We are living in challenging and disturbing times. All around us the structures and customs we relied on to hold our world steady seem to be under threat. Many of our values are being called into question and we are compelled to live with a great degree of uncertainty.
In such times it is so tempting to become hopeless, to lose faith in God and in the goodness of others. This leaves us feeling that there is nothing we can do that will make a difference. The voice that calls us in that direction can be powerful and compelling, but it’s not the voice of Christ.
St Paul and his companions knew equally hard and challenging times. They too lived in a violent and unequal world, and often suffered because of it. In his second letter to Timothy he writes:
“Beloved: I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”
It’s easy to have faith when life is going well. It is much harder to have faith when the world seems dark and uncertain. Yet it is precisely when life is most challenging that we need to trust in that the spirit of power, love and self-control St Paul speaks.
It’s when life is hardest that we need to nurture that tiny flame. It’s when faith and trust seem the least likely response that we need to allow it to become the basis of all our interactions with others.
In these challenging times what helps you to sustain a spirit of love in your interactions?