After the Winter Solstice, the Days Grow Longer
In the process of editing this magazine, planning was done at the beginning of autumn; manuscripts were collected and edited at the autumnal equinox; it was almost cold when the magazine was published. By the time it is delivered to North American readers, it will be the winter solstice.
The solar terms mark the seasonal changes and were originally the basis for the rhythm of farming in the past; sowing, germination, harvesting and storage, then recuperation. Do the stages of life also run according to solar terms?
After working hard in the workplace for decades, most people may look forward to one day enjoying the fruits of their hard work and "retiring" to their twilight years to "rest" and recuperate. The housekeeper unit has sailed across thousands of mountains - talking about the road to retirement after sailing through thousands of sails, leading readers to think about how to view retirement and how to view the autumn and winter of life. When considering whether and when to retreat from planning, you might as well think about: While enjoying the harvest, you should also continue to live in abundance.
However, how can the seasons of life be as regular as the four seasons? Cao Zijian lamented: "Some people may be pregnant until the end of the day, or they may be pregnant and encounter disaster." Some people have to face the frost and heavy snow of life in their prime, just like the focus of this special report. Regardless of the cause, a "single-parent family" refers to a family consisting of one parent and children. Most of them experience pain and stress. In such a difficult situation, can life still have spring?
The late KRC lecturer Dr. Jiang Haiqiong saw the unique needs of this ethnic group and established the "Streamside" ministry in Taiwan and the United States to get closer to these families who experienced the cold winter early. Over the years, co-workers and volunteers have worked together to provide comfort, encouragement, and construction to single parents and children, so that they can receive full love. Please read the two reports in the Neighbors section: Having love at home and sharing love with others - an exclusive interview with Taiwan's Xishuipang Caring Single-Parent Families Association; and restoring a home with understanding, companionship and acceptance - an exclusive interview with the American Xishuipang Caring Single-Parent Families Association.
AI artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. It seems that the plot of "robots taking over the world" in science fiction novels and movies is no longer a question of "if", but "when". Hello AI from the Knowledge and Action Unit, are you a human too? ——Exploring artificial intelligence from a psychological perspective, hoping that readers will understand the limitations and potential of AI and make good use of it.
There is a difference between humans and machines. The chatbot may be able to answer all questions, but the article "Understanding Kindness" by the family unit points out: Only people can start from kindness and lead people to God by asking questions.
Where I live, "winter" is an abstract concept, and "cold snap" is just a joke; the air conditioning turns around all year round, and the grass is always green. How to distinguish seasons? Look at the time the sun is on duty. Around the spring and autumnal equinoxes, day and night are equal; in summer, the sunshine is longer; in the so-called winter, the sky lights up later and darkens earlier.
On the winter solstice, the day is the shortest.
In other words, during the coldest months, the days actually get longer. Perhaps the main thing created is to give people hope: even during the minor cold and major cold, light and warmth continue to increase. Then, it’s the beginning of spring.
I pray that "The Kingdom of God" inspires you and me and becomes the sunshine that gradually extends after the winter solstice in other people's lives.
Executive Editor of this Journal
