During last week someone told me about the conversion of David Suchet, the
actor who plays Poirot in a long-running popular crime series. Back in the
mid 1980’s, recalling a beloved who had passed away, he went and got
himself a Bible and read Paul’s letter to the Romans. He found explained how
we could come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, and this was a ‘Damascus
road’ experience for him. Since that day he has been a follower of Christ.
That story encouraged me. I would love to see more people come to faith in
Christ, yet there are so many reasons/excuses not to do so. People prefer
the life offered elsewhere. As Jesus says, the gate is wide and the road is
broad that leads to destruction, and many enter through it-but small is the
gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and few are they that find it
(see Matt 7:13,14).
Yet the Bible still speaks if we are willing to hear. As Peter says to
Jesus, at a time when others were falling away, “you have the words of
eternal life” (John 6:68).
Over the time of Advent, beginning next Sunday, we are focusing our messages
on that familiar verse-John 3:16-For God so loved the world. The world as we
know it continues in a state of turmoil and confusion, and the words of
John 3:16 are as powerful and life-changing as ever.
This will appropriately lead us into celebrating Christmas, when we rejoice
in the birth of the only Son. Our society still celebrates Christmas as an
end of year holiday, though is a little uncomfortable with its theological
underpinnings. Yet without it we are left with the tinsel and the trimmings.
Let’s pray for God to change lives this Christmas season. We are involved in
blessing our community through the Festival of Lights and the Christmas
Walk, as well as in other ways. These endeavours are not ends in themselves,
but tools for showing forth God’s love for each individual. As experienced
by David Suchet, God’s word still speaks and still changes lives.
In our own Christmas planning, let’s make room to keep our daily
devotions going that our own walk with Christ is not derailed by the
pressures of the season. Let’s pray for family, friends or neighbours, who
we may wish to invite to a Christmas event. And let’s do what we can to put
God’s life-changing word into the hands of others.