The Day of Hope

The Day of Hope

Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-5

Starting in March 2003 during the initial deployment to Iraq the church I was pastoring saw 9 members deployed there in the first year and many more since then, including two friends who has served 2 tours. I had a litany of blessing for the soldier before he or she would leave for deployment which involved prayer, the laying on of hands, and a scripture. For each one I would read this scripture:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze…
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
        Isaiah 43:1-5a

I chose that scripture for one specific purpose – to give hope. Our soldiers are carried on the wings of many angels – courage, duty, faith, dedication, ability, training, honor and hope. May they be blessed and know how very much they give to us – including hope.

Hope is not just for those who fight in foreign lands or face impending danger. Hope is a necessity for all of us. We may be:

• Passing through the waters of concern – for ourselves or a loved one
• Passing through the river of change- a new job, a new person in our lives, a new loss
• Walking through the fire of grief, or the energy of purpose
• Touched by the harsh flames of fear, or the burning ember of loneliness

And still we have this hope. Our creator God walks with us (and will swim if necessary!), crosses the current with arms outstretched to catch us, shields us and carries us.

Hope is the light into the darkest times. Isaiah lived through dark times. Jesus came into a dark time. Yet hope is the gift that tells us there was darkness before and there will be darkness again – but light will still shine and God will prevail. So will we.

We can also see hope when we are living in the sunny light of good times. I see it in the middle school kids at my church who are so smart, faithful and funny. They are so full of hope – they bring me hope as well. We can see it in revitalization of nature every spring, and the hugs and greetings of the advent season in the cold winter.

The opposite of hope is not despair. Hope’s opposite is often the feeling of helplessness. It is when we feel trapped by a situation that we begin to lose hope. This Advent we are reminded that there is no circumstance where God is not present and inviting us to invest our energy, prayer, and passion. There is never a reason to be without hope.