阅读经文 

我在学校担任校牧和英文老师，在学校里，我们会谈论隐喻，以及隐喻在文学作品中的重要性。我们也会注意作者在叙述中使用的意象，以显明有意义的线索。

圣经是神给我们的话，向我们启示创造、在基督里的救恩，以及神与祂子民永远同在的宏大故事。圣经也是一部文学杰作，充满了意象和隐喻，从始至终贯穿着有意义的线索。

比如，在圣经描述的许多树中，创世记2章这两棵树是后面提到的树的原型： 象征生命和多结果子的树，以及代表破碎和悖逆可能性的树。生命之树代表丰盛的生命和与神的亲密关系，而另一棵代表了选择做错事的后果。

生命之树特别预指那些以盼望，救赎，应许和安慰为主的故事，表示从一开始，人类就不是孤独地在那里生活，而是被赐予一个安全的、丰富而幸福的生活环境。重点是神与创造物之间爱的关系，都集中体现在生命之树这丰富的图画中——后来我们又在新天新地中看到这棵树，那时我们将永远与神同住。（参启 22:1-2）

In the school where I serve as a campus pastor and as an English teacher, we talk about metaphors and how important they are in a piece of literature. We also pay attention to imagery used by an author to show meaningful threads throughout a narrative.

The Bible is God's Word to us, revealing to us the grand story of creation, salvation in Christ, and life with God and his people forever. The Bible is also a literary masterpiece, filled with imagery and metaphors that carry through in meaningful threads from beginning to end.

For example, of the many trees described in the Bible, the two here in Genesis 2 are prototypes for other trees mentioned later on: trees that indicate life and fruitfulness, and trees that represent potentials for brokenness and disobedience. The tree of life presented abundant life and intimacy with God, while the other tree presented consequences connected with choosing and doing wrong.

The tree of life especially prefigures many stories featuring hope, redemption, promise, and comfort, indicating that even from the beginning, people were not left to live here alone but were given a protected place of abundance and well-being. Emphasis is placed on the loving relationship between God and creation, summed up in the rich image of the tree of life—and later we find this tree again in the new heaven and new earth, where we will live with God forever (Revelation 22:1-2).