by John Eagers

In our world we see flickers of light which bring hope.

In recent weeks we have heard the voice of Sir Chris Hoy, the extraordinary cyclist and Olympian, speak of his diagnosis of stage four prostate cancer. Rather than talk in terms of personal tragedy, he has chosen to speak about how blessed his life is and how he wants to be a catalyst for other men to check that they do not have this form of cancer. He also wants to be a support for people with stage four cancer. He is a beacon of hope. As a cyclist and Olympian, he was inspiring; today as a human being he is, if anything, even more inspiring.

We need to look for sources of light and hope at all times, but particularly at this time of year as the days shorten, the last leaves have fallen, and light begins to fade.

We have witnessed the aftermath of the devastating floods in Spain, a reminder of the reality of global warming. It is hard to miss the irony of COP 29 taking place in Azerbaijan, a country rich in oil and gas. We have continued to witness the bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon, with a lack of appetite among the leaders of the USA, UK, and other countries to bring it to a swift and just end. Pope Francis in Dilexit Nos writes movingly of the suffering of grandmothers:

‘… when we witness the outbreak of new wars…we may be tempted to conclude that our world is losing its heart. We need only to see and listen to the elderly women…who are at the mercy of these devastating conflicts. It is heartbreaking to see them mourning for their murdered grandchildren… To see these women weep, and not feel that this is something intolerable, is a sign that the world has grown heartless’.

In the midst of the gloom that can so easily pervade our lives, we need to find a source of hope and the promise that once again our days will be filled with light. We need hope that comes with the season of Advent.

In the first reading for the first Sunday of Advent, the Prophet Jeremiah addresses the people of Judah, saying:

‘Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the Land’.

It is a promise to a people who have lost heart that all will be restored to them and that good days are coming through the House of David. They had come to realise that even through their best endeavours, they could not bring their woes and sufferings to an end, and so Jeremiah is telling them that God will intervene and send them the saviour, from on high, through the House of David.

John Eagers is a priest of the Diocese of Paisley

Photo: Dominic Cullen