TO BE A PILGRIM – April 20

    ‘He who would valiant be, ’gainst all disaster,

    Let him in constancy follow the Master.’

Many of us learned this well-loved hymn in our school days, associating it with John Bunyan’s epic  tale of Pilgrim’s Progress.

I don’t remember when I first read this wonderful story, recently dramatized on television. It was written in all the squalor of Bedford Jail where he was imprisoned for many years for preaching the Gospel.

Nor do I remember how old I was when we were taken to the West End to see a dramatized version. I have never forgotten the part when the pilgrims were assaulted in Vanity Fair, not for anything they had done, but for refusing to associate with their decadent life style. When Faithful was put to death, all we saw was the glow of the fire and a beautiful solo voice singing, ‘My heart ever faithful.’

But my strongest memory of the play was of Pilgrim and his friend leaving the path to take a short cut, as they thought, through by-pass meadow. Here they were captured by Giant Despair and shut up in Doubting Castle. It is strongest because it is one I have needed to be reminded of through the long years.

The pilgrims were convinced that was no escape until Hopeful suddenly realises he has a key in his pocket; it is the key of FAITH. Together they begin to proclaim the wonderful promises of God.

‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ and again -

‘What can separate us from the love of God?’

That dark, gloomy dungeon becomes full of light; the prison doors swung open wide. They are free and their feet once more on the King’s high way.

I have had need to remember this story in times of difficulty and darkness, and never more so than now that we are shut up, imprisoned in a sense by the threat of Coronavirus and social distancing, but now, thank God, we are prisoners of Hope, not of Despair..

I remember a young man telling us how he suffered from depression, until God told him that it was his choice. Thank God, like our Pilgrims, he took out the key of faith and chose the path of deliverance.

So now, are we prisoners of despair or prisoners of hope? Are we shut up to depression, or shut up in the purposes of God to discover the new ways God is opening for us to still shine his light and spread his Gospel?

    ‘There’s no discouragement, to make us once relent,

    Our first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.’

RAINBOWS

In the midst of the darkness of this pandemic Coronavirus, rainbows are appearing in many windows bringing light, joy and hope.

After the terrible world-wide flood when Noah and this family, who dared to believe God, had been

shut up in the ark for months on end, they had come out at last into the sunshine and a fresh new world. It was then that God set his bow in the sky, a special sign of his assurance that this would never happen again and that our seasons would be sure.

God’s bow, unlike the bows they used for hunting, is  one of glorious colour; yes, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

‘Richard of  York gained battles in vain,’ is how we were taught to remember the sequence.

‘Whenever you see a rainbow, remember God is love.’ Do you know this song?  My class were singing it to me. We had been thrilled to have a dull and stormy day brightened with this gift.

‘Our music teacher taught us,’ they told me. I have never forgotten.

Far away in the land of New Guinea rainbows became of special significance. I was in a tiny single engine plane flying in territory said to be the most dangerous in the world when we were battered by a storm. Looking ahead, visibility was almost nil.

My fellow passenger nudged me. ‘Look out of the window.’ I looked, first to one side and then the other. Our little plane was encircled by a rainbow. How could I be afraid?

Another time, I was not afraid for the safety of the huge passenger jet. Sent home early because of ill health, I thought I had failed in my career as a missionary but again God spoke to me through a rainbow.The shadow of our plane was thrown onto a cloud and yes, there we were, within the circle of a rainbow. God was assuring me. I was in his hand. All was well.

There is one more very special memory I have of a rainbow. I have never seen one of so vast a span or so vibrant in colour.

Due for furlough, I had just been told I could not return. But this was my life calling. I had learned the language and the work was opening up. I should have been in the depths of despair, but how could I be? For God was speaking through this magnificent rainbow reaching over the valley.

It did not mean I would return, as I thought, but it did mean I was in God’s hand and he was working out his best in my life.

And now, in this time of isolation, I go into my kitchen to be greeted by rainbows the children have painted for me and my heart is lifted up.

Living in sheltered accommodation, I try to leave something positive on our notice board, so I have written my own mnemonic for the rainbow. I pray you too will be blessed and that God will find his own wonderful way to speak peace and joy to your heart.

RAINBOW

Rain mixed with sunshine speaks out of God’s love

Always – this promise, given after the Flood.

I AM – is God’s name, He will always be there

Never to leave you, so cast on Him your care.

Bow, as for hunting – God still seeking his own, while

On high is a rainbow surrounding his throne.

Wonder! Yes, wonder at the height and depth of God’s love,

            For ‘tis He sent the rainbow to bring hope from above.

There were many of these colours in the sunset that inspired the following meditation, so I share this too.

MEDITATION

28 March 2020, 7pm

I had been watching the glory of the sunset from my Eagle’s Nest, as I call my apartment, but now the glory is fading, dark clouds of night gathering, yet I am resting in the assurance of a new day. And as we experience dark clouds of fear spreading over our world, God is speaking to our hearts that as the natural night brings us rest and refreshing, so he will be working in this time of spiritual darkness and He is saying, I want you to prepare to look for the dawning of a new day.

The glory began to fade until it was as if the blinds of night had been drawn, but even so I waited and wondered, for there seemed to be windows of crimson still lingering in the darkness, and I was reminded  that while the land of Egypt was covered in darkness, for God’s people it was light.

We are children of light.