Singing is wonderful

 

Singing is wonderful. My son has had hearing difficulties all his life, but one of the many things we enjoyed when he was a toddler was his ability to sing. He would sit on the floor when he wasn’t being watched and sing tunes he had heard us sing and things he had picked up in church. We were amazed that despite his hearing loss, he could still sing in tune.

On my visits to Uganda, I am always greeted by village children who line up and sing a welcome song. Their rhythm and melodies are heartwarming and beautiful to listen to. This is happy music expressing words of greeting. Despite their obvious poverty, they have found hope. That hope is grounded in faith and anchored in a person - the Lord Jesus Christ. One of my favourite Bible verses that expresses the hope of the gospel is found in Romans chapter 15 verse 13 - ‘Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’. This guarantees present joy and peace when a person believes what God has promised. 

A sad man

I was sitting in Wick, Caithness, as I wrote this column. I have visited this area several times over the years. Like many places, it is a beautiful part of the world on sunny days, and today the sun is shining, making everything very pleasant.

One of my reasons for visiting this part of the world is to give talks on the book of Jeremiah, which is part of both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Jeremiah wrote roughly 2,600 years ago and was a Jewish prophet tasked with informing his fellow compatriots that their ethics were deeply flawed. He warned that if things did not change, they were heading for disaster. Additionally, he had a message for the surrounding nations, which were characterised by greed, pride, and evil practices such as child sacrifice.

I have been struck by how people reacted to Jeremiah's message and how similar their reactions are to my own responses when I hear something I don't want to accept. I believe that the Bible is God's message to humanity, and the truth contained within its pages calls for a personal response from me.

Courtesy is a great thing!

 

When I wrote this, I had just boarded a flight from Entebbe, Uganda, to Doha on my way home to Liverpool via Manchester. As some of you know, I have worked with a group of Christian churches in Eastern Uganda for a number of years. I try to visit them twice a year, have weekly online Bible studies with them, and help co-host a weekly radio program. Every time I leave Uganda, some impressions are reinforced, and fresh impressions are made. For instance, I am always impressed by how gentle and courteous the average Ugandan is (apart from when they are driving, which is another story). Courtesy is a wonderful trait that doesn't cost you anything. In Uganda, it is normal for a child or a young person to shake hands (often using two hands) and lower themselves to the ground when greeting an older person. This is not an act of subservience but an expression of respect. 

Significant Milestones

 

In recent years I have witnessed some significant milestones in life. Firstly, my old aunt of 90 years of age passed away. It was a wonderful release for her as she was sure of arriving safely in heaven when she closed her eyes in death. You may think this to be presumptive or ill-founded. My aunt was an intelligent person who had a career as a school teacher. Many years ago, she had become convinced that her sins needed to be forgiven and that humans are accountable to their Creator. Her hope was based solidly on the following verses from the Bible:

‘The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost,’ 1 Timothy 1. 15

Jesus said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life,’ John 5:24

‘The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance,’ 2 Peter 3:9.