A new hope

By Tyler Tankersley

Today is the first Sunday of the season of Advent. In a world that is obsessed with immediate gratification, Advent invites us to enter into a time of waiting. We join with the ancient Israelites in waiting for the coming Messiah, and we continue to wait for the Second Coming of Christ. During Advent, we focus on four virtues: hope, peace, joy and love. Today's focus is on hope.

The prophet Isaiah says: "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (40:31).

Interesting. If Isaiah had asked for my feedback, I would have suggested he put those actions in the opposite order, in a building order: first you walk, then you run, and then you fly.

But, that is not what we find in Isaiah. First you fly, then you run, and then you walk. Perhaps finding strength in God goes so contrary to our expectations. Isaiah says they will fly like eagles, run and not faint, and (the grand climax) ... walk and not get weary.

Hope in God is not a race. It's not a competition. We don't have to rush. We don't have to be anxious. We don't have to hurry. Hope in God is not the rabbit, it's the tortoise!

But, I don't know about you, but I don't always feel very hopeful. I am so disheartened by much that is going on in the world. I am disheartened by the divisions that exists, and I am discouraged by the church's lack of a courageous response. Is this God's dream for the world? Is this the kingdom of God?

Me, and many people in my generation, are often at risk of something that is the antithesis of hope: cynicism. Cynicism is when we give in to hopelessness. Cynicism is whenever we would rather criticize than roll up our sleeves to help bring about a better world. Cynicism kills hope; it often creeps into my soul when I expect to see change immediately. Like Isaiah, I need to remember my journey with God is often a stroll rather than a sprint.

Hope is not about things being comfortable in the here and now. Hope is believing a new day is dawning, even when it is the darkest. Hope is knowing you are loved by God, even when you feel worthless. Hope is praying for God's good kingdom in this world, even in the midst of seemingly insurmountable doubts.

The following words were found scrawled on the walls of a cellar in Cologne, Germany, during the Nazi regime. They are words that remind me hope is not found in my circumstances; hope is found in God:

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.

I believe in love even when I do not feel it.

I believe in God even when he is silent.