Thoùghtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 145, 22 August 1941, Page 2

Thoùghtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakatane Ministers' Association).

FOLK WHO ARE A COMFORT

TO US

By Dr. George H. Morrison, Glasgow

"These . . . have been a comfort unto me."' Col. iv. 11.

The word comfort in our text is n very interesting word. This is the only place where it occurs, in the books of the New Testament. It is quite another word the Lord uses when He speaks of thej Holy Ghost the Comforter. When He says- "I will not leave you comfortless," that too is ail entirely different word The term which is used here, and here alone in the whole range of the New Testament, is our English word paregoric. Now paregoric, in Greek just as in English, is one of the accepted terms of medicine. Paregoric is a doctor's word. And one likes to think that the apostle Paul, in his cmploj r ment of such a word as this, betrays, it may be quite unconsciously, the influence of the beloved physician Luke. I suppose that every real friendship has an influence upon the words we use. When we admire anybody very much we often find their words upon our lips. And Paul, who like so many other people had an intense admiration for his doctor, would naturally i use the words of Luke.

And certainly he could not- have used a more appropriate or delightful word. Are yovi aware what paregoric means? I consulted my English dictionary to sec how paregoric was defined, and I found that paregoric was a medicine that mitigate? or alleviates pain. And what could be more delightful than the thought that there are men and women who are just like that —they mitigate or alleviate our pain. Pain is one of the conditions of our being. Pain is something nobody escapes. All life is rich in pain, as the throat of the mavis, in the spring, is rich in song—the pain of striving, the pain of being baffled, the pain of loneliness and incompleteness, the pain of being misunderstood. There are people who augment that pain, some times without meaning it. How often is the pain of life increased by

viating pain

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

those unfortunate people who mean well. But who has not numbered in his list of friends somebody whose Christlike ministry has been to alleviate the pain of life? Such were the apostle's paregoric. Such are the paregoric of us all, often humble people, not in the least distinguished, and not at all conspicuous for intellect: yet somehow, in the wear and tear of life, amid its crosses and its sorrows, mitigating and alle-

Often those who alleviate life's

pain, who are paregoric in the apostle's sense, are the members of our family circle; the dear ones wtto dwell with us at home. And how many there are in every rank of life who find their courage to endure m secret, sweet comforting like that. In the perfect trust of little children, in their innocence and blessed ignorance, in the love of someone who is dear, who understands yet is alwavs bright and hopeful, how many men have plucked up hears again, found the bitter pain of lite alleviated, been strengthened for their battle with the world.

Again, think of the comfort that we get from any friend who reallv understands us. Such appreciative and understanding souls—are these not the apostle's paregoric? Onr blessed Lord knew that. Never was man misunderstood as He. Misunderstood when He spoke or -would not speak—misunderstood in every deed He wrought—misunderstood upon the Cross. Think of the exquisite pain of it, for that so" sensitive and sinless heart—fresh from the understanding of high heaven, that constant misunderstanding of mankind. And then there came an hour when Simon Peter, inspired by the Holy Ghost, cried "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." It thrilled our blessed Master to the depths. Life was different. He was understood. How instantly did it alleviate and mitigate all the bittei pain He had to bear. And whenevei in this difficult life of ours God sends us somebody who understands, is it not always paregoric to the soul? T'o have somebody whom we can trust—who we are sure will never misinterpret — who never judges us except in love—who appreciates' and understands.—-what earthly comfort in all the range of

comfort can for one moment be compared with that?

There is one thing more I want to say, and that, too, was in the apostle's mind. Remember you can be a .comfort to another though you never know anything about it. Just as the 'finest influence we exercise is often that of which Ave are unconscious, so t.he greatest comfort that we bring is often-the comfort we know nothing of—not our preaching, nor our words of cheer," but the ways in which we bear ourselves in life when the burden is heavy and the sky is black. "No man livethi to himself." Let men or women behave gallantly, and' so behave because they trust in God, when life is difficult, when things go wrong, when health is failing, when the

grave is opened, and. though they may never hear a ~Yvhisper of it, there are others who are thanking God for them. Elvery sorrow borne in simple faith is helping other men to bear their sorrows.. Every burden victoriously carried is helping men and women to be braver. • Elvery cross, anxiety, foreboding, shining with the serenity of trust? comes like light to those who sit in darkness. People say sometimes "I would give anything to comfort so and, so.'* Dear friend, if you Avalk ir. light and love, you are a comfort when you never know it. And other peo-» pie, writing their epistle (though it will never be equal to Colossians) will put you? name in, to intense surprise, and say '"You were a comfort unto me."