Samuel Beckett wrote a play titled “Breath” that from beginning to end lasts 35 seconds.  The play begins with a child’s first breath while the stage is covered with trash.  The play ends with a person’s final breath while the view of trash on the stage stays the main focus.  The point of the play is that we come into a world of trash… live briefly… then die.  Such is the world’s view of life.

Beckett was an was an Irish avant-garde writer, poet, and dramatist.  He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1969 .  As such he is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.  Yet he was a recluse… intensley private… and seems to be a person without much hope in his life… as his play “Breath” portrays.

While I would agree that we live in a world that is broken on virtually every level, I would not agree that it has to stay that way or that our life means nothing as the play seems to imply.  One thing that is true of the Christian life… it is full of hope!  Watch the play below… then be sure to read the Scripture that follows.  Then decide which world view you’d rather live by.

Romans 5:2 Through Him (Jesus) we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 8:23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He (Jesus) who promised is faithful.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice…