She went to the local market and Kwik Trip to collect their donations for the town’s food pantry. He asked shoppers to round up their purchase cost to the nearest dollar and donate the change to a local charity. She showed up at the parish catechetical center to teach a weekly faith formation class to a group of 5th graders. He goes on Wednesdays to the prison to conduct bible study with the inmates. She took her special needs daughter to the store to teach her to buy groceries that she could prepare safely for herself. He volunteers his time at the multicultural center to teach English as a Second Language to new immigrants. She only had $5 in her wallet, but she put it in the Salvation Army kettle.
This is what hope in action looks like in our world. There are more versions and visions of it, but this short list illustrates to me what is possible when we are people of hope. As such, as people of hope, we offer what we can prayerfully and in faith and love, hoping that the LORD will be able to use us and our efforts for others. We’re all capable of being people of hope; it requires us to acknowledge our dependence upon the LORD but also trust that the LORD will make good use of our time, of our gifts, of our efforts.
As people of hope, we counter the question, “What difference will this make?” with “That’s up to the LORD.” As people of hope, we realize that we can only do so much, but we can do that in faith and love, and trust that the LORD will enlarge it as only the LORD can.
And as people of hope, we not only recognize hope as operative in what we do for others, we recognize that it is operative in what the LORD is doing for us. We look at the Christmas miracle and our amazement stirs us to act in hope; our LORD loves us not from a distance but by dwelling among us. We ponder the lengths the LORD goes to keep promises. This enlarges our faith; this increases our love. And this compels us to act in hope, for our LORD is trustworthy. Our LORD is our rock and our salvation. Our LORD desires that we live in right relationship not only with the LORD but with others and promises us that if we will follow the way, proclaim the truth not only in words but in deeds, we will enjoy life in abundance.
Let us during this season of hope, be people of hope, hope in action. Let us seek to bring hope to others by bringing Christ to others in words and in deeds. We may not ever see the fruits of this sowing, but we never doubt there will be fruit, for our hope is in the LORD who never disappoints.
Until tomorrow, love well.
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