“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”- Romans 5:3-5
Happy New Year!
2021 acts like the younger sibling of 2020, dealing with the same family issues of inherited disease, and feuds (the saga of a heated American election continues..). A word found in an unexpected defines this new year. My hubby bravely masked and alone ventured to the giant Walmart storage store called “Sam’s club” to hunt and gather provisions for our little family, when he stumbled upon a man masked with a Captain America helmet on. Of course he complemented the bold fashion choice, and the man replied with, “People just need hope right now.” As this surprise guru prophesied, the word to enter into 2021 is hope. HOPE- means going through darkness trusting for an end into light while despair simply sits in the darkness. So as a wife, a mother, a teacher, a daughter, and a citizen I dare to hope. I hope that our marriage grows stronger as we navigate isolating quarantine times. I hope for the energy and patience to potty train my toddler as I surrender the development of a little one in my womb. I hope for the continued healing of my parents and little sister as we hurt from the loss of the older one. I hope for our nation to practice love of neighbor above love of power.
Oh how to grasp the fleeting rays of hope in the midst of deep darkness?
Behind the altar of Roman Catholic Churches hangs a controversial art piece of a dead carpenter nailed onto an ancient torture device. As a little girl, the image frankly horrified me. Now, I feel hope and peace when gazing upon Christ on the crucifix. An event of absolutely earthly defeat by all human perspectives, shows the sign of eternal victory over death! Oh how unexpectedly and subtle the power of God changes the course of humanity. The infinite becomes finite as a naked vulnerable baby becomes naked vulnerable victim of injustice then raised to the King of Kings. This image symbolizes ultimate hope that even when all seems lost, earthly pleasures stripped completely away, heavenly wholeness becomes attainable. For centuries, saints and sinners (the same people) discover such hope by looking at the cross despite famines, wars, and diseases (from the Black Plague to the Great World Wars) tearing apart their homes, their families and their very lives.
Take courage in the hope that we too live in an era defined by the subtle and subversion workings of a Savior who already defeated death .
Коментари