大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Janet Fife, retired vicar and one of the first women to be ordained.

Good morning.

A minister asked his congregation for their favourite Bible verses. Most of them cited well-known passages like the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my Shepherd, or the hymn to love from 1 Corinthians. 13. One woman spoke up: 鈥業t came to pass.鈥� There was a pause. 鈥橶hat鈥檚 the rest of it?,鈥� promoted the minister. 鈥楾hat鈥檚 the whole thing,鈥� the woman replied. 鈥榃hen I鈥檓 having a hard time I say to myself, 鈥淚t came to pass.鈥� This won鈥檛 go on forever.鈥�

Here in the UK we鈥檙e surrounded by evidence that 鈥榗rowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane.鈥� Some of us live near an old stately home or the ruins of a castle or abbey. I live in Whitby, where what鈥檚 left of the Norman abbey dominates the town.

One of the benefits of getting older is that we can look back at some of the things that worried us years ago and realise they didn鈥檛 turn out so badly after all. However difficult life seemed at the time, we coped, and survived, and perhaps learned new skills. Facing a new recession and bigger bills, we may be able to dig out old, cheap recipes and money-saving hacks. At the very least, past griefs and battles can teach us empathy for people going through a hard time now.

In this ever-changing world, what really matters? Governments, jobs, and recessions come and go, but love and kindness last for ever.

St Paul wrote: 鈥楩aith, hope, love abide, these three - but the greatest of these is love.鈥� And 鈥榳hat is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.鈥�

Eternal God, Thank you that you are with us through all the changes and chances of this Life.

Amen

Show less