Lent 2023 day 37

 


Last night I watched Bear Grylls interviewing President Zelensky in Ukraine.  He also spoke to various civilians and newly signed up soldiers - ordinary citizens whose lives have been utterly shattered by the war. Something struck me as I was watching.  Everyone Bear spoke to talked about ' when we have won this war'.  Most talked about the thing they were going to do when the war was won; a soldier gave Bear a box of  'victory'  tea and told him not to drink it until Ukraine is victorious.  If you want to know what faith is, that's it.  It's a factory which in the middle of wartime sets its machines to print 'victory' labels to put on tea bags. It's people who are buying those teabags and keeping them ,or sending them to friends like bottles of champagne to be opened to celebrate a win.  There is such a belief in the Ukrainian people that Putin will be defeated and that they will get their lives and country back.  It is humbling to watch.  It could so easily be us.

It seems that faith rises when what we hold dearest comes under grave threat.   I think of my friend Stephen faced with possibly losing his wife to sepsis - a man who would not admit to having any faith at all suddenly reaching out to believe for miracles. ( and getting them  - Suzy is doing so much better and is definitely no longer at death's door. Hallelujah!) I think of a young friend of mine who was in the depths of addiction, psychosis, life a complete mess who reached for the faith of his parents and grandparents and found rescue, redemption and healing.

Faith requires action.  You make the teabags. You buy the teabags.  You set out into the wilderness with only God's voice in your ear and no plan.  You go and scoop up the homeless children from the street without knowing quite what you are going to do with them ( Dr Barnardo) or move into the ghetto to be with the drug addicts (Jackie Pullinger)  Your actions make a statement that you are prepared to really invest in something you do not yet see because you dont merely believe or hope you will see it, but that you are utterly convinced you will.  


Today I am asking myself where is my box of victory tea bags?  What am I physically doing, investing in, planning, talking about because I am utterly convinced that I am going to heaven and that many are not?  Am I living like the people of Ukraine, completely assured of victory? Most days I think I am but .....  

Off to buy tea bags  😁

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