“我们知道一切受造之物一同叹息、劳苦 …。” - 罗 8:22
保罗在罗马书8章说，受造之物在一同叹息。我们都曾经因为听闻世界各地自然灾害的消息而忧伤。山火、旱灾、水灾、飓风、龙卷风、炙人致命的热浪！神的创造是美好的，它的设计本有完美的秩序，又为我们预备了地上的居所，现在却因罪的咒诅而受苦。
那些生活受到严重气候灾害影响的人类发出的叹息，正在呼应受造之物的叹息。其中的例子包括：自给自足的农户无望地等待下雨；沿海居民脚下的地土被侵蚀流失；因居所被雨水冲走而被逼聚居在帐蓬中的难民；目睹他们一生的血汗被洪水毁灭的农户；整个社区因逃避山火而疏散以致背井离乡。
受到最深影响的人们，照例是那些最脆弱的、在挣扎中求生存的人。过去数十年里在全球范围内除贫事工上多方面的进展，往往因这些气候灾害而前功尽弃。
圣经教导我们，神爱衪的创造，衪呼召受造世界来歌颂赞美衪，并且把它交给我们去护理和享用。我们的罪却败坏了衪的创造，然而神却应许，受造之物将要“脱离败坏的辖制”还有获得自由呢！
惟愿我们的生活方式反映出我们在护理看守神的创造-为着每一个人需求的缘故，更是为我们救主荣耀的缘故！
祷告
创造万物的神，求你帮助我们心怀盼望生活，等待你释放我们、我们的家园、和整个世界，重获自由。奉耶稣祈求，阿们。
罗马书 8:18-25
18我想，现在的苦楚若比起将来要显于我们的荣耀，就不足介意了。
19受造之物切望等候神的众子显出来。
20因为受造之物服在虚空之下，不是自己愿意，乃是因那叫他如此的；
21但受造之物仍然指望脱离败坏的辖制，得享神儿女自由的荣耀。
22我们知道，一切受造之物一同叹息、劳苦，直到如今。
23不但如此，就是我们这有圣灵初结果子的，也是自己心里叹息，等候得着儿子的名分，乃是我们的身体得赎。
24我们得救是在乎盼望。只是所见的盼望不是盼望。谁还盼望他所见的呢？
25但我们若盼望那所不见的，就必忍耐等候。
Creation Groans
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth. . . ." - Romans 8:22
The creation has been groaning, says the apostle Paul in Romans 8. We have all been distressed by news of natural disasters around the world. Wildfires, droughts, floods, hurricanes, cyclones, blistering heat waves! God’s good creation, designed to function beautifully and predictably as our dwelling place, suffers under the curse of sin.
The groaning of creation is echoed in the groaning of people whose lives are affected by extreme weather events: subsistence farmers who wait in vain for rain; coastal people whose land erodes under their feet; refugees in tent cities who cannot escape rains that have swept their homes away; farmers who watch floodwaters destroy their life’s work; whole communities that have to evacuate their homes to flee firestorms.
As always, the impact is greatest on people who are most vulnerable, living on the edge of survival. Many gains made against global poverty in the past decades are being undone by climate events.
The Bible teaches that God loves his creation, summons it to sing forth his praises, and gives it to us for our care and enjoyment. Our sin has spoiled creation, but God promises that creation itself will be “liberated from its bondage to decay” and brought into freedom!
Let’s live in a way that shows we care for God’s creation—for the sake of all people and especially our Savior!
Prayer
Creator God, help us to live in the hope of your liberation for us and for our home, the earth. In Jesus, Amen.
