有一次我們全家開車去旅行，我花好幾個小時駕車穿過人煙稀少的蒙大拿州和南達科他州。我在行駛途中，留意到一個重複出現的景象：廣闊的農田上點綴着一片片樹叢，而一棟房子被樹木圍繞，坐落在樹叢中間。當我開着車、頂着強風，緊抓着方向盤不讓車子偏離車道時，我突然意識到，那些屋主種植樹木不僅是為了美觀，更是精心栽培一片防風林，為要保護房屋和居住者免受強風的侵襲。

先知以賽亞曾將有上帝眷顧的未來，描述為躲避風暴的避難所。以賽亞呼籲上帝的子民悔改之後（以賽亞書31章6-7節），寫道將來「必有一王憑公義行政」（32章1節），所有與祂一同掌權的人都將成為「躲避狂風暴雨的庇護所」（2節，當代譯本修訂版）。如此一來，人們就能在安全有保障的情況下，看到、聽到、明白並述說真理（3-4節）。

縱然先知以賽亞所說的這個應許尚未完全實現，但從一些基督徒積極地關懷別人的益處（腓立比書2章3-4節），我們已經看到上帝正在動工。基督的靈會幫助我們積極關懷他人，為人營造一個安全的避風所，讓人們即使在艱難時期也能茁壯成長。這就是我們能向人展現上帝慈愛關懷的一個具體方式。

On a long family road trip, I spent hours driving through the sparsely populated states of Montana and South Dakota. As I drove, I began to notice a pattern: Vast stretches of farmland were dotted with groves of trees surrounding a house. As I worked hard to keep our van in our lane due to strong winds, it dawned on me that the trees were there for more than beauty. They were also intentionally cultivated windbreakers designed to protect the home and its occupants from the powerful gusts of wind buffeting the landscape.

The prophet Isaiah once described a future in God’s care as a shelter from wind and storm. Having called God’s people to repentance (Isaiah 31:6-7), Isaiah also wrote of a future time when “a king will reign in righteousness” (32:1) and all who rule with Him will be “a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm” (v. 2). The resulting blessing is people who are able to see, hear, understand, and speak truth (vv. 3-4) in peace and safety.

While we still await the full benefits of this promise, we already see God at work through those who actively look out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4). Christ’s Spirit helps us cultivate a safe space where people can flourish even in difficult times. This is a tangible way we can exemplify God’s loving care.