蜜芽传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rt Rev Paul Mason

Good morning.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member鈥�
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,鈥�
November!

They are the last 5 lines from 鈥淣o鈥� by poet and wit Thomas Hood.

It can鈥檛 be many folks鈥� favourite month and no doubt even the most optimistic among us will feel the dimming distance of summer joy.

But as a thousand sermons I have heard tell you: optimism is not the same as hope.
The former being an upbeat assessment of current circumstances, regardless of the inevitable outcome; the latter a setting one鈥檚 gaze on a promise with the eyes of faith.

But from a worldly perspective surely we should all be pessimists. After all, everyone dies.

Let me give you an image courtesy of a pessimist, Arthur Schopenhauer. A man on a raft in swift rapids leading to a very high waterfall. With a stick in his hand, he staves off the rocks using all his skill and energy to stay afloat. But then, finally, he goes over the waterfall to his death. Very cheery!

So, if this is all there is, the Pessimists have it.
But the hopeful are not foolish.
Their eyes and prayers are turned beyond this vale of tears to the truth of God鈥檚 love and saving promise.
No matter the month.

Heavenly Father, Hope is a gift that only you can give. Help us lift our eyes from the here and now and loosen our grip on things that pass so that we may feel the joy of your presence as you lead us in your truth.

Amen.

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