Fr. Shay Cullen | Overcoming hopeless situations

By Fr. Shay Cullen


The following was delivered at Bath University this October as my contribution to the Meriol Trevor annual lectures to commemorate her life and writings.

Before the age of printing mass literacy, radio and television that was story telling. The oral traditions of all cultures have honoured the story tellers who passed on the wisdom, history, moral codes and much more from one generation to another. Above all the value of life and survival were passed on to children by stories and many of us will remember the bed time stories of our childhood as happy memories of caring parents and older brothers or sisters, aunties and uncles. In today’s world there is hardly time for this anymore and the power of imagination in young people is weakened, the values of life are diminished and the love of reading among young people has all but vanished.

Meriol Trevor, knew the inestimable value of a well written and well read story, not only that she wrote to inspire hope and optimism in children, to inspire and imbue them with confidence that the trials and tribulations, the fears and uncertainties of life can and would be overcome.

That in dangerous and uncertain situations, sadness and loss there is positive and powerful experience there too that gives us strength and insight. In the seemingly pain of powerlessness strength can be found, in times of apparent defeat, a victory can be won, in pain and suffering, we can find endurance and steadfastness. When things seem hopeless, there is still a chance for optimism and the seemingly impossible can be made possible by sheer faith that we can with determination and commitment to truth, honesty, justice and the love of each other we can overcome evil, corruption and the exploitation that is so rampant in our world, today more than ever before it seems. Beauty can be found in the dying and decaying leave of Autumn, their passing is not a dark and pointless death but in the brilliance of their colourful departure they renew and nourish the soil from which the seeds spring bring renewed life to farm and forest – Life comes from death.