We Have Hope

In a world that seems to be upside down and out of control with constant news of a faltering economy, earthquakes, terrorism, and war, we need hope.

When people allow their pain to take the lives of others before taking their own, we need hope.

When a 22 year old works all of his life to have a shot at the big leagues and then dies 3 hours after the greatest game he has ever pitched along with two of his friends celebrating with him, we need hope.

On this weekend where we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are reminded that we have hope.  For me, I have discovered that Jesus can provide hope for a better future no matter how dark today might be.

My prayer for those who are suffering today is the same prayer Paul prayed for the Romans:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Spirit of God” (Romans 15:13).

A Voice of Hope?

Have you noticed that we seem to be in the midst of a down time? This may be the understatement of the year, especially for those of us who have lost their jobs or lost their homes.

Just a sample of some of the bad news overwhelming us:

How do we respond to this avalanche of bad and scary news?

For some of us, we may feel tempted to retreat, hide, and/or give into depression.  When we lose hope of a better future we make our present worse than it needs to be!

Others may watch and wait to see which of these ominous predictions come true.

What should we do?!?

Personally, I cannot help but feel hope even in the midst of such grave news.

Perhaps I am naive or overly positive, but I cannot help but remember that humanity survived Y2K, SARS, the tragedy of September 11th, and the war against terrorism all in the last decade.  It is tragic that some people have lost their lives.  Others have experienced tremendous loss beyond what we can imagine.  Even still, we are stronger than we feel we are!  Just ask some of those who have been directly affected by these tragedies and have endured the pain to rebuild their lives.

Furthermore, it is possible to have hope even if some of these predictions come true!

Of course, I hope and pray for an economic recovery (just yesterday two friends within an hour of each other shared their financial struggles as it relates to finding work).  I am not ready for the end of the United States of America nor the end of the world, but we can trust a God who can bring good out of the disasters we experience.

For those of us who have yet to be affected personally by the economic crisis, now is the time we need to be that much more generous and sacrificial for the sake of others.

Now is the time for us to be more creative and resourceful. Innovation can play a large role in bringing us out of this mess.

Most of all, for those of us who are people of faith, we need to make sure we are also voices of hope.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).