Bible
Study: Hebrews 6, 10 to 20 and Mark 2, 23 to 28.
I guess
you have heard the story of the four candles. Four candles slowly burned. The
ambience was so soft, one could almost hear them talking. The first candle
said: “I am Peace. The world is so full of anger and fighting. Nobody can keep
me lit.” Then the flame of peace went out completely. The second candle said: “I
am Faith. I am no longer indispensable. It doesn’t make sense that I stay lit
another moment.” Just then a breeze softly blew Faith flame. Sadly, the third candle
began to speak: “I am love. People don’t understand my importance so they
simply put me aside. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them.”
And waiting no longer Love’s flame went out.
Suddenly a
child entered the room and saw the three unlit candles. “Why aren’t you burning?
You are supposed to stay lit till the end.” Saying this, the child began to
cry. Then the fourth candle answered: “Don’t be afraid. I am Hope. While I am
still burning we can re-light the other candles.”
Our first
reading this morning seems to corroborate this story. It speaks of Hope as the
strong anchor of our soul. “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the
soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus
has gone as a forerunner on our behalf…” Hebrews 6:19-20. In this same reading, we
are reminded of Abraham our father in Faith. You call how God promised him and
failed for twenty five years? Yes, for a whole twenty five years, Abraham did
not see the child that God said he would have. What kept him going for that long?
Hope.
It is easy
to talk about faith when things are going well. Faith is the assurance of
things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. When you see those
things, then your faith is boosted but when you do not see the evidence of your
prayers; when things do not work for you as planned then you have nothing else
to hang on to other than hope.
Hope is
the ability to tell yourself that you can’t have it all today but tomorrow will
be better. It is the willingness to wait even when you do not know when your
waiting will end. It is the humility to accept that you are not in charge of
your life after all and that God is not your servant either. It is the courage
to keep dropping on your knees again and again even in the face of what looks
like failure on the part of God to change your situation and answer your
prayers.
Whatever
it is that you are going through right now is known to God and he has a reason
for letting it happen. For instance, in our Gospel passage this morning, it was
rather unfortunate that Jesus and his disciples would go hungry on a Sabbath
day, so hungry that they had no other choice but to pluck and eat grains
directly from the field. And this was something forbidden on the Sabbath day.
You know how you can be hungry that you begin to chew paper? So hungry that you
don’t mind eating anything that comes your way? This was the state of suffering
that Jesus and his disciples found themselves.
Don’t get
discouraged when things are not so good for you. In the face of economic recession,
in the face of loss, hunger, deprivation or victimization. If you lose
everything, don’t lose hope. One of my favourite saying is: “It is well.”
Translated to pidgin, it reads as: “e go better.” Keep praying, and keep
waiting, one day you will understand why it had to take so long for God to
respond. Live positive; keep expecting something good and something great even
when all you can see at the moment is dark and bleak.
There is
always going to be light at the end of the tunnel. There will always be
sunshine at daybreak. It is not always going to remain like this. As the earth
rotates about its axis and revolves around the sun, movement is always going
on, things just keep changing, nothing lasts forever, one day it will be your
turn, since the earth has not stopped moving, one day it will move in your favour,
things will turn for your good. Have Hope!
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, you knew what hunger meant. Give me food today. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you.
Fr. Abu.
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