Chaplains Corner: People and life may disappoint but God doesn't

Broken promises and abandoned pledges! Is that what comes to mind when you think of the upcoming Election? It’s understandable to feel let down and to blame politicians for the ills of society when it’s time to consider who is worthy of our vote.

Have you chatted to one of the senior residents of our town recently? You might find a lot of wisdom and interesting memories of how things used to be.

I met someone a few days ago and was interested to hear how let down he felt by the decline of things over the years.

He couldn’t understand how Leighton Buzzard had quadrupled in population in his lifetime yet has fewer shops with less variety, much poorer GP services, and a bus service that only works on an hourly basis. It made me wonder how we have all come to tolerate lower levels of service.

Whatever you think of my elderly friend’s views, I expect you, like me have felt let down by something in life, whether this has been a person or an institution.

The older we become the more disappointments build up. With the General Election only a few weeks away does the opportunity to vote excite you or does it bring out your cynicism and feelings of losing hope?

Disappointment and losing hope are nothing new. You might be surprised to know that even though the Bible was written between 3500 - 2000 years ago, people felt the same about life then too. They may not have had our complex technology, but they struggled with the similar emotional, relational and political power struggles as we do today.

In the Bible we read about how the first generation of Jesus followers were transformed by knowing him and listening to his teachings. They found in Jesus someone who will never let you down or disappoint.

Before someone introduced me to Jesus I imagined that God had little interest in the goings on in the world or in my life. It was a revelation to me that trusting in Jesus means he will never leave you or give up on you.

God always works for good, to undo the bad stuff in life that each of us contend with. Unlike politicians with human frailty and flaws Jesus shows us he is someone we can depend on. There is a passage in the Bible that sums this up: “God is no mere human! He doesn't tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” (Numbers 23:19)

I encourage anyone eager to know God more and know him personally to pray and ask Jesus for help. Jesus said: “knock and the door will be opened to you”.