PostScript: Hope and light

 Christ’s victory over death gives us hope for the future (1 Thessalonians 4.13-18).

Context

Death and grief are an unavoidable part of being human, just as much today as when Paul wrote his letter to the Thessalonians.

Sure enough, we do not need to look far to find cause to grieve and mourn in recent days:

• In Vienna, four people were shot dead in what seems to have been a terrorist attack. It comes barely a week after the knife attacks at a church in Nice that left three people dead.
• A powerful earthquake in the Aegean Sea killed at least 27 people in Turkey.
• Sunday 8 November is Remembrance Sunday, when we remember those who have died in the service of Britain and the Commonwealth.
• The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic continues to climb daily.
• As well as those facing recent bereavements from coronavirus or other causes, others may be mourning the loss of jobs, freedoms, social contact and the sense of a ‘normal’ life as England enters a second lockdown.

In the midst of such depths of pain and suffering, how should we, in Christ, respond?

Reflection

Rather than become lost forever in fear, bitterness and despair, Paul wishes ‘that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope’ (1 Thessalonians 4.13).

With Jesus’ death and resurrection comes the hope that ‘through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died’ (1 Thessalonians 4.14) and ‘we will be with the Lord for ever.’ (1 Thessalonians 4.17). Paul paints a picture of this hope in triumphant terms, delivered ‘with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet’ (1 Thessalonians 4.16).

God’s love is stronger than death and this is the hope to which we can hold.

But, as the words in Amos 5.18-24 suggest, together with the close of the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids in Matthew 25.1-14, it is a hope that we are at risk of neglecting.

Like the wise bridesmaids, we need to make sure that we keep our lamps supplied with oil, so that our path stays lit, and we will be ready to follow when the time comes.

An aside:
Paul’s language of joyful, yes, but noisy triumph may resonate with you, but I confess that I find it almost abrasive in the midst of my own recent bereavement. Thankfully, Christian tradition provides many explorations of God’s triumph over death. For me, today, the poet John Donne’s ‘Holy Sonnet: Death, be not proud’, captures our hope in a way that I can cling to more comfortably:

One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

A prayer of petition

As autumn falls and winter draws near,
we feel the loss of the daylight.
Jesus, light of the world,
in the midst of this darkness,
keep our lamps burning for you.

As we face lockdowns and tighter restrictions to combat coronavirus,
we feel the loss of our ‘normal’ lives.
Jesus, light of the world,
in the midst of this darkness,
keep our lamps burning for you.

As we think of plans that must now be cancelled or postponed,
we feel the loss of those hopes and opportunities.
Jesus, light of the world,
in the midst of this darkness,
keep our lamps burning for you. 

As we remember those who have died,
we feel the loss of their presence with us.
Jesus, light of the world,
in the midst of this darkness,
keep our lamps burning for you.
Amen.

Questions

• How can we – metaphorically speaking – keep our lamps filled with oil, holding on to hope in Christ? What sustains you in your faith? Reading your Bible, prayer, lighting a candle in quiet meditation, talking with Christian friends, getting the sleep we need, looking at nature, creating, helping?
• The reading in Thessalonians is comforting if those you have lost had a clearly professed faith in Jesus. But, especially in conjunction with the rest of the day’s readings, it may be hard to hear when that is not the case – I have certainly found that so. Is there any comfort or hope in grief in these circumstances? Given we ‘know neither the day nor the hour’ (Matthew 25.13), can we hope that God’s love and mercy stand available beyond our human understanding of time and of life’s end?

All-age activity

• You might like to watch or sing along to one of the many versions of the song ‘Give me oil in my lamp’, inspired by the parable in Matthew 1-14, that are available on YouTube. For example, the one from ‘Little voices for Jesus’ complete with accompanying actions to learn.
• If you wish to take part in a simple act of remembrance for Remembrance Sunday, the British Legion has some suggestions for how you can do this within the current restrictions.

Young people

• This year has brought challenges and losses for many of us. Sometimes we picture tough times as darkness or a loss of light. The wise bridesmaids in the Gospel story know that night time is coming and they want to make sure that when it gets dark, they will still have a ready source of light to hand, so they stock up on oil for their lamps. How can you help yourself or your friends and family to ‘look for the light’ that will get you through the darkness? You could use this illustration from @becamckayart on Instagram as a focus for reflection and prayer. Or you could draw, photograph, write or make your own representation of light in the midst of darkness.

Rebecca Froley was web editor at Roots when it first launched and continues to work in online publishing and information services. She is part of a Baptist Free Church congregation in the London Borough of Sutton and also worships online with a local Anglican church. With thanks to @becamckayart on Instagram for permission to link to her illustration.

KEY:  icon indicates ways to connect faith with everyday life

Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by ROOTS for Churches Ltd.

PostScript is also available via Twitter and facebook.

ROOTS publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.