by Mary Hammond, Plain Truth Editor
You’ve probably heard this phrase from time to time. Often attributed to English theologian and historian, Thomas Fuller1, the notion that ‘the darkest hour is just before the dawn’ apparently first appeared in print in Cambridge-educated, Fuller’s religious travelogue of 1650, A Pisgah-Sight Of Palestine And The Confines Thereof.2
Fuller’s view: ‘It is always darkest just before the day dawneth’ is still a commonly-used term today meaning that ‘there is hope – even in the worst of circumstances’. Another view is that sometimes when everything in life seems hopeless, just around the corner new, positive opportunities may be waiting for us to embrace.
Have you ever experienced those times when life looked bleak and you just couldn’t see the way through the situation? The problems of the ‘here and now’ became all-encompassing and hope for a better tomorrow seemed improbable? Well you’re not alone.
When things are going badly wrong, we can all too easily get discouraged, focussing all our thoughts and energy on the current problem, losing sight that ahead of us there will follow new opportunities – just as night follows day. But it’s in these ‘down times’, when our hope for a better situation is diminished, that we need to stop, learn from the past and focus on the future.
A few weeks ago the Christian Church across the world celebrated Easter – a time of mixed emotions. When just over 2,000 years ago, all seemed lost and the disciples and followers of Jesus were cast into ‘hopelessness’ – as Christ’s crucified body laid lifeless in the tomb. But then, just three days later as the dawn was breaking, ‘hopelessness’ became ‘hopefulness’ with the empty tomb and the risen Christ. A time of transformation. A time of great hope for all mankind.
And in this issue, a big focus is on that very subject of ‘Hope’ and its many aspects.
Our cover story by John Halford, tells of the resilience of the Haitian people post-earthquake. A nation whose residents are the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, where hundreds of thousands have been killed or injured, and over 1.2 million made homeless. Yet despite the seemingly hopeless situation in which they find themselves, the Haitian people have ‘hope’ and a common cause to work together to re-build their broken homeland.
Then we have the first-hand account by Winston Wallace, The Gift of Life, which tells how for four years the author lived in hope of receiving a donor organ – without which he may not have survived. Winston shares his story in the hope of encouraging some of the many thousands of people in the UK facing a similar challenge in life. Winston’s encouraging and moving story can be found on page 16 of this issue.
A new writer to The Plain Truth, Derek Dobson, shares his thoughts about the subject of hope in his article Second only to love. While our regular columnist, Bryony Wood, looks at a different aspect of the subject, describing the ‘hoped for’ event promised to the disciples by Christ.
And of course, the issue wouldn’t be complete without the encouraging and hopeful words of our much-loved and popular author Roy Lawrence. Although as Roy says, ‘it is not difficult to feel depressed and fearful at this point in history’, his focus on our hope in the return of Christ should be an inspiration to all who read his article.
So as we face an uncertain world in our day to day lives, when often our hopes and dreams seem to be unachievable, and maybe we don’t have the answers to our immediate problems, perhaps we might look to some of the Bible writers for help, encouragement and hope. ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.3
It is my hope that in this issue you will find encouragement and inspiration. And, of course, ‘Hope’.
1. Thomas Fuller, 1608-1661.
2. Published by: London : Printed by J.F. for John Williams
3. Jeremiah 29:11
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