Reaching others

John Donne (1572-1631) was the dean at St Paul’s when the Black Death struck London.

He remained in London to care for his flock and inevitably, he himself contracted the plague and lay at death’s door.

In one of his meditations he wrote:“How can I worship God when I am nailed to a bed?”

Today I want to reach out to the countless men and women whose lives have been restricted through age or infirmity or constrained through unemployment or illness.

I want to re-visit these‘fruits of the Spirit’that we find in Galatians 5.22.

For it is these lovely Godinspired human qualities that can reach out to others.

Loneliness is a harsh and widespread experience.

People are so busy that they do not get the chance to make that phone call. But that phone call or short visit could have broken the day’s deafening silence for someone.

Paul said the fruits of the Spirit are joy and peace (Galatians 5.22).

When the New Testament speaks of joy it does not refer to earthly things. Rather Christian joy finds its certainty in God and God’s promises.

Paul prays for the Philippians with joy (Philippians 1.4).

We will use our Christian talent well if we keep alive someone’s deep joy founded on the promises of God.

There is a difference between the peace of an evening hour and the unbroken silence of day and night.

We will be true and helpful to someone if we can create peace in their days and diminish their unbroken silence.

Philip Yancey the popular American theologian and writer makes a very important play on the word invalid.

Our friend or family member may be suffering from a serious illness. Confined to a hospital ward or to a long stay at home, the encouragement from his employer has been re-assuring.

“Your job is still there for you.,” he’s been told but as time goes on doubts begin to grow.

“I am an invalid, but will I ever work again? Am I now‘in-valid’, surplus to requirements?“

This may well be what is happening to someone you know and love. Or it could be happening to you.

Paul wrote that one of the gifts of the Spirit is‘patience’.

In the Greek New Testament, the word for‘patience’is strong. It is‘conquering patience’ (Professor William Barclay).

It is the stubborn ability to keep going.

Supremely, it is used of God’s attitude towards people.“God’s patience leads you to repentance” (Romans 2.4).

But if we are going to help our friend, or if we are going to succeed ourselves then we need ‘stick-ability’.

It is no use visiting our friend then forgetting him as we leave the ward. We need to stay close.

Paul says that the fruit of the Spirit is‘fidelity’(Galatians 5.22).

In the New Testament it means trustworthiness. It is someone who is reliable.

The long wait for recovery, the anxieties about caring for family, the creeping fears, and they are always worse during the night, these heavy emotions need reliable friends.

And when we are the invalid we need to be courageous.

The man at the Sheep Pool waited 38 years to be cured (John 5. 1-9).

She was the very heart and soul of the family. But now they have all flown the nest.

They still remember her and are good to her but they have their own busy lives.

Now she is worried that she will become a burden to them.

But we men folk are worse and can let ourselves go so easily.

Because we all need to feel wanted, and when that sense of being needed is removed there is often little meaning left for us.

The Holy Spirit has a wonderful gift to cover every scene and heal every soul.

It is“kindness”(Galatians 5.22). A kind person in the New Testament can only respond to another person by helping.

Let us use this great Christian virtue often and generously.

Let kindness bring peace, heal hearts, trace a smile across tear-stained cheeks, and assure someone they are wanted and loved.

Let Christian kindness assure everyone that they have a place in someone’s heart and a purpose in God’s plan of life

“Love is patient and kind”(1 Corinthians 13.4).