪裡去? 我為什麼存活在這地球上? 而這地球的溫室效應, 空氣, 水源和食物的污染, 現代化的政治和經濟的壓力, 活在大地的人正應了「勞苦愁煩, 轉眼成空」的人生。
這個主日崇拜的信息經文來自撒迦利亞書7:9-11:「萬軍之耶和華曾對你們的列祖如此說：『要按至理判斷, 各人以慈愛憐憫弟兄。不可欺壓寡婦、孤兒、寄居的和貧窮人, 誰都不可心裡謀害弟兄。』他們卻不肯聽從, 扭轉肩頭, 塞耳不聽。」
人類背叛了創天造地的主, 大地蒙塵, 生靈塗炭, 天父循循善誘, 我們竟轉肩悖逆, 何其悲哀!
主內
王 興
2019年7月12日
12th July, 2019
Dear brothers and sisters,
Last Tuesday, Johnson and Hunt, the Tory Leadership contenders, took part in the live TV debate to deliver their governance ideas and tactics as the next Prime Minister, for the 160,000 Tory members to cast a vote. But whoever the next Prime Minister is, no one can be sure if the Brexit can be completed before the deadline on October 30. Another round of political storm might be triggered by then.
July 11 is the United Nations World Population Day. There were 5 billion people in 1987, it’s now 7.7 billion, and it predicted that the population will rise to 9.7 billion in 2050. Some regions are facing a decline in population because of ageing, such as China and Japan; but some regions have increased sharply, such as India, Pakistan, Indonesia and some countries in Africa. If we count 1 person in a second, 7.7 billion seconds will lead us to 2263!
The existence of each individual is a great mystery. Thinking about the life span and health of a person, I cannot but ask: Where do I come from? Where will I go? Why do I live on this earth? And the earth’s greenhouse effect, the pollution of air, water and food, modern politics and economic pressure have all fit to a life of ‘trouble and sorrow, being cut off soon.’
The message of this Sunday Service is taken from Zechariah 7:9-11: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty said: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.” But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears.’
Human beings have betrayed the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the earth is cursed and people are plunged into misery and sorrow. The Heavenly Father kindly and patiently show us the right way, yet we stubbornly turn our backs. How sad it is!
In Him,
Sam Wong