Hope is more than wishful thinking

Posted on December 20, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

The end of the Cold War saw the emergence of some amazing figures in Eastern Europe. One of them was Vaclav Havel, a Czech poet and former political prisoner who went on to become the leader of the Czech republic. Commenting on his own experience during the dark years of political oppression he talked about the way that faith and hope had sustained him, particularly when it seemed that nothing was going to change. He came to see that hope is more than just wishful thinking; it’s a firm conviction that it’s right to do right. He said: ‘Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that what we do is right regardless of how it turns out.’ It reminds me that the Bible says: ‘Let us not grow weary in doing right for when the time is right we shall reap a reward if we don’t give up.’

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Underestimating the value of a cross

Posted on December 20, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Some years ago a large bronze crucifix was stolen from Calvary Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas. It had stood there for decades and was valued at ten thousand dollars. The thieves took it away in a truck and then broke it into small pieces and sold it to a scrap merchant for four hundred and fifty dollars. They obviously had no idea of the value of that cross.
Sadly, understanding the value of the cross has always been and still is still a problem in our world. The story of Jesus’ death on the cross is the central theme of the Bible because it shows how far the love of God was prepared to go in the face of the human wickedness. The apostle Paul summed it up well when he said: ‘the message of the cross doesn’t make sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God’s power at work.’

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Rainbow’s end

Posted on December 20, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

According to Irish tradition at the end of every rainbow there’s a pot of gold guarded by a leprechaun. The only problem is that you can never find the end of a rainbow. As you come closer to what seems to be the end point, that shiny summit keeps shifting. Light, reflections and the curvature of the earth, keep transmitting that end-point perpetually forward.
But even though we can never locate an actual spot where a rainbow begins and ends our eyes tell us they are there and have an almost mystical fascination for us. That’s why the rainbow is the only celestial phenomenon to have been given divine importance. The Bible speaks of it as the visible symbol of God’s covenant with his people; a perpetual reminder of his mercy and love, which is far more valuable than any pot of gold.

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Passion for values

Posted on December 20, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Contrary to what many think, Marion Maddox, writing in the Herald, pointed out that the real passion for those values that the left wing of politics is supposed to espouse has in actual fact been most evident in the lives of conservative, evangelical Christians. They spearheaded the anti-slavery movement, campaigned for prison reform, fought for women’s suffrage and were instrumental in the recognition of Australian native title. She quotes sociologist Hans Mol, who found in successive studies that in addition to being more conservative on things like law and order, marriage and abortion, practising Christians are less likely to support racist policies, oppose humane treatment of refugees or deride the unemployed as dole bludgers.
Passion for values, you see, comes more from faith than from politics.

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It will be better higher up

Posted on December 20, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Dwight L. Moody used to tell of a saintly old woman who was always cheerful, even though confined to a dingy attic apartment. A friend one day took a wealthy woman to meet her. When they reached the second floor, the rich woman said, “What a depressing place this is!” Her friend replied, “It’s better higher up.” When they reached the third floor she said: “This is even worse.” Again the reply: “It’s better higher up.” Finally they reached the tiny attic and found the old lady, a smile on her face radiating joy. Although the room was clean and flowers were on the windowsill, the wealthy woman said “It must be very difficult for you to be here like this!” But the old lady just smiled and said: “It will be better higher up.”
Anticipating eternal blessings to come can transform even the bleakest environment.

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Past glories that no one else remembers

Posted on December 20, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

I know of a man who was once voted captain and most improved player on the school basketball team. The proudest moment of his life was the day when, in front of the entire student body, he was presented with two trophies, one for each award. He kept those two tiny trophies for over thirty years. Then, a few years ago he returned to his old school for a class reunion, only to find that the two plaques commemorating those successes mistakenly recorded the name of one of his team-mates. It made him reflect on the emptiness of living your life on some past moment of glory that no one else remembers. It also made him think that when it comes to hopes of glory, it’s better to pin your hopes on the words of Jesus who said, ‘God, who sees what is done in secret, is the one who shall reward you openly.’

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Knowing where to look

Posted on November 16, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Someone once asked the famous sceptic Bertrand Russell what the first thing would be that he’ll say to God when he meets Him. He replied that if he were to actually meet such a being he’d ask Him why He made the evidence for His existence so hard to find.
I suppose it all has to do with perceptions. Many people look at the wonders of the Universe and see the presence of God. Others look at them and see the end result of natural processes. I suspect most of us would like to have some sort of encounter that would clear the question up for us beyond doubt. But to find that evidence we have to know where to look.
In this respect I think the Russian novelist Doestoevsky got it right when he said, ‘He who seeks for God should not look for Him in the empty firmament of the mind, but in love.’ For, as the Bible says, ‘ God is love.’

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When more produces less

Posted on November 16, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Aristotle used to teach that virtue was the mid point between two extremes. So, for example, whereas recklessness is one extreme and cowardice the other, courage is the mid point where virtue sits. The important thing is to keep things in balance.
Contentment is also a matter of keeping things in balance. The Book of Proverbs says; ‘Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me just as much as I need…’ Contentment is found in realizing how much is enough. The deep spiritual malaise of today is that we have lost the concept of enough. We are wedded to a mentality that keeps us thirsting for more and more, while appreciating what we have less and less. We need to hear again those timeless words of the Bible that remind us that ‘It’s godliness with contentment that is our truly great gain.’

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Just come home

Posted on November 16, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

G. K. Chesterton was a brilliant man, who thought deep thoughts and expressed them powerfully in his writings. However, he was also extremely absent-minded, and over the years he became notorious for getting lost. He would often forget where he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to be doing. On one such occasion he sent a telegram to his wife, which said: ‘Darling, I’m lost again. Presently, I am at Market Harborough. Where ought I to be?’ And, as only a wife could, she telegraphed back a one-word reply which just said ‘HOME!’
I suspect that that might be the same answer God tries to give us when our waywardness leaves us wondering where our lives have got to, and where we ought to be. God just says: ‘Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden…’ ‘Just come home.’

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Apathy costs us nothing – except…

Posted on November 15, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Apathy is something that costs us nothing except our self respect. Rosina Hernandez once watched a young man get bashed at a rock concert. No one did anything to stop it, and he subsequently died. She then made a vow never to stand by and just let things happen. Some years later a car travelling in front of her lost control and plunged into Biscayne Bay. This time Rosina waited for no one. She jumped into the water and tried to open the car door before it sank. A crowd gathered to watch as she screamed for help, then cursed them for doing nothing. Finally two men jumped in and together they broke the safety glass and dragged the occupants out. She said later that she’d finally regained her self respect. She’d also avoided that warning of the Bible that says: ‘If you close your ears to the cries of others, your own cries will go unheard, unanswered.’

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