December 9, 2007, Bulletin InsertSecond Sunday of Advent - Hope
Finally,
all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers
and sisters, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult
with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may
inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep
his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil
and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on
the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the
Lord is against those who do evil.” Who is going to harm you if you are eager to
do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do
not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart
Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to
give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and
respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously
against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is
better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For
Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring
you to God. (1 Peter 3:8-18a NIV)As this reflection is being written, several major wildfires are burning thousands of acres of Southern California, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses and displacing thousands of people. The war in Iraq continues unabated, with its daily toll of lost lives and destruction. Oil prices are on the rise, threatening to make the winter heating costs the highest on record. Global climate change is altering people’s lives around the world, as well as affecting plant and animal life. In addition, we worry about crime, the economy, jobs, health care, and a host of other issues.
For most people, even for those of us who follow Jesus, hope doesn’t come easily as we consider the problems and disorder in the world around us. In a quite literal sense, we can look in any direction and see reasons to despair. Yet remarkably, we are called to share our hope with others.
According to the dictionary, to hope is to cherish a desire with anticipation, such as to hope for a promotion. The so called archaic definition, though, is to trust. It brings to mind an old hymn, “Where Wilt Thou Put Thy Trust?” (Hymns of the Saints 148) According to the hymn, we should place our trust “in Him whose boundless power and love thy confidence invite.”
To many people, hope is an emotion that ebbs and flows according to the circumstances they find themselves in. It is easily replaced by worry and even despair as they encounter the difficulties and disappointments of their lives. For Christians, hope is not grounded in emotions, but in someone—Jesus Christ—whom we trust even when the evidence around us doesn’t support our confidence. Our hope for ourselves and for others isn’t blindly optimistic. We know that there are very real issues to deal with in our world. Our hope is also not escapist. While we do look to the coming of God’s kingdom, we still seek to better the world we live in. We face the issues that confront us and we look to the future in hope and confidence because of the one whom we follow and whom we trust to lead us.
In a world where people’s hearts fail them and they despair because of the all too real struggles of living, hope is desperately needed. May we be bearers of hope to others and may we help them come to know and follow the one who gives us hope.
“Now faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1)