The City of Sydney has changed and with change comes beautiful things, for God has made everything beautiful in its time. But what do workers gain from their toil? Solomon after obtaining great wisdom, wealth and prosperity acknowledged something weighs on the hearts and minds of humanity, that is Eternity.
The concept of Eternity is raised before us new year as we celebrate the hope of new beginnings. Decades ago, an anonymous person wrote the word “Eternity” over the streets of Sydney. It would be inscribed on the pavements, and it became so famous it would be the theme on the Sydney Harbour bridge for the Millenium celebrations. That man’s name was Arthur Stace. Mr Stace’s story is too long for this pastoral letter, but I recommend reading his biography called Mr Eternity. When he heard the Gospel, God used him in a unique way through word and deed around Sydney. Mr Eternity would engrave the reminder to this city that Eternity awaits them.
I remember as a young man seeing this word lit up and it would stick in my mind for years to come. Scripture tells us deep down God has “set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Eccl 3:10-11). The Word of the Eternal God who has no beginning and end shakes people out of their slumber and causes us to ask: Is this all there is? We work, we eat, we save, and we die? The reality of Eternity is there is a time coming, and with the triumph of Christ’s resurrection has begun, and eternity is the destination. The word Eternity written on that bridge is set upon the hearts of people, however, we should ask ourselves where we will be experiencing it? The wonder of the Gospel is all who trust in Christ can know their future eternity now. What this means for the Christian is that whether we eat, drink, or find satisfaction in our toil, we do so knowing that these are gifts from God — and that the best is yet to come.
The Eternity which awaits us will be far more glorious and pristine than anything we could experience or imagine in this everchanging world. For the eternity that awaits us who believe will be world without end and more importantly the Eternal God we shall see face to face. May the truth of Eternity remind us that we have a sure hope and reason to celebrate the greatness of God and what he has done and will do for those who love him.
雪梨這個城市已然變遷，美好的事物也隨之而來，因為神造萬物，各按其時成為美好。但這樣看來，做事的人在他的勞碌上有甚麼益處呢？所羅門在得着極大的智慧、財富與恩惠之後，承認有一件世人心裡意為重要的事，就是永生。
每逢新年伊始，當人們慶祝盼望有新的開始時，永恆的概念便再次浮現在我們眼前。數十年前，有一位無名之士在雪梨的街道上寫下了「永恆」(Eternity) 一詞。他把字寫在行人道上，並因此而聞名，甚至成為千禧年慶典雪梨海港大橋的主題。這人的名字是亞瑟‧史泰斯 (Arthur Stace)。他的故事太長，無法在這牧聲中詳述，但我誠意推薦大家閱讀他的傳記《永恆先生》(Mr Eternity)。因為當他聽到福音時，神以獨特的方式，透過他在雪梨周圍的言行使用他。永恆先生所寫下的，是提醒這個城市永恆正在等候着我們。
我記得年輕時看到這個詞被點亮，那畫面多年來一直深印在我心中。聖經告訴我們，神「將永生安置在世人心裡。然而神從始至終的作為，人不能參透。」(傳道書 3:10-11)。這位無始無終、永生神的話語，將人們從沉睡中喚醒，並促使我們自問：「人生就是這樣而已嗎？我們工作、吃喝、儲蓄，然後死去？」然而，永恆的真相是有一個時刻將要來臨，隨着基督復活的勝利已開始，而永恆就是目的地。雪梨海港大橋上寫着「永恆」二字，其實也深深地刻在我們每個人的心中。然而，我們應該捫心自問，我們會在哪裡經歷到這永恆？福音的奇妙就在於，凡信靠基督的人，現在就能知道他們將來的永恆。這對基督徒而言意味着，無論我們吃喝、在勞碌中享福，知道這些都是神的恩賜——但最好的尚未到來。
那等候我們的永恆，要比這個瞬息萬變的世界中所能體驗或想像的，更加榮耀和純潔。對信的人來說，那等候我們的永恆將是一個沒有終結的世界；更重要的是我們將要與那位永生神面對面。願「永生」的真理提醒我們：我們有一個確實的盼望和理由，去慶賀神的偉大，以及祂為愛祂之人所做的和將要做的一切。
