“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God,
who are called according to God’s purpose. “— Romans 28: 8
In a poem by William Butler Yeats called The Second Coming, written just after the end of the First World War, Yeats writes of a bleak vision of the world:
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
It is unsettling to realize that this dark image could just as well be a description of what we see in the world today. So many of us, especially Christians, often think it is our job to save the world, and then we find ourselves demoralized when our efforts seem futile. It is easy to lose hope that anything can really change. Is there a way we can manage our lofty hopes that don’t lead to a sense of defeat or disappointment? Are there any antidotes to despair? This sermon will examine how working for good can sometimes be enough, even when things are falling apart.