Friday, November 20, 1998
Friday, November 20, 1998
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12
NRSV)
Some of you may know that Samuel Clemens, or Mark Twain as we know him, was not a happy
man. Particularly in his later years, he was quite crusty and cynical.
Twain was married to a woman named Olivia Langdon. Olivia was a believer. Her faith was
simple and she was a devout Christian. When they first married they read a chapter from the Bible
every day and had grace at meals, but soon this was abandoned primarily due to Twain's
disinterest. He had little if any faith. Olivia gave up some of her religious convictions, too, as time
went along. She traveled across Europe with her husband and listened to his friends who had
forsaken what faith they had in God. When sorrow struck their home--three of their children
died--Twain said to his wife, "Livy, if it comforts you to lean on the Christian faith do so." Her
pet name for Twain was "Youth," and she replied, "I can't, Youth; I haven't any."
How sad, how very sad. To have no resources on which to draw in times of sorrow. The whole
world may have crowned Twain a success but inwardly he was a failure and that failure became
more pronounced in the later years of his life. And it can happen to people like you and me. As
modern science adds years to our life, can we add life to our years?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, may I truly have life by walking closely with you. Amen.
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA