The

The The

The In the international bestseller, The Road Less travelled,

M. Scott Peck begins his book with the line, life is difficult.

I remember reading it in my 20s, and it felt like a rude awakening.

But 20 years or so on, I have to agree, full of

joy and goodness also, but we cannot escape pain and problems. This pandemic has certainly

brought that reality home to me again, a stark reminder that we are not in control, and that

life is difficult.

It has also made me appreciate the things that bring me life, and lasting goodness.

As long as we live on earth, challenges and trials cannot be eliminated from our lives,

whether we trust in God or not.

Believing in God is not a magic bullet that saves us from pain and problems,

but it can help us through them.

Jesus experienced the challenges and difficulties of a life lived on earth,

including the death of friends and loved ones,

his cousin and close companion John, who was cruelly beheaded.

He wept with Mary as she fell at his feet in desolation at the death of her brother Lazarus,

also a close friend of Jesus.

He understands the broken-hearted, those in grief and loss. He understands the cruel finality of death and the cold reality of the separation that it inflicts on loved ones left

behind. It says in the Bible, do not fear, many times. Jesus himself says to his disciples days before

his death, do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Yet we read stories throughout

...