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Now Thank We All Our God
I remember watching civil rights workers being hosed down by police on the national news. I remember the march on Washington to which hundreds of thousands of people traveled on a hot summer day to hear that "I Have a Dream" speech. I remember President Johnson signing into law the Voting Rights Act. I remember the days, forty years ago this past April and June, when Dr. King and Senator Kennedy were gunned down. I remember wondering if we would ever overcome these losses as a country.
Now I have new memories, and these are realized hope. Last night I watched as the United States of America elected Senator Barack Obama as our next president.
As a person of faith, as an ordained minister, I have never separated what I believe about God from what I practice in my politics. I do not believe that God is a member of the Democratic party, but I do cherish the theological understanding that God always stands with the poor, the downtrodden, those who cannot defend themselves, those who must rely on those who seek justice to pave the way for something better to emerge in the lives of all people. This is, quite simply, what Jesus did with his life.
This is the hope I see for our country once more after eight very long years of leadership from people who by all accounts appear not to share my perspective, theological or political.
I believe we now have a chance to transform ourselves into a country that cares more about people than about controlling the world through aggression. I believe that shared power strengthens people, just as informed faith expands our vision of who and what God is and can be. I believe that allowing ourselves to be instruments of God's faith, hope and love can and does change the world in ways of which we can never conceive or possibly dream. I believe that God With Us is the most powerful force on the planet.
Many people shook their heads, amazed at what they were watching as the electoral map unfolded. "I never thought I would see this in my lifetime," became a mantra. Tear-streamed faces reflected the truth that, indeed, we have overcome something significant and having come this far we can never go back. We can no longer pretend that change isn't possible, that hope is not an active verb, that we cannot create a larger reality of peace and justice that is inclusive of all people. We can no longer ignore the contributions of all Americans as the will of the few without calling those few to accountability for their actions. As people of faith this election and its results have called us to a new beginning of hope that can no longer be denied or passed off as an impossible dream.
The Letter to the Hebrews speaks of these things called hope and faith in two, concise sentences that remind us of what we can do when we hope, when we believe that God gave each of us the opportunity to be here and to make a difference in the world: Let us hold fast our confession of hope without wavering, for God who has promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23); Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen(Hebrews 11:1). We didn't think we would see this day in our lifetimes, but we have. Our faith has brought us here and it will lead us into the future if we allow ourselves to be led by God, a God that seeks truth and justice for all people, through all people.
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Recognition
On a recent trip to Wisconsin I fully realized just how much things change while staying the same.
Where once there was one bridge to link the Door Peninsula to the mainland there were now three, the last completed only the week before I arrived. But its original predecessor stood patiently waiting for the state to roll in and begin repairs that would bring it back to full use.
Where Peterson Builders, Inc., once stood was now virtually open ground with a bay view for the cluster of condos that had sprung up. No more ships were going to be constructed at a company that once employed hundreds of people. Even the Fred J. Peterson Memorial Pool right next door was in the middle of demolition the day I arrived. Mr. Peterson had donated the indoor facility to the city at least forty years ago and many of us had learned to swim there.
Where Draeb's Jewelers, the Bank of Sturgeon Bay, Woerley's Bookstore and Boehn's Pharmacy once resided now found another jewelry store, Harmann's Photo Studio, Book World, Inc. and the Inn at Cedar Crossing, the last a beautiful combination restaurant/bed and breakfast. Online pictures I had seen hadn't done it justice.
Where other shops, restaurants and local businesses had been new ones had taken their place as if they had been there all along. Despite the enormity of turnover the transition still felt seamless, a convincing portrayal of small town life from then to now. Enough was still left to make me feel I had been a part of things, but enough had changed and improved to keep up with the times, such that they were. The town was still recognizable.
But some of the people weren't. And I wasn't to them.
Take. for example, the three people who approached me while I was sitting outside the Kick Cafe, sipping my fresh, strong coffee on a gloriously sunny Saturday afternoon. Their question: Are you a tourist or a native? Of all the questions I anticipated on this trip that was not on the list. And it was a tough one to answer, especially when the people asking it were looking for answers to touristy questions like where the nearest bathroom was located and how to get back to the highway out of town. I was dumfounded. All I had was a garbled version of, "I'm from here, but I don't live here anymore, blah, blah, blah.
Then there was church, a place that hadn't moved in the shuffle and still contained a whole lot of people that I knew and who would know me. Or so I thought. Although I don't look much different than I have for the last thirty-five years, many people haven't experienced that sort of luxury or are simply further along in their lives and have still weathered the time with grace and just a few more wrinkles. Not having daily or consistent contact with people over the course of time and all kinds of confusing moments can arise. It wasn't easy, searching faces for a spark of former knowing, only to realize I was looking at people I never knew in the first place. There were, however, some wonderful reunions with people I had known literally forever. They had aged, but didn't seem to look any different to me. This is the simple grace of heart connections that never fade. As I wandered around the church that had been a second home to me growing up old stories and memories walked up to me to say hello too. These were instantly familiar because we had stayed acquainted even in my absence.
The whole experience reminded me that we all expect to recognize each other, no matter what the circumstances. Of course, anyone who has attended high school reunions in the double digits knows better. After a certain point our lives become too divergent and our waistlines too expansive to pretend that life doesn't change us as we engage its joys and demands.
Jesus' own disciples didn't recognize him after the resurrection. Mark tells us in his gospel that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene and then to two of the remaining eleven disciples. They all went back to the larger group, sharing their wonderful story of Jesus' raising from the dead, but were not believed. "Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen (Mark 16: 14)."
Perhaps seeing is believing, but I also suspect having an open heart, mind and soul clarifies some of life's deepest mysteries. Some people recognize God's spirit more easily, more readily than others, not because God doesn't choose to be revealed to those who struggle more with seeing, but because they don't make the choice to see look with faith instead of sight. Our whole lives can be shaped by these individual choices of perceived reality over faith, placing emphasis on what people tell us instead of what our hearts know from believing in a God whose promises are always kept, no matter what.
It would make sense, then, that if we look to our surroundings or the people who once occupied them with more than our eyes we would see them as we remember them, and hopefully also see who they have become along the way. Equally wonderful is being seen in the same light through their eyes, both physical and spiritual.
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What Brings Us Joy
Joy.
It's a simple word that somehow defies description on a broad scale because it is so specific to each person's life and spirit. Happiness is a little easier to grasp, at least as a concept. Happiness lights up a room, has long term effects and many sources over the course of time.
But Joy, that is something unique, special and more deeply felt, way down in our souls. I believe joy, like wisdom, takes time for us to understand before we can savor just how much it changes both our perspective and our very being. My best understanding is that joy can be described as a tremble of intense delight and hope that never wavers, but keeps resonating.
How do you describe joy? Joy can be a feeling of elation over an accomplishment, our own or that of a loved one. Joy can also be a moment of deep satisfaction or peace. For others, joy is a sense of relief at having survived the unimaginable.
But, perhaps, there is an even more important question. How do you live joy?
Joy isn't one of those things we can fake, especially to ourselves. Putting on a good show for the people around us doesn't equal living a joyful life, although many have given a pretty good effort toward that effect. The Bible often speaks of God not being easily deceived either. When we claim a faith based in God as central to our daily living joy takes on another whole meaning, that of truth and grace as we seek to live according to our purpose. And there is joy built into that promise of God's love and faithfulness. The Bible shares many moments of rejoicing at a deep soul level. Biblical images of this very thing are abundant: David dancing with his people; Mary and Elizabeth sharing the news of their children's impending arrivals; Paul's letters to the emerging churches expressing his joy in their love of Christ.
When we consider joy as inherent in our spiritual practice, it becomes much more tangible, something solid we can hold onto fiercely. At other times we must let joy be without clinging to it for dear life. It is this duality that makes joy almost poignant as it weaves itself through human dreams and lives. The prophet Isaiah said, "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth in singing. and all the tees of the fields shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off (Isaiah 55: 12-13)."
What brings us joy may very well be the belief that joy itself is already in us, that exercising its power makes it alive in the world around us as an act of faith.
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Kindness
Have you ever watched Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella?
The Broadway musical became a television special in the 1960's and a cherished memory from my childhood ever since. The story itself is timeless: boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy finds girl once again to live happily ever after. The addition of a fairy godmother, magic pumpkins and glass slippers that had to be impossible to walk in brought drama and suspense to a tale whose ending was known to us all along. We didn't watch Cinderella to discover the ending, but to become a part of the story itself. For just when we think the Prince will not have a chance to try the glass slipper on his true love's foot, Cinderella's fairy godmother urges her to offer the Prince a cool dipper of water to refresh himself on his arduous travels. Against the protests of her stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella offers the Prince a drink. He recognizes her, and they know they belong together.
Moral of the story: kindness extended can welcome miracles into our lives in the most unexpected of ways.
Have you ever heard the story of the traveler who was attacked and the man who helped him?
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jerico, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then, he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these do you think proved neighbor to the man who fell among thieves? He said, 'The one who showed mercy on him.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go and do the same (Luke 10: 29-37)."
Moral of the story: kindness extended becomes an example of mercy for others to follow and through which they may experience newness of life.
Some would say that fairy tales and scripture readings do not mix well as theological underpinnings on which to base our lives. I believe that God welcomes each of us to search out divine activity and reason wherever we may find it. In wise observations we also understand ourselves to be instruments of God's compassionate, loving action in the world. Kindness is perhaps one of the most important acts of faith we can perform in service to our fellow human beings.
Kindness is simple: friendly, gentle, benevolent, generous behavior toward another person. Think about that for a moment. Consider some of the opportunities through the day that you have to be friendly, gentle, benevolent or generous with another person in how you think about them, speak with them and act toward them. I'm not only asking you to ponder the nice people who cross your path, but also those with whom you don't feel completely comfortable and those whose response to you may not be anticipated as positive.
How difficult is it for you to offer a friendly, thoughtful attitude to a co-worker who rubs you the wrong way?
Is it possible for you to be gentle and considerate with a family member or an acquaintance who doesn't listen very well?
Can you generously share your pocket change with a street beggar?
Are you able to set aside your own agenda to benevolently direct or lead a visitor to your city to their destination?
Kindness is always an act of faith, an assurance of a hoped for outcome that will benefit someone else and increase our own belief in God's friendliness, generosity, benevolence and gentleness for us. Kindness extended stretches our faith, makes it bigger, more inclusive, whatever the response we get from the person to whom we have reached out. Being kind doesn't guarantee a fairy tale ending to the story, but simply includes us in God's story.
Reconsider our storybook heroine.
Cinderella should have been, by all rights, a miserable young woman. Her parents were dead and she was stranded in this household serving her rather selfish, rude stepfamily. At best she was taken for granted in all her efforts at cleaning and caring for these ungrateful people. At worst she faced a life of uncertainty and abuse at the hands of those who thought nothing of her. But somewhere in her heart she still found it possible to remain friendly, gentle, generous and benevolent as a way of life. That way led her to her future in one simple gesture of kindness.
Reconsider the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Jesus distinguished this man's behavior between that of the Jewish priest and the Levite because there was no love lost between Samaritans and Jews in Jesus' time. But still the Samaritan extended friendliness, gentleness, generosity and benevolence to a man he didn't know who would potentially never repay him. The Good Samaritan crossed cultural, religious, financial and personal security boundaries to help a stranger in a time of deeply-felt need.
Moral of the story: kindness moves us outside our usual ways of thinking and behaving to become one with God's story of love.
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Practical Beauty
Decorating has always been a part of my life. My mother's subscription to Better Homes and Gardens rarely made it to her hands before mine. Especially during the summer months, when school didn't impede my camping out on our front steps until the mail carrier arrived, I relished each issue and all the magical ways it offered to imagine and manifest lovely, comfortable spaces. Even then, decorating for me was synonymous with inspired living. Creating a beautiful environment equaled shaping a room or a house into my own world, even if that world existed only in my own mind.
Today is no different, except that the subscription to BH and G is now in my name.
Memories of pouring over pages and pages of rooms filled with pretty fabrics, finely-crafted furniture and fresh flowers positioned just so on a fireplace mantle motivated me to rearrange my bedroom this past weekend. Ever since I moved in last summer I had pondered the next steps of how I would translate the room into its most wonderful state of being. Standing back and surveying part of my kingdom satisfies me immensely. Watching it unfold as I drag the furniture around the room, reposition prints and mirrors to align with the new arrangement and shift the accessories to new locations, dusting and vacuuming as I go, is about bringing out the best that each piece has to offer in relationship to all the others with which it is associated. Sometimes that means moving an object to another room or giving it away so someone else can enjoy it. While I am still about creating my own world it no longer exists only in my head, and I am very clear that I am about achieving harmony, balance and peace with whatever resources I have at my disposal.
I tend not to look at objects as only being beautiful unto themselves, but also in how they can be utilized in everyday living. My favorite things are those that create beauty in their practicality. Baskets that hang on the wall in my living room transform themselves into serving trays and Christmas ornament displays. Teapots on bookshelves can be plucked from their perches and placed on the table ready for brewing. Pillows resting on chairs and sofas provide visual texture and interest, but also feel really good against a tired back or under a weary, nap-ready head.
So it isn't about the dollar value of what I possess, but about the extravagant application of my creativity that means much more to me. I feel wealthy after I complete such an adventure, standing back to again survey my kingdom, knowing that inspiration is truly a God-given gift that can be applied anywhere we see fit to make the world a better place.
My next door neighbor knows inspiration is a gift in her work as an occupational therapist. Her job is to help people reclaim their bodies after such devastating occurrences as strokes and accidents. Even being able to help someone relearn how to move a finger makes her day. To achieve these goals she employs all the tools available to her: her education, training, dedication and most importantly, her faith. She talks about how her soul resonates with the souls of the people with whom she works. That resonance, God's spirit communicating between them, is what guides her to help her patients draw on their own strength to heal. Although not in her job description, she styled a patient's hair last week, giving the woman a whole new outlook on herself and the world. Three extra minutes of my neighbor's time made her patient feel beautiful again. From that moment of delight came a movement forward in her therapy on which she continues to build each day.
My guess is that home decor and occupational therapy are not linked in your mind as equal avenues to creating a better world. Perhaps you had an inkling that I had waded into the shallow end of the theological pool talking about decorating as a spiritual experience. Maybe you are not aware that whenever God's spirit is made tangible there is beauty to behold if you are willing to see it.
Jesus was certainly not above enjoying the beauty surrounding him or using beauty as a tool to expand people's understanding of where and how God resided in their world. He encouraged those willing to hear to let go of their anxiety and to, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow'; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these (Matthew 28-29)." From that observation I can only surmise that Jesus used beauty as a practical teaching tool and also saw beauty in people's souls. It is poetic to look beyond what others see and feel the depth of truth that lies within living beings, whether they be flowers, animals or women, children and men.
Have you ever wondered who you would have chosen as your disciples if you were in Jesus' place? It's endlessly fascinating to me how clearly Jesus could see through to the core of who he selected as his closest allies. He didn't choose these people based on standard hiring guidelines but on how their characters and gifts resonated with the work that needed to be done in that time and place. He chose them for the truth, the beauty of who they were and how they would apply themselves to the simple and complex practicalities of what was and what was to come. Whatever mistakes they made along the way, their one decision to follow Jesus set them on a path that would bring forth everything they had to offer.
We are no different, called as we are to give the best, the most beautiful parts of ourselves to whatever purpose we are here to serve. Beauty is often pushed aside in favor of the harsh realities of living that overwhelm us, even on our best days. But God did not separate out the beautiful from the practical in the process of creation, and God never told us to separate out the beautiful from the practical in our own process of creation. If either were true the sky would not provide such endless supplies of clouds and stars, and there would surely be no graceful variety in architecture or food. Homes could all look the same and food could be food. We would be housed and fed just the same.
Making the world a better place, a more beautiful place, is about perspective and action. There is great beauty in the truth of living because everything we create comes from God from whom all blessings flow. How that is made real, welcomed into the vast creation in which we live, is as individual as we are. How all that energy and abundance works together is how God continues to work among us engendering harmony, balance and peace as both simple and ample grace. We dance together as God's people, each giving to and receiving from one another all the gifts God has given us. Beautiful and practical, just like God.
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Wanting To Grow
Strolling up to the deli at my local grocery I didn't expect a conversation about the recession with the kind man plopping my tofu burger into its plastic take-out container. But that is what I got, an informed opinion about how the store was no longer carrying some items that hadn't been great sellers. Some of the clientele weren't pleased about these cost-cutting measures. According to my guy the store was maintaining, and that was about it. I mentioned that maintaining didn't seem like such a bad thing to me, but he only shot me a confused look, as if I didn't understand how dire the circumstances about which he spoke really were.
Checking my emails an hour or so later I bumped up against the bold statement that the Southern states are suffering the most impact from rising gas prices. Honestly, I didn't look further to discover the reason why. Reading more about these sorts of things doesn't make much sense when I can't control other people's car choices or driving habits. But I have heard rumblings from many folks that echo the deli counter attendant's belief that people feel they can't get ahead anymore, that they are treading water, maintaining, and don't see much hope of that changing any time soon. For the first time in our history we in the United States are looking at the real possibility that the next generation may not be economically better off than its predecessor.
It may be a good time to remind ourselves that money isn't everything, particularly since we live a very privileged life compared to most of the rest of the world. Economic increase, personally and nationally, has become our heritage, but also our obsession. Focusing so heavily on our needs for more does not bode well, no matter what spin we want to put on it.
But even in the midst of our recession-based angst there are a few things that remain stable and clear. One of those things is potty training.
I am not presently teaching, nor have I ever taught someone else how to manage toilet use, but I did speak with a woman at my local bookstore who was about to begin the process with her own child. She was looking for resources because he had shown signs of being ready to go for it. I stood in amazement before this serene, obviously capable woman, wondering aloud how one knew these mysterious things, let alone how to transfer such knowledge on to another human being. She said, simply, that children want to grow.
That's all there is too it, really. It isn't about profit margins, dividends, economic swings and debt management. Kids have it all figured out, something we adults have lost somewhere in the shuffle, that it's all about wanting to grow.
Scripture tells us that Jesus welcomed children to sit with him and learn, despite the best efforts of the adults around him to keep the children at bay, lest the master's patience be tested or his attention be drawn away from really important matters affecting the rest of the world. Luke's gospel recounts the story. "Now they were bringing even infants to see him that he might teach them: and when the disciples saw it they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, 'Let the children come to me and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it (Luke 18:15-17)." Children aren't always the best behaved creatures on the planet, but most often they do their best to pay attention, listen and follow what the grown ups are saying. Children are also usually excited about life, eager to know more, build on what they already have stored up in their brains and create glorious adventures to carry them forward. How could Jesus not want to be around that kind of energy and joy? Enthusiasm is contagious, brightening each life it touches and envelopes.
Scripture also tells us of Jesus' best moments of clarity and purpose regarding the stories he told the adults when their turn came to hear what Jesus had to say. Parables, confrontations over points of religious law, sermons expounding on familiar teachings, healings performed among crowds of people and individual encounters with fellow travelers, called those who paid attention, listened, to grow beyond what they already knew and into something more. But unlike children, who seem to have a natural inclination to reach out and stretch themselves into new shapes and sizes, not all the adults who were privy to Jesus' offerings wanted to grow.
The rich young ruler is a good example. In the verses just after Jesus welcomed the children, Luke's gospel recounts this interchange between Jesus and a would-be follower. " And a ruler asked him, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother. ' And he said, 'All these I have observed from my youth.' And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, 'One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, 'How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God (Luke 18:24)!" This fellow clearly was eager to please, but only to a certain point. His beliefs had limits that were quite obvious, even to him as he waked away, very sad at not being able to have the life he wanted. He was unwilling to let go of his need to be wealthy, sacrificing his entire life to hold onto his possessions. His faith apparently receded into the background as he walked away from the man he hoped to follow.
Perhaps the recession, real or imaginary, isn't the most horrible thing that could happen to us. Our financial well-being continues to attract our attention, as well it should. We live in a world in which we need to manage our material wealth with care and consideration. But what we make, have and store up for future use may not need to be our central concern. Reattaching ourselves to that remembrance of wanting more, visioning our future and stretching to bring ourselves to those hopes with pure joy, that is the stuff of which Jesus spoke This is faith, this wanting to grow, and faith is recession-proof.
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Hope Quest
Remember the old days?
So many answers for one simple question. In this case, I am reflecting on how far we have come in securing directions from here to there, wherever here and there may be. Used to be that maps were needed, sometimes several maps, all spread out on the kitchen table or the living room floor. Travelers-in-waiting, we would find our location, pinpoint our destination and start connecting the roads in between. Eventually the American Automobile Association (AAA) enhanced that process with small, flip chart specimens known as TripTiks, eliminating the constant "open the whole map, refold the whole map, uncrumple the whole map" process that frustrated the most gifted map reader. Make no mistake: map reading is a gift. For those of us not blessed with the ability to glance at a paper full of multicolored, squiggly lines and be able to determine our immediate destiny, map reading is torture in a foreign language. Maps mock us.
Enter MapQuest.
Whoever thought of MapQuest deserves a metal, a large page in the great annuls of history and a big ice cream cone for getting this one crucial thing right.
All MapQuest requires of us is to type in where we are, where we want to go and hit enter.
Then, a miracle happens.
All the directions, from backing out of your driveway to pulling into the driveway at the end of your journey is right there in front of you. Granted, all of this needs to be printed out, kept in order and followed to the letter to arrive at one's destination. And, admittedly, sometimes there are glitches and errors. But overall, what a great system!
Hope is a lot like trying to figure out our journey with a map, whether it be a paper one or the computerized version. We need to understand where here is, where there is and what roads we will need to use in between to get from here to there. For hope is not an ethereal concept, a false belief couched in sentimentality and shattered dreams. Hope is tangible, realistic and necessary for we human beings to fully live our lives and our faith.
Where does hope begin? Hope is the belief or understanding that something we can's see, touch, smell, taste or hear already exists or can be created. Hope begins, makes its debut, when we acknowledge something as possible that we don't yet have in our grasp. Finding hope means looking in the right places, searching with an open heart and mind for that which can be made real by our thoughts, words, actions, even our faith.
Jesus spoke openly, boldly and frequently about hope. Each time he asked a damaged human being what they wanted, he invited them to step into the grand arena of hope. Whenever Jesus preached and asked questions about where the kingdom of heaven could be found, he beckoned his listeners to follow him to a place called hope. While Jesus ate with reviled tax collectors, told parables about the hated Samaritans and welcomed the least obvious souls as his cherished followers, he extended a hand to everybody around him to join him in the promised land of hope. Jesus embodied hope, the belief, the understanding that something unseen, untouchable, unfathomable already exited and could be created in the present moment in the lives of the people around him. These became the people of whom the author of Hebrews spoke: "Let us hold fast our confession of hope without wavering, for God who has promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23.)." Ordinary people choosing to believe the extraordinary was not only possible, but immediately available.
That immediacy of Jesus' presence in that ancient world is enviable. Many of us ultimately use historical distance as a buffer against living our own faith. But centuries of wars, human strife, births, marriages, deaths and taxes don't provide us with any excuses not to hope. In fact, they only serve as a collectively solid reason to keep hoping, keep embracing the truth that hope prevails despite the human condition.
While pondering the idea of hope today I did what many of us do each day: I browsed through the newspaper and perused the breaking headlines on the internet. Most of what I read could not be said to inspire hope. I didn't see much overtly good news. Floods, cyclones, fires and tornados led the natural disaster category. A number of beloved public figures have passed on in the last several weeks leaving grieving families, friends and fans behind. The economy is dismal at best. Gasoline prices are soaring. Many people are losing their homes to foreclosure.
So in all these circumstances, where does hope begin?
Hope begins as the belief, the understanding that something unseen, untouchable, unfathomable already exits and can be created in the present moment in our lives and the lives of the people around us. Hope begins with ordinary people choosing to believe the extraordinary is not only possible, but immediately available. The author of Hebrews also wrote that, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)." When we hope we are bridged to faith as the assurance that what we believe is real and getting ready to be welcomed into our lives.
Hope begins as the belief that something unseen already exists and can be created in the present. There are floods, cyclones, fires and tornados in abundance. Hope continues as faithful action when ordinary people willing to help those who have suffered through these disasters come forward to relieve that suffering in extraordinary ways. People die everyday, known and unknown to the public community. Hope continues as these lives move from our daily interaction to become our cherished memories. The economy is dismal, gasoline prices soar and many people are losing their homes to foreclosure. Hope lives on in the creativity of those seeking to empower each other with realistic ways to live well in a changing world.
I continue to believe that hope is a lot like trying to figure out our journey with a map, whether it be a paper one or the computerized version. We need to understand where here is, where there is and what roads we will need to use in between to get from here to there. Where we are may not look very hopeful, but it is where we are. Where we are headed is our choice. For hope is not an ethereal concept, a false belief couched in sentimentality and shattered dreams. Hope is tangible, realistic and necessary for we human beings to fully live our lives and our faith. If we are headed for hope as the promised land to which Jesus invited, beckoned and led his followers, that place of making real that which we are not quite able to touch, we will understand hope from its inception and recognize each sign along the way. We will then be living the journey of hope itself.
