Faith in Action, Hope in the Journey
Dear Southport Congregational Church,
I wasn’t brought up in a religious family. I rarely went to church as a child and only started attending services when my family and I were introduced to Southport Congregational Church several years ago. Because of this, my framing of the world comes through a mix of secular and religious sources – and I’m often most comfortable blending the two. In that spirit, hearing the beginning of a song the other day inspired this Lenten devotional.
There’s something wrong with the world today,
I don’t know what it is,
Something’s wrong with our eyes,
We’re seeing things in a different way
And God knows it ain’t his.
- Aerosmith
This lyric sums up how the world can feel today. Anxiety. Anger. Us versus Them. Particularly if you dive too deep into social media or the major news outlets. I acknowledge there are terrible things going on in the world. However, I believe there are at least as many good things happening as there are bad. I find a combination of scripture and real-world examples provides the balance and inspiration I need to keep going.
I’m highlighting two Bible verses and two secular examples that help illustrate those verses for me. I see examples of our church members living these words and examples all the time – thank you for inspiring me.
“I’ve Been Down Here Before”
1 John 3:18: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
This verse reminds me that helping others is sometimes the best way to put our own worries into perspective. I’m reminded of a story I heard many holiday seasons ago that has always stuck with me – I hope it serves as a helpful secular translation of the Bible verse above.
This guy’s walking down the street when he falls into a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out.
A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, “Hey doc! Can you help me out?” The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole, and moves on.
Then a priest passes by, and the guy shouts up, “Father, I’m down in this hole. Can you help me out?” The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole, and moves on.
Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me, can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you crazy? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'
“Don’t Give Up”
Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”
I read the words “hope,” “renew their strength,” “not grow weary,” and “not be faint,” and another phrase comes to my mind… “don’t give up… don’t ever give up.”
Along with Lent, for many of us March also means basketball and the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament. One of the more improbable winners of this tournament was North Carolina State University in 1983, led by their charismatic head coach, Jim Valvano (“Jimmy V”).
On March 4, 1993, Jimmy V gave a speech commonly known as the “Don’t Give Up” speech (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E) shortly before he died from cancer. I remember watching this speech, and I set a calendar reminder each March to re-watch it. Jimmy asks us to laugh, think, and cry (or be inspired, in my words) each day.
One thing that inspires me about our church is how you courageously face adversity and are still a supportive neighbor to others facing challenges. I hope Jimmy V’s speech reminds you to laugh, think, and be inspired.
With Love,
Jeff Nickell (Deacon)