Staving Staveley, Saving Sinners

At Staveley-in-Westmorland’s railways station is a tourism advertisement extolling the virtues of the Lake District to those using its trains. A montage combines various scenes, including a steamer and a family rowing a boat. Rather than seeing this as a beautiful panorama, I unfortunately thought it likely that the former is about crash into the latter, resulting in broken boats, broken holidays and broken bodies. Perhaps I ought to have enjoyed the picture as it was intended: various users of Windermere harmoniously enjoying its bounty. Am I too negative or cynical?

We Christians are sometimes thought to be a miserable bunch. We teach the corruption of human nature, the existence of evil spirits, the reality of hell, and the coming of an antichrist. Yet we also believe in a gracious God who is willing to save, a beautiful Saviour who bears our sin and a fantastic afterlife prepared for all who love Him. Now that’s positive.

But as it is written, The things which eye hath not seen, neither ear hath heard, neither came into man’s heart, are, which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9, Geneva Bible