HOPE

 

HOPE – Hang on Peace Emerges is an anacronym which a good friend of mine uses when speaking about hope.  Over the years I have read many authors views of hope. 

Two that stand out for me are Emily Dickinson’s poem on Hope –

"Hope" is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops -- at all...

And Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” In this brief passage Paul tells us that God is the God of hope.

We can abound in hope through the Holy Spirit, which is God’s gift to us. It is hope, above all, which gives us the strength to live and to continually try new things. Hope is not something we can conjure up by sheer force of will, it is truly a gift from God.  Hope is born of an encounter with Christ.

Our world is full of pain and suffering, pressures, and despair. Hope is essential for us to flourish.  By having hope, we are not denying the sorrow and pain of life but celebrating the love of Christ.  Prayer preserves and renews hope.  Let us allow the hope that has been born within us to continue to sing, dance, and foster life in ourselves and others.  May we always remember to hang on and let peace emerge.