Fearlessly Hopeful

“Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One, I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever” (Rev.1.17,18).

Saint John heard these words during a time of deep persecution of the church, as Christians had been tossed to wild beasts and set on fire for the entertainment of the population, scriptures were being sought by soldiers and destroyed, along with those who would seek to hide them. The church, despite deep trial and struggle to the point of blood, did not die any more than the Lord of the Church.  Despite pain, suffering, despair, losses and burdens, the word of God to his people from Genesis to Revelation has been most frequently, “Do not be afraid.” 

Many American churches are losing members, Christians are mocked, holiness is viewed as hypocrisy and love is mere sentimentality. Christ followers in the USA sometimes feel weak and despairing. Stop it!  We are a people of HOPE!

Christians are people of hope, not denying that the ‘faithful’ or anyone else should ever suffer. Christians are people of hope because the author of hope is He who parted oceans and raised the dead and is the center of reality. The pain and suffering which occurs to all mortal flesh is not the final word, nor even the present word. The present word is Emmanuel; God with us, even God who has suffered with us. The present hope is transformation from inglorious to glorious, spiteful to compassionate, loneliness to community, impoverished to generous, mortal to immortality.  We see that every day! How can any believer lose hope?

The Lord of the Church is the Living One. He was dead. All looked grim. God appeared, as Pope Benedict recently stated in his final address to the church, to be asleep. But the author of life itself arose from death and is alive, confirming to those who believe that the true story of the world, of our lives, including our pain and loss, is one of victory and life. 

The stuff of the cosmos, quarks, bosons, hadrons, strong and weak forces, were birthed through the eternal mind and unimaginable power of one who IS love itself, LIFE itself.  There is reason to celebrate every day – especially during the Easter Season.  Do not be afraid, be the people of HOPE.

Source of Comfort in Uncomfortable Times

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God,” writes St. Paul (2 Cor.1.3,4).

Since the last opportunity I had to write a “Bringing Jesus” blog, a new American president was elected, the economy has worsened, we have received news of increased persecution against the church in India, rebel-war recommencing in Congo, and so much more. A lot has happened in the USA, globally, and within the North Central Conference. Much has been good, yet the good appears overshadowed by a sense of doom, particularly economic doom.

It is good to reflect upon the source of our comfort in times of trouble. Paul says that in his times of trouble, the comfort he received came primarily from God. Consequently, he had a source of comfort to share with those to whom he ministered. Later in the text he reflects upon times that were far more challenging than our own when he says (verse 8), “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life! Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead!”

Our comfort does not rest in our economy, or our health, or our politics and our outlook on life cannot be determined by FOX, CNN or BBC. Rather, our outlook must be determined by our deepest hope – the resurrection of the dead and trust in the Divine Lord of Life who makes this a daily living reality for those who place their hope in Jesus.

Perhaps too many of us, too many of our churches, have relied upon our plans, our savings, our personalized hopes and dreams and find now, along with Paul, a time of hardship has come so that “we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” Perhaps the words of comfort we offer to our congregations and communities, our spouses and children, must be more centered on the promises and comfort of God. God IS with you! He IS risen! We ARE the children of God. Hallelujah!