Throughout my life I have struggled with anxiety, depression and anger at the world around me, to such a degree I become so overwhelmed with the problems that I lose sight of the solutions.
My father likes to reiterate a line to me scripted to Sir Thomas More in the play A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt, anytime I change my support of a political party to suite an issue I become obsessed with. The line my father invokes is as follows:
“Two years ago you were a passionate churchman, now you’re a passionate Lutheran. We must just pray that when your head’s finished turning your face is to the front again.”
To contextualise the scene Sir Thomas More is responding to William Roper’s split from the Catholic church to side with the theology of Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation.
While my father considers himself somewhat of a secular “humourist” (and admittedly Dad’s got some decent material) I can see what he means by my obsessively wayward outlook in seeking to save the world.
Over the weekend I was spending some time in the city catching up with some of the XYZ team and attending ANZAC day remembrance services and celebrations.
It was during a friendly cup of tea and coffee after our attending to our Sunday obligation that XYZ Editor Jeremy Morgan and myself casually sat down to discuss problems of the world (amongst other things). True to form Jeremy alleviated my resubmerging angst by reminding me of something he’d said a few days before: that no-one can prevent the Kingdom of God conquering the world.
Such is the sobering truth of John 14:6, which provides an anchor when the winds and waves of worldly politics seeks to cause me to drift.
Food for thought.
John 14:6
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
