Hope is Never Silent.
God speaks to us about hope in all of his creation and calls us by name. God searches for us when we stray or become lost and counts the planets and stars before He goes to bed at night. Okay, I made that last part up. I got the idea from Isaiah who wrote,
“As a shepherd leads his sheep, calling each by its pet name, and counts them to see that none are lost or strayed, so God does with stars and planets!” (40:26 TLB) I like that image of our Creator who created the earth and said on the sixth day, “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good!” (Genesis 1:31 NRSV)
My Friend John Dromazos wrote that “HOPE is where we are to look for the good and expect the good.” Yes John, hope surrounds us in everything God created, all we have to do is look for it but often we spend time expecting bad things to happen or the worst in people. I have heard people say that they have lost hope in their lives. Losing hope is like saying we have lost Jesus when in fact we are the ones who have lost our focus and have let difficulties clouds our vision and hides Jesus from our sight.
Let’s think about this. How can we arm ourselves in the face of troubled times and hold on to hope for better times? Pope Francis, on his recent visit to the US, was a beacon of hope for countless American people as he ate with the homeless, blessed children and kissed people who suffer from maladies of body, mind and spirit. Joy beamed from faces in the crowd and I could not help but feel like the light of Christ was shining through the faces of thousands of people as they crowded the streets. The Pope passed by in his Pope Mobile but hope rested on the people and they rejoiced!
The Pope has returned home but he did not take hope with him… Hope remains in the hearts and minds of Christians around the world. When Paul was writing to the Colossians he said this about the mystery of Christ, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27 NRSV) Hope is found in everyday people everyday! Hope is never silent, hope is never lost. Listen and keep watch.
God Bless You
Rev. Carol
