On this All Saints Day I can't help but consider the hope that has pierced the hearts of men and women through the ages. The hope is that which has changed lives by bringing freedom to captives, a voice to voiceless people, sight to blind eyes, and second chances to death bound wanderers. The hearts of men and women filled with this hope have been given over to something much greater, much higher than themselves.
The past few weeks I've attended political rallies, heard endorsement speeches, enjoyed a politically motivated concert, and talked politics with people, one on one...through each of these things I've found the word "hope" to be associated with a particular campaign and a particular agenda (if you don't know which one I'm referring to, please stay under your rock for a few more days :). Obviously, people put their hope in many different things, but over the past few months, for some people, the sight or hearing of the word "hope" immediately brings to mind a presidential candidate and the coming election. While I could have a field day here discussing the genius of branding and marketing, I fear that "hope" as a word has lost a bit of its power.
While hope for political change is not at all a bad thing, seeing it as an ultimate goal is significantly missing the mark of where hope best impacts and changes lives. Hope, when it is found in the enemy-loving, self-giving, self-sacrificing, person of Jesus, can not only impact a life for eternity, it can bring about real life-altering change, today. It is that hope that is the hope of the Saints which we celebrate today...the Saints who have decided to give their lives to the good news of Jesus. In the coming week I hope we will consider where we put our hope. Is hope changing lives...literally? ...mine? ...yours?
2 comments:
Great reminder! Erin and I were in a church service this past weekend that seemed to be driven by FEAR of what was going to come from the ELECTION! It struck me how we, as a community of HOPE, should not be terrified about an upcoming election. If people were as broken about the suffering an need of a Savior for the people around them, the church would be on fire! Thanks for the reminder of hope.
Yeah man, I think there has been a lot of the unnecessary fear going around. Let's work to light the fire!
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