Hope or Despair

Yesterday evening, on my way to a shop in the centre of the market town where I live, I was entertained by a chorus of bird song, blackbirds and thrushes among them, just as dusk was settling.  Despite the surrounding and increasing gloom their delightful songs filled the air.  As I left the shop I tried to draw the attention of a man waiting for his wife to the brilliant music filling the air.  He listened for a moment, shrugged his shoulders and returned to his former rather gloomy state.  I wondered if the birds knew something he did not!

My day started, as it often does, with my listening to a current affairs programme on the radio.  Item after item seemed to present a list of things we should be worried about.  Doctors who make mistakes, hospitals that are overflowing and underfunded, police who fail to provide appropriate evidence, financial uncertainties, disturbing tweets from the White House, the threat of cyber attack on our infrastructure, more stories of sexual abuse and, of course, the shadow of Brexit!  The words “concerning” and more correctly “worrying” occurred several times.

Was, I wondered, the media reflecting the gloom, or was it the consequence of the disturbing habit of producing someone ready to pour scorn and criticise anything good that is happening.  If I may employ the contrary line to a well known Christian song, “Where there is hope in life, let me bring despair!”

All of this puts me in mind of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Philippi.  At the time of writing we are informed that he is imprisoned.  He refers to his chains, but whether these are actual or a metaphor for the restrictions he was under, we cannot be sure.  I note that when referring to the opposition he faced, Paul reveals that they too are suffering.  The circumstances are far from ideal, it would seem.  Yet the tone of this letter is upbeat.  He encourages his readers to rejoice and keep rejoicing.  He tells them not to worry about the circumstances, not to be anxious about anything.

I remember hearing a conference speaker refer to people who respond to the question “How are you?” by saying, “Alright under the circumstances!”  He went on to point out that Christians should recognise that we live their lives with Jesus Christ in God.  Consequently, since we are reigning with him we cannot be UNDER the circumstances.

Of course, there is a world of difference between living in denial and living by faith.  The former is psychologically dangerous.  The facts need to be faced.  The latter is liberating as it points beyond on reality to another reality where we have a loving heavenly Father, a wonderful Saviour and the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit.   Even the psalmist took himself to task saying, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.”  (Psalm 42:5). How much more should we who have come to know Jesus Christ, be people of hope in times of despair?

Peter, also writing to Christians who had suffered for the sake of Christ, writes about being ready to give a reason for the hope that they have.  Like the birdsong breaking through the falling gloom of evening, our lives and attitudes should shine through the depressing and worrying circumstances of the world in which we live.  This also brings with it the challenge of living above whatever unfortunate circumstances may be affecting us at this time.  We cannot deny the pain, but our confidence in the character and promises of God are able to lift us up, for he will never fail us.

I commend to you the words of Anna L Waring’s hymn, ‘In heavenly love abiding’.  You could almost preach a sermon on every line of this hymn.  It assures us of the depth and constancy of God’s love which never changes.  Even in the darkest storm there is no room for dismay.  In the final verse she writes, “My hope I cannot measure, my path to life is free.  My Saviour has my treasure, and he will walk with me”.

As I have written these words I have left playing in the background a recording of bird song, like that which I enjoyed yesterday evening.  I know that the song they sang as the day ended and the darkness fell, would have been repeated this morning as the first light of day broke over the horizon.  In Psalm 92 the psalmist talks about proclaiming God’s love in the morning and his faithfulness at night.  As he says, it is good to praise the Lord and make music to his name.

Maybe some of us also know what the birds have something to sing about!  Let’s sing it as loudly and as continuously as they manage to do from dawn to dusk.

Barry – 27 January 2018.

From the Diary

The past two weeks have kept me busy, but I still have not found sufficient time to complete the two important writings: one on developing appropriate strategies for mission and the other on a safeguarding topic.  Please keep praying about time management.  Often, urgent matters are brought to my attention through phone calls and email, sometimes every day!  I stress that I am always available to anyone who might need help or advice, so I need wisdom every day.

Among various ministry activities, it was delightful to take the morning meeting at Yelvertoft (my last pastorate) last Sunday, school assemblies have been well received, and the series of Bible studies in Ephesians I am writing and leading in prison have proved exciting.  God is at work in the prison in wonderful ways.

This Sunday (28^th January) I shall take the morning meeting for Welford Congregational Church, Northants.  After this, Doreen and I will be travelling to Kent for the rest of the week.  Hopefully it will be a rest, but I will be teaching at the Salvation Army College in London on one day and undertaking some business in Hastings on another day.

One of our current concerns is to find someone who will undertake some of our activities to support and encourage children’s ministry in rural churches.  We have been exploring several possibilities, and the role is advertised on our website at www,ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk  Please pray that we will find the right person or people to share in this important ministry.