The broken snare

Book excerpt: “We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.” (Psalm 124:7). Many of us end up in a net of misery at some point. The plans we made have collapsed, and our lives are falling apart. You have lost your partner, or your job, or your health has given in. You have lost the courage to keep living. A major crisis can, however, lead to inner growth and enrichment. In our Christian faith there is the comforting message of a net that has indeed broken: With the death of Jesus, free access to God was made possible to all. The price for human guilt has been paid so that all people can always approach God with courage and boldness. But the joy of the broken net can only be experienced by those who know of and acknowledge the net that holds them captive, one from which they cannot escape themselves. Only the humble can pray sincerely – and humility is the result of a healthy prayer life. In The Broken Snare we are reminded that we can find meaning in a time of adversity, and a new path can lead from what appears to be a dead end.