A Sunday message written for pupils of Christ's Hospital School:
Luke 2:25-40
Recently, I read a book entitled ‘A Monster Calls’. A young
boy is struggling with his mum’s diagnosis of cancer. He comes to terms with it
through the help of a monster in the form of a yew tree. I won’t spoil the
ending, but the message of the story is that we often deny the truth which is
staring us in the face. We know in our hearts whether something is right or wrong,
but for self-preservation we deny the truth to those around us. We try to evade
truth despite its omnipresent reality.
Our reading today has a similar effect. The presentation of
Jesus – which should have been a happy and joyous occasion was overshadowed by the
devastating reality of suffering.
Mary and Joseph had brought Jesus to the Temple to admit him
formally as a member of the Jewish religion. Simeon, a man who had been
promised he would see the Messiah before his death, goes to the Temple and
meets Mary, Jesus and Joseph and he gives a mysterious message to the family.
He tells Mary that she will experience unendurable suffering described in the
form of a sword piercing her soul. We can only imagine such suffering – a mother
losing her son before his time – it is unthinkable, and justifiably so, those
who experience it may rage against God. They question his existence. They lose
faith.
And yet there is something in the story of Jesus that
teaches us that suffering is not the end – that it is in fact a gateway to a
new beginning. This is not to say that the horrendous nature of suffering is
justified. We do not let God ‘off the hook’ so to speak. But it does allow us
in some way to understand. To somehow comprehend the meaning within. If all
suffering is meaningless, what is our existence for? Who are we? Can suffering
mould us into something greater? We must reclaim ourselves in the name of
something and I suggest that standing up in the name of God means a great deal.
The Christian message is primarily about love and forgiveness in the midst of
suffering and this provides our lives with a tremendous amount of potential. It
gives us something to hold onto, to truly cope with life, to find a meaning to
our existence. The universe cannot be empty. Its vastness, to me at least, is
filled with divine remnants. It is our job to look for God, to search for him
within our lives, and to find him working within our lives.
Believing in Christianity today, especially for young
people, is often perceived to be the unpopular choice. Perhaps the message for
today’s generation should be that this does not rule out the potential that
Christianity may contain some truth. Indeed, it may contain the truth. It is worth thinking about
and spending some time thinking over. Despite our assumptions, people do not
always come to faith through easy means. Believing in God is not always ‘the
easy way out’. Faith can sometimes be the hardest struggle you will ever
endure. Paradoxically, it is the most frustrating of all relationships because
sometimes the answer comes when there is no response. God can be heard in the
silence. He is present in the suffering. When suffering has no words, God
whispers love into our lives. Don’t get me wrong - you have a right to be angry
or upset. But I’ve always found God there. He’s like a backstage worker behind
the scenes of a play – but he is crucial because he sets the right backdrop and
lighting and ensures the show must go on. He may not speak in a loud, booming
voice. He may not declare his presence in a shining halo of light. Rather, He
is love itself, which is subtle, and speaks quietly. St Paul wrote that love is
neither boastful nor proud, nor envious, nor anything which points only to
itself. Love considers another unconditionally and wholeheartedly and I believe
that God does this for each and every one of you. It may not seem like it, but
it is worth posing the question, asking whether there is something grander and
more wonderful out there, willing your existence and loving you, despite all
adversity.
If the story of ‘A Monster Calls’, teaches us anything, it
is that the strength we draw in difficult times comes from within our own
being. As a Christian, I believe that our strength is God. He is the source of
all life, and He is Love. And within our suffering, his love is an anchor in
the stormy sea of life. He holds us in place when we feel we have nothing to
hold onto.
In the middle of a world of suffering, God is the fountain
of peace, wisdom and knowledge in whom we can trust.
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