People are quite complex. It’s easy to spot truly awful people and wonderful people but sometimes the truly awful people might be just the person you need. And the wonderful person might betray you.
To clarify my first point, watch The Empire Strikes Back. I don’t wanna be like Homer Simpson and give the plot away. Don’t click the link if you haven’t seen the film 😄.
And for the later point, watch Goldeneye, the 1995 bond film.
In the New Testament, the parable of the Good Samaritan was about kindness coming from an unexpected source. The Jews and Samaritans didn’t get on. It’s always delightful hearing about help coming from an unexpected source. The recent Bondi beach attack illustrates that, with Ahmed al‑Ahmed tackling one of the gunmen. But we shouldn’t that most Muslims support such attacks.
But then, the opposite happens too. Judas is a classic case of that. But even later in the New Testament, there are references to people who disappointed the Apostle Paul.
2 Timothy 4:9-10 and 16-17
9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica….16 At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.
Here Paul contrasts the behaviour of some of his Christian friends with the Lord himself. It’s a reminder that ultimately, our faith must be in the Lord, not in people.
I get a bit peeved when I see churches promoting themselves by giving the impression that they’re a wonderful group of people, instead of focusing on Jesus. New people attending the church might well be disappointed after the initial enthusiasm in welcoming a new convert 😄.
Yet, we should associate with others. No man is an island. But our trust in other people should have its limits. And we shouldn’t dismiss the bad guys either. The Apostle was a very bad guy from the point of view of the church before his conversion. He persecuted the early believers. And Peter denied Jesus three times, and he abandoned Jesus at the crucifixion, along with the other apostles. Yet, weeks later, he was the one standing and preaching on the day of Pentecost. And both Peter and Paul died for Christ, and did so many of the early believers.
Here’s a couple of hymns about being a good Samaritan.
I can’t think of any hymns about people disappointing us, apart from these couple of lines from Abide With Me:
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless Lord,
Abide with Me
Hibernia Gospel 