Lent - 3 Mar 1963 / 24 Mar 1963

I want to tell you a story. It is a fairy tale about pigs being turned into princes. There were a number of pigs all living together happily in a large pigsty wallowing in all the dirt and mess that pigs so much enjoy, if you let them. Then there came that way a fairy godmother who saw the place where the pigs lived. She was shocked to see the condition of the pigsty. “Oh dear, these poor pigs!” she exclaimed, “what an awful life they have. But of course they have never had a real chance, bless them. Just look at the stage of the pigsty. We must do something about it.” So the fairy godmother was quite certain that what the pigs needed was a decent place to live in. A fairy godmother has only got to make up her mind to do a thing, and it is done. She has only to wave her magic wand and what she wanted is done. So this fairy godmother waved her magic wand and instantly, in place of the evil smelling pigsty there was a majestic marble palace. A palace for the pigs to live in, instead of the pigsty! “There you are, my little pigs,” she said, “that is the place for you to live in.” Soon afterwards, she left the place feeling satisfied with what she had done for the pigs. She thought that by changing the conditions of living she had helped the animals grow to be better animals, and more agreeable creatures.

You can imagine the pigs looking around in surprise wondering what had happened to their homely old pigsty, and then trotting off rather bewildered up the marble steps. The fairy godmother returned in a month’s time. And what do you think she found? The great panelled banquet hall was ankle deep in dirt and slime. There were the pigs grubby as ever scratching their backs against the carved table legs and the cushion covered chairs. The fairy godmother had turned the pigsty into a palace, but the pigs, within a month, had turned the palace into a pigsty!! The fairy godmother had thought that by changing the living conditions, she could effect a change in the habits and manners and conduct of those animals. Now she realised her mistake. She realised that it was not much good improving the pigsty without improving the pigs. So there and then, she switched on her most high powered magic and turned all the pigs into princes. And from that moment onwards, the palace remained a palace without turning into a pigsty.

This is only a fairy tale, but it brings home so many truths which we will do well to think about. There are plenty of people who say that if only everyone had a fair chance in life, enough food, enough money and a good education, a steady job, a decent house, a car, a radio and every other modern convenience, that would solve all our problems. There would be no more trouble in the world then. We would all live happily ever after. Do you think people will be happy and contented and live on friendly terms with one another if they have plenty of food and clothes and all the modern comforts? I don’t think so. It is true that those things I have mentioned such as food in plenty, enough money, a good education, a steady job and other good things are all necessary to keep people happy and contented, and people certainly ought to have the best possible. Our Lord was very clear about that; and Christians have always been in the forefront of social reform, fighting for the rights of the poor and the ill nourished. But the trouble goes deeper than that – and this is another thing our Lord was very clear about. He reminded us constantly that the real root of all the trouble is that there is something wrong with us – a kind of inborn selfishness, that would still go on causing trouble even if we were all as rich as millionaires. And Christ warned us that we can never make the world better by changing things, but only by changing people.

Think of my story again. I don’t want to be rude and suggest that we are pigs. But when you come to think of all the mess we have made of God’s lovely, orderly world, there is clearly some point in the comparison, isn’t there? So many good people who are working hard to make our world a bit more fit to live in are making the same mistake as the fairy godmother – they are trying to change the pigsty into a palace without any reference to the pigs. Only the Christian religion makes the astounding claim that we can, through the power of Christ, actually change the pigs into princes. Christians know from the experience of nearly 2000 years that people can be changed and have been changed by the Spirit of Christ; and so they recognise the simple truth that before you can have a better world you have got to have better people, people who recognise that this is after all God’s world, and that we can only run it successfully in God’s way and not in our own.

Looking at our own situation here in our country we have watched the efforts that have been made since our independence to improve the living conditions and to raise the standard of life of our people. Large sums of money have been spent on schemes to develop our industries and our agricultural projects. The belief underlying all our efforts seems to be that we can solve all our country’s problems by improving the living conditions of men. Certainly the living conditions of our people must be improved if we are to develop as a nation. But to put all our faith on that, for a solution of all our problems, is a great mistake. There must be a change in the people themselves, a change of heart and mind, a change of attitude, a new love for our fellow men, from whom we differ in language and custom, and it is only then we can achieve anything and reap the benefits of our independence. So that is the message for us here in Ceylon. If we are to maintain our independence, and take our rightful place among the nations of the world, it is not enough to change the pigsty into a palace, we must also change the pigs into princes.

We must all recognise the fact that we are all under the power of this thing called sin. It is religion that can help us to see the faults and blemishes in our lives as they truly are. And it is religion that will give us the power to be free from the power of sin. In our Quiet times, let us take ourselves firmly in hand and try with God’s help to break the power of sin. The desperate need of the world today is a change in people – men and women with transformed lives and changed outlooks. Let us begin with ourselves.

This season is an opportunity given to us to examine ourselves and come to God in penitence asking for his forgiveness. God will touch us and cleanse us from our sins. The real purpose of all the special efforts we make during this season of Lent is this – that by letting Christ’s power work in us we may eventually be changed from pigs into princes, and then there may be some hope that the pigsty may become a palace. Or as Christ taught us to pray, that God’s kingdom may come on earth as in heaven.

Let us remain in silent prayer: Let us come before God in penitence acknowledging our sins and failures, and ask for God’s forgiveness.

Let us think of how our sins have made our lives ugly in the sight of men and God, and ask God to cleanse us of our sins.

Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of them that are penitent: create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.