Faith, Love, and Hope

suicideRatesByAgeLiving in the Spirit
November 14, 2014

Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11

I heard a radio interview with one of our wounded warriors this week in which he spoke of despair and a close-call with suicide, one of the leading causes of death among returning soldiers in the USA. The chart above illustrates that except for the very young, suicide is no respecter of ages. The young veteran went on to say that with the help of other soldiers, he had gotten his act together. Putting a serious drinking problem in its place, he has been sober for over a year now. With God’s help, he will continue to keep his sobriety one day at a time. It is not easy, but being a soldier was not easy either.

This all ran together for me as I considered Paul’s analogy of putting on the armor of faith, love, and hope with this young man’s interview as background. Indeed, what I heard in his voice was exactly that: faith, love, and hope. He found faith in himself through the supportive love of fellow soldiers and gained hope for the future.

We have been given a precious gift in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. A gift we may take for granted at times, but a gift too valuable to hold tight to ourselves and not share with others. In having the courage to tell his story, this young veteran probably saved someone else’s life. I know he gave me a greater sense of faith, love, and hope.

Prayer: God of faith, deepen our faith
               so we may bear witness to Christ in the world;
              God of hope, strengthen our hope
              so we may be signposts to your transforming presence;
              God of love, kindle our love
              so that, in a fragile and divided world,
             we may be signs of the faith, hope, love
             which we share in Jesus Christ. Amen**

*The chart above was copied from https://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide/facts-and-figures
**Bishop Christopher’s Call to Mission, http://www.southwark.anglican.org/FaithHopeLove/fhl-prayer

 All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.