Confidence under threat

News bulletins with repeated accounts of death and destruction can be demoralising. The world may seem to be a dreadful place and our confidence for life and living can be shattered. But Easter is a fillip for faith with its message about the triumph of life over death and goodness over evil. All is not lost. God is still alive! Robert Louis Stevenson said, "I believe in an ultimate decency of things" and John Greenleaf Whittier wote, "Yet midst the maddening maze of things And tossed by storm and flood, To one fixed trust my spirit clings, I know that God is good!" I say Amen to that.

Who is in the driving seat?

It has been said that man is an omnibus in which his ancestors ride and we may believe that our genes are an important factor in our life. But all not all important. I don't believe that any of my ancestors drive my bus! By the grace of God we can determine our own destiny. Years ago I knew a fine Christian man who told me that he was born as a result of his mother being raped. The circumstances of his birth could have undermined his self-worth. In fact he had made good and chosen to live a life that was useful and happy.

Life is lent

For many people Lent is a season for making sacrifices - going without meat, sugar or whatever. Perhaps we also need to remember that life itself is only lent. We came into the world at no cost to ourselves. We didn't purchase our existence or do anything to deserve it. One day we will have to give it back and be accountable for the ways` in which we have invested our years on earth. We tend to think that all are mortal except ourselves but sure enough the day of accounting is coming for all of us. By the grace of God we can face that day with confidence not simply because we are good but becuse God is.

Never give up!

Winston Churchill went to give a speech at his old school. He was announced as the greatest orator of his generation and the pupils waited for his words with bated breath. Churchill went to the podium and in measured tones declaimed, "Never, never, never give up!" Then he returned to his seat. It must have been one of the briefest speech he ever gave - and one of the most memorable! An illustration of what he must have had in mind took place on February 8th, 2010 when in Haiti, Evan Ocinia was rescued from the rubble of a market and taken to a Salvation Army clinic 28 days after the earthquake and two weeks after official rescue operations had ended. We may marvel at the buoyancy and the spiritual resilience of a man who could survive such an experience. It challenges those of us ready to give up under far less pressure.

For good or ill

My wife and I have family in Australia and the United Kingdom and have cause to give thanks for the internet conection we have with those far away. Every week we talk and laugh with our daughter, our son-in-law and two grandsons in England. Distance seems to shrink and precious relationships are strenthened for us. But the technology that can bring such a positive boon can also be a bane. I have been sickened by accounts of the way in which unscrupulous men use the net to lure children into sexual relationships. Technical advances without moral development can be disastrous and that is the biggest problem we face.

A culture of violence

When I lived in north America I was taken aback to discover police offices in some schools, apparently required in order to cope with violent and other crimes. Will that become necessary in Australia? News of a thirteen-year-old charged with murder is a chilling omen. Violence against overseas students is something else which causes concern and affects our reputation abroad and dents our Aussie pride. Window shopping in the CBD in an evening may no longer be a safe option for many. One could not identify a single cause for the fact that we seem to be developing a culture of violence but it may have something to do with the diet of entertainment served up by the media. Programme after programme on the telly features mayhem and murder as do the video games which fill the minds of impressionable kids. Small wonder if seeing becomes behaving and copycat violence increases!

Blow away

My wife and I attended the annual dinner of the Salvation Army Veterans Band in Melbourne. Back in the eighties I played a small part in the formation of this group which was just intended to be for a a special weekend of celebration. All these years later it is still going strong with fifty members and a well-filled diary of engagements. The fellowship of these older Army bandsmen is terrific and their music making is of a high standard. Age doesn't seem to weary them and sharing their company is inspirational. Old bandsmen never die they only blow away - and thrive in the process!