PRAYER PAUSE
Saturday 19 May 2018
ON
ACCOUNT OF THE HOPE
Enter
into the stillness of God within.
Reading: “ … for it is on account of the hope of Israel
that I wear this chain.” (Acts 28:16…32)
Reflection. The Acts of the Apostles ends
with Paul a prisoner in Rome. But he is full
of hope for the future. It is hard for us to look beyond our present troubles
to “the joy that lies in the future,” and Karl Marx would criticise us for
doing so. But there is nothing unhealthy
in beng sustained by our hope in the midst of our “chains.” It does not mean we are avoiding engaging in
the issues of our time. It simply means
we have a vision that our present troubles are the seedbed of victory over sin,
human intransigence and death. In a week
where a leader takes a step away from peace in Israel and Palestine, Paul’s
long term vision gives us a dose of hope for eventual peace there and in our own
journey and indeed in the whole world.
Prayer. Lord, help us to be
sustained by the “joy that lies in the future” as we face our daily struggles. Help us to let our joy shine forth and so
perhaps encourage others. Amen
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