In dark or critical days, there is always a danger of allowing the dark things to prevail and overcome our thoughts so much that we are tempted to despair. Words from the Bible may easily come to mind, when it speaks of people losing heart as they behold the dreadful things that are taking place. Widespread blaming of one another in such times may bring to mind Rudyard Kipling's famous words: "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you."
Depression, and indeed despair, can creep upon us and choke the life of hope in a way ivy can strangle a tree of the forest. Watchfulness is needed. In everyday conversations, we can note the way negative attitudes take over:
"In the old days you could leave the house open without fear of burglary or intrusion."
"Ah! sure the fabric has gone out of living today.
"Today manners have vanished . . . People don't say `please', `sorry', or `thank you'!".
We need to be on our guard against heeding and being influenced by a prevalence of whinging and destructive opinions. They can produce depression and damage hope. Thank, God. there are those who carefully overcome we founded reasons for despair and become participants in life rather than miserable, disgruntled passengers.
In Christ, believers have the perfect example of one who never surrendered to evil and hatred. It is easy to understand how the motto "No surrender" (to hatred or evil) was a well used motto of Christ's followers from the early days of the Church. No surrender to despair is mentioned in a lovely prayer which says: "Where there is despair, give hope".
For believers feeling despondent at this time, the words of William Temple breathe the hope we all need about the Church:
Remember, the supreme wonder of the history of the church is that always in moments when it has seemed dead, out of its own body there has sprung up new life; so that in age after age it has renewed itself, and age after age its renewal has carried the world forward into new stages of progress, as it will do for us in our day, if only we give ourselves in devotion to its Lord and take our place in its service."
As we pray for the restoration of faith, hope, and love, we may find an old prayer is a way of getting back on course:
"O God of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favourably on your whole church, that wonderful and sacred mystery, and carry out the work of man's salvation; and let the whole world feel and see that things which were east down are being raised Lip, and things which had grown old are being made new, and all things are returning to perfection, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."