Joy in a Hopeless World

Ryan Ward

I am writing this blog from a coffee shop watching people go about their daily lives as the television in the background shows images of the atrocities that war inflicts on people. How do we find ourselves as people who occupy this planet in the same situation over and over throughout our history? We destroy each other on one side of the planet and order a latte on the other side where it is safer to be at the moment. The juxtaposition of my present reality with the one happening in the middle east is quite stark.

Similar to the present realities, my soul feels the tension of tremendous hopelessness and abundant joy. I am hopeless that we can find peace in our human condition and, at the same time, I am convinced that Jesus can change our world. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” God wants us to remember the grace and hope He gave us through His redemptive work on the cross as a fuel to press on in our lives of devotion to Him. Thus, we can feel the tension of our present reality without losing hope that God is greater than the world and uses us in His redemptive work. 

I find that I am often most hopeless when I am not connected in community and this is one of the many reasons why one of our focus points this year was building communities of resilience and fidelity. Resilience in our walk with Christ even when the world around us is in chaos, and faithfulness (fidelity) to God, His word, and one another. The book of 1 Peter (v 9) reminds us to be active in our rejection of the enemy’s offerings and to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters deeply rooted in our faith. There is something about the power of community that can spur our own faith as we spur on the faith of others. When we do these things, I am convinced that hope will increase.

So, let's stay committed to one another and rooted in the word of God. Connect with someone over coffee (or tea if that is your cup) that you have been meaning to connect with. Let’s read the word and live it out in our lives. Believe in the redemptive work of Jesus in the world and pray that His will be done, His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Last, let us press into the hope that brings encouragement; that this hope be anchored to our soul so that we will not be moved in these troubling times.