Making the most of Days of Grace

I have recently read one of the most moving and thought provoking books I remember coming across.  It was both tremendously sad and yet heart-warmingly uplifting.  Harrold Parry was born in December 1896.  In January 1916 he felt compelled to volunteer for Army service in WWI.  Sadly he was killed in action at Ypres in May 1917 at the age of just 20.  The book includes many of the letters which Harold wrote home to family and friends during his period of military service.  They reveal a harrowing picture of the terrible experiences of those who fought on the front line.  He was clearly a remarkable young man.  In one passage he writes,

“Death itself I do not fear, but I have rather a dread of the manner of death.  I don’t want to be mangled badly and to be out in No Man’s Land until I die, and I don’t want to die at all – yet.  It seems so difficult to face the prospect with so little in life and so much to do.  The world is in such terrible need of love and beauty, and when one thinks that it might be possible for oneself to help, even in a limited and confined way, in a truer appreciation and perception of the things that really matter – well, until one has done something, death seems a poor ending to all hopes and fears, all desires and ambitions.”

Though it is clear that Harold had a strong Christian faith and did not fear death, at the same time he had a desperate desire to make his life count for something before he died.  The imminence of death as a front line soldier somehow brought into clearer perspective for him the value of each new day, and highlighted the things in life which really matter.

This train of thought was reemphasised to me earlier today in conversation with my brother, Phil, who lives in New Zealand.  In the early part of last year Phil was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and given a mere few months to live.  In the intervening period he has been through some desperately hard times, and felt at one point that death was approaching.  Remarkably, he is currently feeling as good healthwise as he has for a very long time.  Because he has now outlived the most optimistic original prognosis, he now sees the gift of each new day as a “Day of Grace”.  Coming so close to death has helped him, like Harold Parry, to see how precious is the gift of a new day, and given him an urgency to make every day count for good.

All this links in with the fact that I was introduced, in the past couple of weeks, to a remarkable and challenging poem, “The Dash” (you can read it HERE). The challenge of the poem is to consider how we use the limited time which we all have on planet earth.  Perhaps our waking thought for each new day ought to be to thank God for another Day of Grace, and to ask for his help to make it count for good.

A creative challenge for Lent

Apologies for those of you who have no interest in football, but I just had to mention the tremendous success which Leicester City are having this season!  When one considers that around 12 months ago they looked to be heading for relegation from the Premiership, it is remarkable to see how the club has remained towards the top end of the league for much of the season, and as I write they are sitting proudly at the very top of the Premiership.  Before the season commenced, the odds against them winning the Premiership title were around 5000/1.  They have since been slashed to 5/2.

I was delighted to be able to attend City’s home match against Chelsea in December, a match which they deservedly won.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed the experience (and was even given a free limited edition packet of Walkers Jamie Vardy crisps!), it was a little annoying having to sit next to one particular fan who spent a lot of the match moaning at the Leicester players.  I found it hard to believe that when the team were playing so well, this gentleman found so much to be negative about.  Some people are never satisfied!

The truth is, of course, that we can all be unnecessarily negative at times.  To criticise and to moan about things is easy.  I was fascinated to read recently about someone who had decided to try and give up negativity for Lent!  It immediately struck me as a great idea and potentially a much more creative and fruitful act than to give up something like chocolate or biscuits. 

What a difference it would make to life if everyone made a determined effort to be more positive.  There’s a verse in the Bible which says, ‘Speak encouraging words to one another.  Build up hope’  It’s so much better to speak words which encourage and build up rather than discourage and tear down; so much better to try to see the positives in situations.  And not just for Lent!

What a friend

One of the churches of which I am Minister has recently started a monthly “Messy Church.”  Messy Church is aimed at families which perhaps wouldn’t generally attend traditional church.  Typically it will include craft and other activities round a theme, a short devotional spot, and food (always an attraction!)  The theme of this month’s Messy Church was “Jesus – our friend”.  I was asked to give a short talk as part of the devotional spot, so I told the story of Joseph Scriven.

Joseph Scriven was born Ireland in 1819.  As a young man, he fell in love and was engaged to be married. Tragedy struck, however, when his fiancé was drowned on the evening before their wedding.  At the age of 25, Scriven emigrated to Canada, where he taught and tutored to make his living.

In due course he again fell in love and became engaged to a young lady called Eliza Roche.  But once again he was enveloped in tragedy, as shortly before the couple were due to marry, Eliza became ill with pneumonia and died. It must have been a terrible time for Joseph.

He devoted the rest of his life to helping people in need.  Scriven sought to live out the teachings of Jesus; and was always ready, whenever possible, to give or lend to anyone who asked.  He had a genuine compassion for all who were less fortunate than himself.

In 1855, Joseph learned that his elderly mother, back in Ireland, was very ill.  He wrote a poem to comfort her.  Some time later, Joseph himself became ill.  A friend came to visit him, noticed a manuscript copy of the poem, and declared that it ought to be made more widely known.  In due course the poem became one of our most well-known hymns: “What a friend we have in Jesus.”  Despite everything which Joseph Scriven faced in his life, and the terrible tragedies which he encountered, he was still able to speak so powerfully of the ever-present friendship of Jesus.

On a similar vein, I read this week of a group of Palestinian Christians seeking to support Iraqi Christian refugees in Jordan who have fled persecution in Iraq.  The report included this insight: “We were deeply moved to hear that even after everything they lost; even after they were forced to leave their homes and their lands, and went through the most difficult living conditions, they continued to believe that without our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no freedom or joy. They continued to praise the Lord. It was so encouraging to see them blessed by God with joy in their hearts.”  These Iraqi Christians, despite all they have suffered, still know, like Joseph Scriven knew, the wonderful friendship of Jesus.

“Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest.  It’s about who came and never left your side.”