And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:4
Last Sunday morning I was brushing my teeth to the
accompaniment of BBC Radio 4 when I found myself listening to a tribute to
Timothy Dudley-Smith, Anglican clergyman and prolific hymn-writer. He died last
August at the age of 97.
His hymns have formed part of the backdrop of my Christian
life – I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know some of them. Just two examples:
“Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided” (where all five verses are
truly meaningful prayers), and “Holy child, how still you lie” (a simple, lilting
Christmas carol). The radio programme reminded me how much my life and faith
have been enriched by them.
Dudley-Smith’s hymns tend to be fairly traditional in
style, and they are rich in biblical truth, always focussed on God first and
foremost, genuine poems in their own right, and set to attractive and singable
tunes. Though helpful to the individual singer or reader, they are perfectly suited
for congregational singing (unlike so many songs which tend to be all about
I/me - I must confess a pet dislike of mine!). Sad is any church that doesn’t
make good use of his output.
Then, as I put my toothbrush away, I found my mind turning
to a more recent death: that of former US President Jimmy Carter, just a week
or so earlier, at the age of 100. He too received many tributes, though often
they seemed to focus more on his failures as a president than on his stature as
a man of God. I suppose that, being known primarily as a politician, that was
inevitable; but it was heart-warming and challenging too when people – not
necessarily believers - referred to his “devout” and “humble” Chrisian faith.
Of course I never met or knew either of these men – but
that doesn’t mean they made no impact on my life. They certainly did, in their
different ways, one by writing powerful hymns, the other by setting a
challenging example, albeit at a far distance. And so the verse about Abel in
Hebrews 11:4 came to mind: “… by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is
dead”.
Go back to Genesis 4, and you find no explanation why God
“did not look with favour” on Cain’s offering. But he is certainly portrayed as
morose and angry, whereas presumably Abel had a right, good spirit in the eyes
of God.
I suggest two practical responses to this ancient story and
the comment of the writer to the Hebrews…
First, give thanks to God for people long gone whom we
still remember with fondness and appreciation, who, in effect, “still
speak”.
Personally, I remember an elderly Sunday-school teacher
who, I think, was the first person ever to teach me about Jesus (and who
fascinated me with his alarmingly drippy nose). There is no way of estimating
the level of his impact on my life – but for all I know I might never have
become a Christian at all apart from him. I can only imagine that…
I remember too the young man who was the main influence in
leading me to Christ. (Actually, he is still alive, as far as I know, though I
have not had any contact with him for probably 50 years, and I think he would
be amazed and embarrassed if ever he read this. Hi, Doug!)
I remember too whole battalions of church members I was
privileged to pastor, and who taught me far more than I taught them – and
pastored me far better than ever I pastored them.
Ordinary people – not by any means Jimmy Carters or Timothy
Dudley-Smiths! But people who “still speak” into my life and, I’m sure, into
the lives of many others. I hope you too can summon up such a list. If you can,
why not take a few minutes to give thanks to God?
Second, take Hebrews 11:4 as a challenge.
The fact is that each of us will leave behind a legacy
after we are dead, for good or ill. Of course, we must resist any temptation to
try and live a good life and do good things in order to be remembered:
God knows the truth about our motives, and we must live good lives and set good
examples for no other reason than that it is the right thing to do.
But let’s be encouraged to think that I and you – yes even
I and even you! – have the potential to influence generations not yet born.
Jesus spoke of seed that bears fruit in God’s good time, and even where we may
feel we have failed, the fact is that we will never know how or when some good
seed may germinate in blessings we cannot imagine.
Of course, the story also has a dark side, for Cain left a
legacy too: falling into jealousy and anger, and becoming the world’s first
murderer. And I am sure that we all have memories that fill us with shame and
regret, and which may have done real damage in someone’s life: I certainly do.
And now it is impossible to offer an apology (though, to be brutally honest,
I’m not sure that I would do so even if I had the chance). Can you identify
with me in that? The best we can do then is to pray: “Lord, have mercy upon me,
a sinner”.
But let’s be positive. Even long-silenced voices can still
“speak” for good. And that, by God’s grace, includes mine and yours.
Remember, Christian, even some trivial little word or act
of Christlikeness done today may make a difference to someone’s life a hundred
years from now.
Father, I do thank you for long-gone Christlike
people who have enriched my life in ways big and small. Please help me every
day to do for others – others I may never know – what they did for me. Amen.
Lord, for ourselves, in living power remake us,/ Self on
the cross and Christ upon the throne./ Past put behind us, for the future take
us,/ Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone. Amen!
Timothy Dudley-Smith.
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