大象传媒

Good morning

Today the Chancellor of the Exchequer will present his budget for the forthcoming year 鈥� his second within the space of three months. He鈥檒l try to draw a map of the future and offer his plan to face that future.

I鈥檓 intrigued by the idea of planning for the future. At the turn of a new year we make our Resolutions 鈥� daring promises and statements of intent. How often have I seen these brave moments of optimism disappear like the flowers of the field which are here today and gone tomorrow? And then there鈥檚 Lent, a mere forty days; not very long. Once again we make promises. We鈥檒l either give up some little pleasure or embrace some demanding extra commitment. We persuade ourselves that we鈥檙e doing this to become more like Christ. Alas! Even when the spirit is willing the flesh seems always so weak. Our vows fade till they are no more.听

Should we abandon such exercises then? Are they merely acts of self-delusion? I don鈥檛 think so. We must go on embracing the future with courage, putting our confidence in a God who will not be put off by our failures, seeking to be better people today and tomorrow than we may have been up to now. In the words of an old hymn 鈥淲e鈥檒l thank him for all that is past, and trust him for all that鈥檚 to come.鈥�

I don鈥檛 suppose all this will weigh greatly on the Chancellor鈥檚 mind later today. But faith in the future, hope for the future, and a future shaped by the demands of love 鈥� that surely has to be our agenda every living day.

Dear Lord, Help us to live this day cheerfully open to the promptings of your Spirit and ready to seize every opportunity to serve you and our neighbours. Amen.

听