Five weeks into the first semester! For many of us it’s still a time of big adjustment. For some, we may feel we’re getting to know Bath now, getting to feel familiar with the campus and the city and even have some favorite haunts. We may have made some friends that we know will be important for the rest of our lives.
But there may be times when we feel a bit overwhelmed. The change of gear between studying at university and studying at school may be daunting - especially as our last year at school was hardly normal! We still don’t know exactly what the expected standard of work will be, we haven’t had enough assignments back to know how we are doing on the academic front.
At this stage we might be in need of a bit of encouragement. Encouragement isn’t a particularly glamorous form of help, but it can make all the difference. One of the people mentioned often in the “Acts of the Apostles”, (the part of the Bible that talks about what happened after Jesus’ death and resurrection), had the nickname “Son of Encouragement” – Barnabas. He never wrote a book, never preached to large crowds, never experienced a dramatic conversion or did any healings or miracles. But he has gone down in history as someone who encouraged others.
Barnabas was a Christian (apparently with quite a good social standing) named Joseph. He offered all kinds of encouragement to the first communities of Christians. For example, when they were in need of money, he sold a field that he owned and brought them the money. (“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.” Acts 4:36,37.)
To my mind one of the most important things Barnabas did was to persuade his fellow Christians to accept that St Paul’s conversion was genuine. The Christian community knew Paul by reputation as a viscous persecutor. They didn’t want to accept him as a member of their community, fearing some sort of treachery and deceit. Barnabas came along and persuaded the Christian community that Paul was now truly a Christian. Because of Barnabas, Paul was slowly accepted as a true Christian convert among the first Christians in Jerusalem.
Barnabas was constantly encouraging new Christians, as we read in Acts 11:22-24, and because of him a great number of people turned to the Lord. When the Christians in Antioch needed a new leader, Barnabas left home to lead them. But he soon became convinced that Paul should be their leader, and he himself took second place.
The last we see of Barnabas, he is still taking the side of the “underdog”. Barnabas and Paul were together on a missionary trip. Paul wanted to return to visit every city they had been through in order to encourage the new churches. Barnabas agreed, and added “Let’s take John Mark with us”. John Mark was a young man who had gone AWOL at the beginning of their former mission journey. Paul refused to take him along and the two of them had such a big argument that Paul and Barnabas separated. (Even the Apostles had arguments.)
Barnabas wanted to give John Mark a second chance and took him back to Cyprus. This definitely paid off, as it is widely thought that Mark went on to write one of the Gospels – the one that has his name.
Encouraging others is something we can all do. It can make all the difference if it comes along at a particular moment when that situation seems a bit daunting, or our confidence is at a low ebb. I heard a story once about a student who was feeling discouraged at the beginning of her university life and was thinking of giving up. Walking along a corridor, someone smiled at her. That was all it took to give her new hope and encouragement!
Mother Sarah
Respond
