[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during November 2020]
What can be said about the 5th November which has not been said so many times already? This date, in English culture at least, has become linked with the name Guy and it is probably inevitable that our attention will be focussed on those who carry that name[1].
Leaving aside the fictional French food fanatic, Guy de Michelin, we might think of Guy de Maupassant, the 19th century French writer of very popular short stories. His writings made him rich and he was also known for his quotations, one of which was “It is the lives we encounter that make life worth living.” Can we, as members of a church congregation, echo that thought? Especially at a time of separation, it is our friendships and fellowship that help us to encourage each other. Ultimately, of course, it is the life of Christ that makes our lives worth living.
Thomas Guy was born into humble circumstances in London in 1644. In due course he became a bookseller, initially importing Bibles from Holland and later producing Bibles under contract to the University of Oxford. Did his familiarity with the Bible extend to valuing its contents or was it for him just a commercial opportunity? To what extent do we recognise any value in the Bible as God’s word or is it just one of those books on a shelf somewhere?
Later Thomas Guy became a benefactor of St Thomas’s Hospital and then a founder of Guy’s Hospital. What motivated his generosity? Maybe he had read the sermon on the mount where Jesus said:
“ let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” [Matthew 5:16]
‘Good works’ will not get us into heaven; rather, it is our confidence about heaven that encourages us to do good works whilst we wait.
This coming weekend includes the time of national remembrance, when we think of those who have given their lives in the service of their country. One of those was Guy Gibson, leader of the RAF Dambusters squadron during World War II. He was later killed in action.
Are you in active service on the Lord’s side? Do your good works say more about you than about Him? How will you be remembered?
[1] See also Whose Guy are You?, November 2018
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys