A QUESTION OF FAITH
With Rev Malcolm Clarke The Vine Christian Coffee and Book Shop in The Borough Hinckley “AND hope does not disappoint us” Romans 5 v5 The Bible
The world Cup begins next week. Perhaps it’s become a bit like Marmite, `You either love it or you hate it`.
I freely confess that I’ve become a bit of a cynic over the years, and feel increasingly that the side who knows best `how to work the referee` is most likely to succeed.
However much I might want the flamboyant super-skilled team to win (especially if that side is England) that gaining a penalty, getting a free kick, conning the ref might be a better plan. Cynic that I am.
I watched the programme last season celebrating Bobby Charlton’s 80th birthday.
Two of his brothers were on, and Jackie said of him, “He’s the greatest player I’ve ever seen. He’s m’brother!”
Very touching. Very moving. And the pair of them were immense in our world cup year of 1966.
But 52 years on, we’ve hoped and dreamed over and over every four years. We’ve cheered them on and sung the songs. And thus far we’ve fallen short tournament after tournament. Some decision; some shootout; some thing has meant every time that we’ve been disappointed.
Gazza’s tears. Chris Waddle’s penalty miss. Maradona’s `Hand of God`. Frankie Lampard’s `goal that wasn’t given`. Disappointed.
And I think as long as you live and whatever in life you experience you will only ever find one hope that doesn’t ever let you down, that doesn’t disappoint and it’s there as stated in the Bible.
In this particular bit, the letter written to the Christians at Rome, who knew and were to find out what it’s like to `have it rough` in life, there’s a progression of experience.
Hard times it says, so long as you look to Jesus, gives you the will to keep going and to overcome; that in turn makes of you a person to inspire others (you’ve seen it again and again at the Invictus Games); and from that character-you-build, a hope is generated regarding better days to come.
And that hope the Bible confidently states does not and cannot disappoint us because it is created by God The Holy Spirit living within us, and because we have looked to Jesus through the whole process, through the whole progression.
From hard times through to an indomitable hope that will never let us down.
A hope that will see us through THIS life; a hope that will safely see us into the NEXT life and all that is yet to be.
Come on England. Hope you do us proud and that decisions go your way.
Come on us. In spite of all life’s setbacks and trials and tribulations, let’s focus on Jesus and feel the presence of The inner Holy Spirit inspiring us to be more than we thought we could be and helping us to see the hope that is set before us that will never disappoint.