What Hope?

What Hope?

In conversations with people, how often have you found there seems to be no hope in them for their own, nor anyone else’s, future? It’s not something that is necessarily spoken, more an attitude of life. Yet there seems to be no hope, optimism by any other name, for the future. The popular theme appears to be “same old same old”, meaning nothing new, just the same things that we’ve always done with no expectation of change at all. In fact, the expectation is for the worse rather than for the better.

In fact, just recently, I was asked, “So what makes you so cheerful and optimistic about everything, then?” It was not so much the question itself, more the virtual incredulity that anyone could be an optimist any more. In the “old days”, it used to be the “haves” and the “have nots.” It really has now come down to the “hopers” and the “no-hopers”. Never before has there been more reality and meaning in the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

The world has lost hope. Hope for better things; hope for more; hope for peace; hope for the future. The ordinary man in the street, without Christ in his life, has lost all hope for the future. Most are scared of the way the world is turning at the moment. They are scared for their children, and they are scared that there will be nothing for themselves or their families in the future. People have lost all hope in politics – as if there ever was hope in that quarter – and they have lost hope in ever finding incorruptible politicians.

Never before has there been a better moment to declare that, “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Never before has there been such a need for us to demonstrate the power of God by His Holy Spirit. Never before has there been such an opportunity to preach the Gospel with signs and wonders following.

It is time for us to reach outside our sanctified, hallowed walls into a place beyond our comfort zones where we have to live our hope; live our faith; and live the Gospel. We need to BE the church and show the hope and love of God to all those around us. We are the church – the church is no longer some beautiful but dusty old building. We are the Bride of Christ and we need to assume our roles as priests and kings in our communities.

The fields are white unto harvest – will you labour with me?