THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

THIS summer my family and I made our first foray into the world of musical theatre, playing a small part in a recent amateur production of Goodnight Mr Tom, staged at Theatre Colwyn.

Set at the outbreak of World War Two, it tells the tale of two sad, broken souls.

There’s Will, a young, troubled evacuee who becomes orphaned and Mr Tom, a rather wizened old man who has never quite come to terms with the loss of Rachel, the wife of his youth.

Thrown together by the ill-fortunes of war, as the plot twists and turns, they slowly learn to find comfort in each other.

Themes of redemption and love unfold in the face of tears and bloodshed, the triumph of hope over adversity.

It is a popular and heartwarming tale, for all its tragedy, that resonates with people of all ages: a distinctly human story.

Trouble and conflict are never far from any one of us, yet we dare to hope for something better for ourselves too.

Jesus understood this when he broke the news of his imminent death to his disciples, recorded in John 13.

It wasn’t the news they were expecting, shattering the illusion of the dawn of a glorious kingdom.

He comforts them with these words ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God, also trust in me. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you’.

Whatever life throws at us, we too can draw strength and find solace in the promise of God’s presence when we place out trust in him.

Gareth Williams