The Rockin' Rev August 2020

Hope

When ‘lockdown’ was imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic I started (and still continue) to post a time of prayer, Bible-reading and reflection on the St. Andrew’s Church Facebook page. These daily posts, Monday through Friday, are about 15 minutes long. One of the themes I addressed in the days of these posts was the theme of hope
 
Hope is a source of strength and encouragement. When we are trapped in a tunnel of uncertainty, hope points to the light at the end of the tunnel; when we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits; when we are tempted to give up, hope keeps us going; when we are forced to sit back and wait, hope gives us patience; and when we say our final farewell to someone, hope gets us through our grief
 
Thales of Miletus was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. He was born in 624 BC and died in 546 BC, aged seventy-nine. Among his many noteworthy quotes, Thales said this about hope:
The most universal thing is hope, for hope stays with those who have nothing else
 
Moving on hundreds of years, Saint Paul, in a period of tremendous change and personal loss, penned the inspiring words:
And now these things remain: faith, hope and love
 
Medical science has proved that people can endure almost limitless hardships - near starvation, physical and emotional abuse, and even long periods of sustained illness - as long as hope is alive in the heart of a person
 
An article by Dr Harold Wolff was published entitled, "What Hope Does for Man".  In this article, Dr Wolff discussed the importance of hope for those who underwent imprisonment in World War II. I quote:
In short, prolonged circumstances which are perceived as dangerous, as lonely, as hopeless, may drain a man of hope and of his health; but he is capable of enduring incredible burdens and taking cruel punishment when he has self-esteem, hope, purpose, and belief in his fellows
 
According to Dr Harold Wolff, hope, like faith and a purpose in life, is medicinal. This is not merely a statement of belief, but a conclusion proved by meticulously controlled scientific experiment
 
It’s often said, “Where there is life there is hope.” There is truth in that but the opposite is also true, “where there is hope there is life and where there is no hope there is no life”
 
Keep taking the ‘medicine’ and be hopeful
 

Rev Brian Hall

Vicar, St Andrew’s Church

also published by St Andrew's Church in the Gorleston Community Magazine

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