Actress Celeste Holm once spoke a word to every person who would engage others with the gospel of Jesus Christ: “We live by encouragement and we die without it; slowly, sadly, angrily.”
What are the causes of discouragement? What are those areas of human living that should evoke those needed, grace-filled affirmations of encouragement? They are failure, exhaustion or worry. Unwarranted criticism, loneliness or being misunderstood.
Encouragement is not congratulations for human excellence or for kindling false hopes. Encouragement is not prodding or cheerleading. Encouragement is the needed, grace-filled affirmation of human living.
All of which, most likely, were experienced by the young man, Saul of Tarsus, later to be known as Paul—a man whose successful ministry can, in no small way, be attributed to another man, Barnabas. You see, it was Barnabas who encouraged Saul.
The Book of Acts says that Barnabas was “a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas which means ‘son of encouragement’.”
Because of Barnabas’ encouragement, the early Jerusalem church accepted Paul as a missionary. Because of Barnabas’ encouragement, a young man named John Mark returned to the ministry and eventually wrote the Gospel of Mark.
Rev. Robert Fulghum, in one of his books, shares that when he attended lectures, he would respond in an unusual way to the speaker’s final, routine words: “Are there any questions?”
“Yes,” Robert often asked, “What is the meaning of Life?”
He was attending a seminar by Greek philosopher Alexander Papaderos. The two-week seminar was ending. Dr. Papaderos asked, “Are there any questions?”
Sure enough, Robert asked, “What is the meaning of Life?”
Papaderos looked at Robert a long time, asking with his eyes if he was serious. As the other participants jostled to leave, Dr. Papaderos said, “Wait. I will answer the question.”
He drew from his pocket a small round mirror, about the size of a quarter. His family had been poor, he told them, and it was during the war so there were few toys for him to play with. Once he found a broken mirror on the wreck of a German motorcycle. He scratched the largest remnant on stone to smooth its edges.
“I became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine— in deep holes and dark closets. It became a game for me.
“I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my grow-ing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do in my life.
“With what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world—into the black places in people’s hearts—and change some things in some people.”
What a glorious take on the meaning of life—on the meaning of encouragement: reflecting the light of God into the dark places of people’s lives. The light of forgiveness and fresh starts. The light of hope. The light of possibilities and of companionship. Being able to affect change. If you can so reflect God’s light, if you can so encourage others along life’s way to God, then, you are rare and you are remarkable.
Ending his story, Fulghum writes: “And then Dr. Papaderos took his small mirror, and, holding it carefully, caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window and reflected them onto my face and onto my hands folded on the desk.”
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