FAITH FILES
IN March last year it was toilet rolls. Now it’s petrol.
It seems that once the national rumour factory gets going, it’s not long before it becomes a selffulfilling prophecy. If everyone had listened to calls for restraint, there would have been plenty for all – yet because others stockpile, we all get worried that we’ll run short, and so join the queue.
There is a nervousness across the country as we try to bounce back from Covid. Energy prices are rising, and benefits are being cut.
On top of that, we have driver shortages and supply issues, not just with fuel. And then there’s the concern that infections will increase again over the winter.
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, there was much to be concerned about. And so now, how do we live in a world that seems to becoming more scary by the day?
The Government is trying to reassure us, but not all are convinced. And, ultimately, even the best politicians are limited in their power to put things right.
We need something far stronger to anchor our lives to in this modern world. People look in many different places for help, but can often be disappointed. Anything that relies on humans can ultimately let us down.
And that includes relying on oneself.
You would expect, writing in the Faith Files column, for me to say God is the answer – and you might respond that it’s just a cliché. But actually I know for myself that He is the only one I can rely on. If it wasn’t for my faith I might have given up on things a long time ago.
It doesn’t always stop bad stuff from happening. It doesn’t provide all the answers. But it does give me something to hold onto in a storm. The reason the Bible is the world’s best-seller even after thousands of years is because God’s message of hope is still just as relevant today as when it was written.
In countries where Bibles are in short supply, there is a desperate scramble to get hold of copies that makes queuing in our cars seem like luxury. Here, we’re not so bothered to find out what our Maker has to say.
Perhaps it’s time to reassess what’s important in life?
Tim Gossling