朋友邀請我們到他們家吃晚餐，主人家很雀躍地帶我遊她的後花園，看看她的小農地。她每天努力灌溉、細心照顧，並用她的農作物炒菜給我們吃，嘗她勞作的成果。 論到耕種，我想起法國畫家 讓・ 弗朗索瓦・米勒以及他畫作描繪出農夫努力耕作，純樸務實的精神。故此我將他的名作「 拾穗者」以卡通形式繪畫在右上角以表達農夫的美德 ——忍耐。
A friend invited my family over for dinner, and she enthusiastically showed me her crops at her backyard and made dishes with her harvest. I think of French painter Jean Francois Millet and his deep appreciation for rural farming communities. His paintings exalted the simple life of humble and earnest farmers with dignity and honor. Therefore, I added “the Gleaners”, one of his most well-known pieces, on the upper right to express a commendable virtue of a farmer, patience.
「弟 兄 們 哪 ， 你 們 要 忍 耐 ， 直 到 主 來 。 看 哪 ， 農 夫 忍 耐 等 候 地 裡 寶 貴 的 出 產 ， 直 到 得 了 秋 雨 春 雨 。你 們 也 當 忍 耐 ， 堅 固 你 們 的 心 ， 因 為 主 來 的 日 子 近 了 。」（雅 5:7-8） 容易或好玩的事不需忍耐，雅各所說的是困難。這並非只限於書信當時，而是延伸至現今及將來，甚至節奏越來越明快，直至主再回來。這包括身體軟弱（14節），外來的逼迫（13節）及裡面的分爭（9節）等。雅各為我們做好心理建設，讓我們無論如何得堅忍。
“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.” (James 5:7-8) James taught us that as the end times come near, troubles come inevitably upon Christians then and now. Such afflictions could mean division and discord within the body of Christ (v.7), physical and emotional illness (v.14), persecution (v.13), and more.
其忍耐的程度好比農夫耐性等候春雨和秋雨臨到，滋潤他的農地。縱使地土或許乾旱、收成不樂觀，他仍然以安靜的心去等待不放棄。 雅各重複道，除了忍耐外，在面對每個景況中，關鍵是祈禱、祈禱和祈禱，因為義人的禱告是大有功效的（16節）。 我們就約伯的事蹟看到，當我們堅忍到底，其結果何等甘甜，因為神仍然是滿有憐憫仁慈的。
As a farmer waits in calm expectation of a rain to nourish his dry, likely dying crops, James called us to be patient, press on and endure like Job did in the face of afflictions. Another key is to pray in all circumstances because the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (v.16b). When Christ returns and all hardships are over, we know that a harvest that is sweeter than anything imaginable will come, because God is merciful and gracious.
你是否能看到這幅水彩畫內深藏了一個時鐘？上面的12個數字代表相對的月份，而全年每月不同種類的蔬果的收成我把它們畫在每月份的空間內，我參考了在朋友家中嘗到的收成， 家附近的小花園及卑詩省收成月份網站等。最終我所表達的是，當苦難臨到，感覺時間之久，好像等不到盡頭。但當我們以後回看，其實處處都是恩典， 處處結果纍纍。
I painted a clock with 12 units (some are hidden behind the crops) representing its corresponding month of a year. For each month I painted the fruits or vegetables in season in British Columbia, some of which I tasted at my friend’s place, such as snow peas, blueberries and raspberries. Just as farmers wait patiently, suffering seems to never end in the seasons of waiting. However, when we will look retrospectively, an abundance of blessings is showered on us through it all. Isn’t God and His grace present throughout all year?
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