“A Calamity: Accepting This World as Our Ultimate Home 接受這世界為我們終極的家就是一個不幸“（1 John 約翰一書 2:15-17）
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives for ever.
不要愛世界和世上的東西。人若愛世界，愛父的心就不在他裡面了。原來世上的一切，就如肉體的私慾，眼目的私慾和今生的驕傲，都不是出於父，而是從世界來的。這世界和世上的私慾都要漸漸過去，但那遵行神旨意的卻存到永遠。
It seems incredible that we who were made in the image of God for many worlds but are now fallen beings should accept this one world as our ultimate home. We have all in it but forgotten the place from which we came. When a man really gets alone, he senses often that this life in this world is not the answer – it is not the end. A Christian is one who dedicates himself to God to inhabit another and better world!
我們這群起初為了諸世界按著神的形象而被造，卻如今墮落了的人，竟然接受這一個世界為自己終極的家，似乎令人難以置信的。我們擁有這世界裡的一切，卻已忘記了那自己來自的地方。當一個人真正獨處時，他往往意識到在這世上的人生並非那答案–這人生不是那終點。基督徒就是一位把自己委身給神，去居住於另一個而更美好世界的人！
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us not to love either the world’s system or its way of doing things. Though we may gain prestige, status, honour and comfort of this world, we lose all these in heaven and the world never wins out against you. Help us to appreciate how much the world dominates our thinking and how often our thoughts are more of the world than of you. May we do your will by investing our lives into that which cannot be lost, putting our time, attention and expense in regular contact with the Holy Spirit, the people around us and your revealed eternal word that pays eternal rewards. Amen.
禱告: 天父啊，感謝你提醒我們，既不要愛這個世界的體系，也不要愛它做事的方式。雖然我們會獲得這世界的聲望、地位、榮譽和舒適，卻在天上失去了這一切的東西，並且世界從來沒有勝得過你。求你幫助我們意識到這世界主宰我們的思維有幾多，並我們的思想有幾經常是涉及世界比涉及你更多。願我們將自己的生命投資在那些不能失去的事物上來行你的旨意，把我們的時間、注意力和金錢花費，都投入在與聖靈、我們周圍的人和你所啓示永恆的道，那給予永恆回報的經常接觸上。阿們。
