Longing for…

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn endured years in the brutal prison camps of Siberia. Day after day, he worked in the fields under extreme conditions, facing starvation and exhaustion. His suffering eventually led him to despair.

One day, overwhelmed by hopelessness, Solzhenitsyn gave up. He dropped his shovel, walked to a bench, and sat down—fully expecting a guard to beat him to death for refusing to work. He had seen it happen before. But as he waited, head bowed, a fellow prisoner quietly approached. Without a word, the man drew a cross in the dirt with a stick, then returned to his labour.

That simple act changed everything. As Solzhenitsyn stared at the cross, he was reminded that there was something greater than the Soviet regime, greater than the suffering around him. The cross represented hope—for him and for all people. Strengthened by that truth, he picked up his shovel and returned to work. Outwardly, nothing had changed. But inwardly, he had been renewed.

That moment of hope mirrors what Jesus offers us in today’s gospel reading (Luke 18:1–8). The passage begins with a clear purpose: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” That’s the heart of it — prayer and perseverance, even when circumstances seem hopeless.

Jesus tells of a widow who keeps coming to a judge, pleading, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” The judge is described as someone who “neither feared God nor cared what people thought.” He’s the very opposite of what we’d hope for in someone with power. 

And yet, because of the widow’s persistence, he eventually relents: “I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”

It’s a striking image — not just of persistence, but of courage. The widow has no power, no advocate, and no guarantee of success. But she keeps going. And Jesus uses this to make a powerful point saying: “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?”

This is not a parable about nagging God into action. It’s a reminder that if even an unjust judge can be moved by persistence, how much more will God, who is loving and just, respond to the prayers of His people? Jesus is urging us to trust — to believe that God hears us, even when the answer seems delayed.

We’ve probably all prayed and wondered if God was listening. Jesus assures us that He is. But God answers in His way, not always ours. So, we’re invited to remain faithful, to keep praying, and to trust that God is working—even when we can’t see it.

And this parable also calls us to action. The widow’s struggle for justice echoes the cries of many in our world today — those who are voiceless, vulnerable, and overlooked. As Christians, we are called to stand with them, to be advocates of justice, and to reflect the compassion of Christ in our communities.

This week, the world has witnessed a glimmer of hope in the Middle East. After two years of devastating conflict, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal. The agreement promised the release of hostages, the freeing of prisoners, and a load of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where famine and destruction have ravaged the lives of millions.

And yet, even in this moment of hope, uncertainty remains. The future governance of Gaza is unclear. Trust between communities is fragile. The scars of war run deep.The need for justice, healing, and peace is overwhelming.

So what does this mean for us? It means we must pray. Pray for peace that lasts. Pray for leaders who seek reconciliation, not revenge. Pray for families torn apart by violence. Pray for the widow in Gaza, the orphan in Israel, the peacemaker in Jerusalem. Pray for the kind of justice that reflects God’s love.

Jesus ends this parable with a probing question: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” That’s a challenge to us. Are we living lives of faith—faith that prays persistently, trusts deeply, and reaches out compassionately? Are we practising a faith that transforms not just our relationship with God, but our relationship with the world?

The French philosopher Simone Weil once said, “If you want to know whether someone is truly religious, do not listen to what they say about God, listen to what they say about the world.” 

Perhaps we should go even further—not just listen to what people say, but watch what they do.

Faith is not passive. It’s active. It’s persistent. It’s prayerful. It’s hopeful. And it’s deeply engaged with the world around us. The widow in the parable didn’t give up. Solzhenitsyn didn’t give up. And neither should we.

We can be confident in God’s power and love, revealed in Jesus, who came to bring hope to the hopeless and light into the darkest places. 

And so, strengthened by His Spirit, we are invited and encouraged to be people of prayer—persistent, trusting, and bold. 

We are invited and encouraged to carry the message of salvation and peace into every corner of our lives, offering hope to those who need it most.

And so this means so many things, including praying for peace in Gaza, for healing in Israel, for wisdom among leaders, and for compassion among nations. Let us pray for the kind of justice that lifts up the lowly and humbles the proud. Let us pray for the courage to act, the faith to persist, and the love to reconcile.

In a world longing for peace — from Gaza to Ukraine, from our own communities to the hearts of those around us — may we be people who pray without ceasing. 

May we be people who believe that justice is possible, that hope is real, and that God is not silent.

And may God as he sees us, see our faith. Amen.