Christian faith is rooted in hope. The world we hope, work, and pray for is a world that is constantly in-breaking, but not yet. The Bible is a book of hope-filled expectation. From the waters of Genesis to the strange and apocalyptic visions of Revelation, the story of the biblical witness is the story of the creative love of God, winding its way to redeemed fulfillment.
Some years back a Protestant denomination began a marketing campaign that featured a massive grammatical comma with text below it reading, “God is still speaking.” Literature about the campaign expressed the notion that God isn’t finished with the work God began, so let us not settle for easy answers to the complex issues facing our day. Instead, let us share in the work of reconciliation, redemption, and restoration in God’s name that will lead to the flourishing of all creation.
Some may say it’s a fool’s errand to hope (or work) like that. But I agree with St. Paul when he wrote to the Corinthians, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Seeing the world with hope-filled eyes doesn’t mean we live in willful ignorance of the complexities of our world, but it means those complexities will not define God’s intentions. We will work for God’s new day, even if we will not live to see it in our brief mortal lives.
In part, that is the church at its best. We are the place where seeds of hope are planted, and from where we trust hope will grow to sprout new life and bear life-giving fruit for the world. If you haven’t done so already, we invite you to partner with us in this hopeful work by making a pledge to the 2023 Stewardship Campaign here.
Thank you for all of the ways your generosity grows hope for this world God so loves.
