Are you hopeful? Have you lost all hope? What is the source of the hope you live on?
A pastor I know in Scottsdale says, “You can live 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 11 days without sleep, but not a single minute without hope.” I happen to agree with him!
Especially since Christmas is upon us, I’d like to elaborate on what brings me hope. My hope lies not in religion, ideology, or deliverance from evil forces. My hope lies in a person and his work. “In Him was life and His life was the light of men.”
All around us there are wars and rumors of wars. There is one catastrophe after another. Sometimes it seems hopeless, like darkness has overtaken us. There are senseless shootings claiming innocent lives. The world economy seems to be riding on a bubble about to burst. Our Congress is a mess, the Supreme Court has lost respect, and the White House is at a loss to deal with all the issues before the American people.
What is it that can turn the world back around as we once knew it? What can be done to restore order and offer us something substantial to go on for another day?
In the wake of all the chaos, the best look-out for the present is the past. Change must begin within the human heart, and it is not a matter of “finding ourselves” or “self-discovery.” Only with the entrance of God into the picture can we take the first step to change.
Can we change our attitude, our actions and works towards respecting citizens? Can we offer some grace to those we don’t agree with? Can we extend a helping hand to those in need? While Christmas is about giving it is also about redemption. Christ came so that we can truly change. God gave his one and only son so that we can have real hope.
I know it may sound preachy – but if there is one time of the year we can speak of peace and hope it is Christmas. Jesus said, “I didn’t come into the world to condemn the world but to save it.”
The empty tomb offers us hope—it tells the story to the world like no other religion can. The turning points upon which the history of the world hinges are all about this baby who grows into his purpose at the cross. The ancient Creed says this about Jesus Christ, “Who for us and our salvation, came down from heaven and was made man.”
May I suggest as you have time this season with family and friends to share the love of God and make it something that we can build on for the future. America has been the light to the world offering hope in a world of dictators and oppression. Can we shine the light of the season into the darkness and bring back the American dream? America’s founders are counting on you.
