This message to the Hebrews in exile suggests a gospel proclamation to us in exile today. Although ours is not geographical or, generally, physical, it is spiritual and it is relational. The loneliness of a great number of humans in 1977 is a horror to them. Witness: most of us are never alone without a radio or television going. We tend to feel that, if we have something around us, we can forget that inner exile that separates us from sensing that life is meaningful and that we are meaningful.

Because there is a similarity in this theme with other lessons of this season, it occurs to me that a sermon on this text could well be one which appeals primarily to emotions - a proclamation that would buoy up the spirit of the hearer and renew his confidence in the God who promises not to abando…