Last weekend was Halloween. Many remembered and celebrated the scary and frightening… things that go bump in the night. For most it’s a bit of fun, an excuse for dressing up, a theme for a party. For some there are links with supernatural dark forces…
The old English prayer, ‘From ghoulies and ghosties and long‑leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!’ reminds us that for all of the forces of evil there’s a more powerful supernatural force of good.
This morning walking along the beach… experiencing the strong wind… seeing rough sea and huge waves… remembering the old hymn ‘For those in peril on the sea’… thinking of friends who spent their lives on fishing trawlers or servicing oil rigs. They must have heard things go bump in the night!
The Lowestoft lifeboat sailed past. I guess it was on an exercise. Against the perils and dangers on there’s a source of safety and life that can rise above the storms.
I just read Acts 12. King Herod is persecuting the church. James has been executed and Peter’s been arrested and is awaiting trial. He’s in prison, asleep, chained between two soldiers with sentries on guard. Perils and dangers in the night; potential things to go bump?
Peter’s woken from his sleep by an angel. His chains fall off and he walks out of prison. This bump in the night, although unexpected and potentially frightening, was a supernatural force for good and freedom
Yesterday I read John Bunyan’s ‘The Pilgrim’s Song’, that starts ‘Who would true valour see, let him come hither…’ Bunyan’s determined, strong pilgrim isn’t frighted by lions, he fights with giants…
The last verse starts, ‘Hobgoblin, nor foul fiend can daunt his spirit…’ He’s not put off by Halloween scaries… It ends ‘He’ll fear not what men say, he’ll labour night and day to be a pilgrim.’ Even if things do go bump in the night, he’ll not be put off, He will be a pilgrim. Me too.
I’ve often wondered about the concept of evil people actually existing. Does that mean that his or her mother must have been evil? And how far back could the stigma go.
I believe Mark was definite that “out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts” and he names numerous sins, be they fairly innocuous or heinous.
I think I can agree with that more. But, of course , I would also assert that those evils are either there through nature (DNA) or nurture (Socially learnt).
But, whatever our belief, let us be grateful if we have been brought up as good citizens and the more heinous evils are not within us.
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