Berwick Thought for the Week article: Putting trust and hope of a better future in God

At home, people are struggling with their finances, the political situation in the country is fragmenting in a way that I could never have previously imagined and there are unpleasant scenes of sectarian violence almost every day.

The general feeling is that public services no longer function effectively and even simple things, like driving, are now feats of great daring due to the state of our roads.

Then, there’s the continuing war in Ukraine and the venomous conflict in the Middle East. Add to that the horrible deaths of innocents in Africa and the outbreaks, hopefully contained, of Hantavirus and Ebola. A rather dark picture.

The interesting thing is that although problems may change in terms of specifics, their nature remains the same. History is an almost endless catalogue of conflicts and personal challenges, brought about largely as a result of humanity’s greed, ignorance and lack of empathy and love for their fellow human beings.

These are the exact opposites of the Christian message of ‘love thy neighbour’.

The reality is that God has given us the basic framework for a better world, but His message has been largely overlooked and ignored. So, what to do? Well, for me I put my trust and hope of a better future in God.

I take great comfort from Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

I am also reminded of one of Mark Twain’s many wise words: “Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.”

David Harper is a Berwick resident who runs his own planning, property and environmental consultancy. When he’s not working or spending time with his wife Colette and their two boys and their families, he can be found restoring old cars and motorbikes.