Reasons to believe in the power of the Bible
Rhesymau i gredu ym mhŵer y Beibl
A few weeks ago, I was travelling in the Milan area when the coronavirus struck. The Italian response was dramatic. We went from hearing rumours to the closure of all public buildings, schools and universities within 48 hours. I was actually in the Pinacoteca art gallery when they closed it. So I got out, came home and went into self-isolation for two weeks. ‘No problem,’ I thought. ‘I live on my own and often work from home. This will be pretty straightforward.’
Well of course it wasn’t. It’s a bit like when people say they soon get bored of daytime TV when they are home sick. Unable to leave the house, talk to other people and carry out the sort of socialising most of us take for granted, I soon got bored, fed up and frustrated. After two weeks I realised it was already affecting me both physically and mentally. It surprised me how quickly I started to get more out of breath from lack of exercise and how quickly I developed feelings of anxiety and depression. I started overthinking, getting emotional and not sleeping so well. I began to realise what it is to be housebound and isolated as well as the loneliness many in our communities feel every day.
The lockdown, necessary if we are to have a chance of beating this virus, means many elderly and frail people are self-isolating and suffering great loneliness. Jesus says that the greatest thing we can do for each other is to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Never has this been more important for our community. This need has been recognised in the NHS volunteering scheme; it has a special category for telephone companions to help combat loneliness. If you are healthy, please pray for guidance in ways to help others. If you are isolated, work out a routine of activities and exercise to keep a healthy mind and body. Above all, set yourself time each day to pray.
Psalm 18.6 says, ‘In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.’ Call out to the Lord and he will hear you because as Jesus says in Matthew 28.20, ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
And if you are not sure how to pray, turn to Psalm 23, 'The Lord is my shepherd', which has given much reassurance to so many over the years. Never in my lifetime has it felt more as though we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Never have I felt more strongly the need for the comfort of the Lord that comes through prayer.
Ychydig wythnosau nôl, o’n yn teithio yn ardal Milan pan wnaeth y Coronafeirws daro. ‘Rodd ymateb yr Eidal yn ddramatig. Aethom o glywed sibrydion i gau pob adeilad cyhoeddus, ysgolion a phrifysgolion o fewn 48 awr. Mi oeddwn yn orief gelf Pinacoteca pan wnaethon ei chau. Felly, wnes adael, mynd adre a hunan-ynysu am bythefnos. “Dim problem”, meddyliais. “’Rwy’n byw ar fy mhen fy hun ac yn aml yn gweithio o adref. Bydd hyn yn ddigon syml.”
Wel, wrth gwrs, ‘doedd e ddim. Mae e ychydig fel pan ma’ pobl yn dweud eu bod yn diflasu yn fuan o ‘daytime TV’ pan maent adre yn sâl. Gan fethu gadael y tŷ, na siarad â phobl a gwneud y cymdeithasu mae’r rhan fwyaf ohonom yn cymryd yn ganiataol, fe wnes ddiflasu, blino a teimlo’n rhwystredig yn go fuan. Ar ôl pythefnos, wnes sylweddoli ei fod yn barod yn effeithio arnaf yn gorfforol a meddyliol. Fe’m synnwyd pa mor gyflwym ‘roeddwn yn dechrau mynd allan o anadl o ganlyniad i ddiffyg ymarfer corf a pha mor gyflym gwnes ddatblygu teimladau o or-bryder ac iselder. Fe wnes ddechrau or-feddwl, mynd yn emosiynnol a ddim cysgu mor dda. Wnes ddechrau sylweddoli beth mae fel i fod yn gaeth i’r tŷ ac yn ynysig, yn ogystal â’r unigrwydd mae llawer yn ein cymunedau yn teimlo bob dydd.
Mae’r “lockdown”, sy’n anghenrheidiol os ydym am siawns o faeddu’r feirws, yn meddwl fod llawer o’r henoed a bobl fregus yn hunan-ynysu ac yn dioddef unigrwydd ofnadwy. Mae Iesu’n dweud taw’r peth mwyaf gallwn wneud i’n gilydd yw i garu’n cymydog fel ni’n caru’n hunain. Ddim erioed mae hyn wedi bod yn fwy gwir am ein cymuned. Mae’r angen yma wedi cael ei adnabod yng nghynllun gwirfoddoli y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Genedlaethol , mae ganddo gategori arbennig i gymdeithion ffôn i helpu brwydro yn erbyn unigrwydd. Os ydych yn iach, gweddïwch am arweiniad am ffyrdd i helpu eraill os gwelwch chi fod yn dda. Os ydych yn ynysig, gweithiwch allan drefn o weithgareddau a gwnewch ymarfer corff i gadw corff a meddwl iach. Yn uwch na phopeth, trefnwch amser i’ch hunain i weddïo bob dydd.
Mae Salm 18.6 yn dweud, “Gelwais ar yr ARGLWYDD o ganol fy helynt, a gweiddi ar fy Nuw. ‘Roedd yn ei deml, a clywodd fy llais; gwrandawodd arna i'n galw.” Galwch ar yr Arglwydd a bydd E’n eich clywed chi, achos mae Iesu yn dweud ym Mathew 28.20, “.…Gallwch chi fod yn siŵr y bydda i gyda chi bob amser, nes bydd diwedd y byd wedi dod.” Ac os nad ydych yn siwr sut mae gweddïo, trowch at Salm 23, “Yr Arglwyd yw fy mugail”, sydd wedi rhoi gymaint o sicrwydd i lawer dros y blynyddoedd. Erioed yn fy mywyd mae wedi teimlo yn fwy fel ein bod yn cerdded drwy dyffryn cysgod angau. Erioed i mi deimlo yn gryfach yr angen am gysur yr Arglwydd sydd yn dod drwy weddi.
Do you have a story to share? Email mybible@biblesociety.org.uk
Oes gennych chi stori i rannu? E-bostiwch mybible@biblesociety.org.uk
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Want to share how the Bible has impacted your life? Email mybible@biblesociety.org.uk
Hoffech rannu sut mae’r Beibl wedi cael effaith ar eich bywyd? E-bostiwch mybible@biblesociety.org.uk