Paul, writing to the church in Rome declares, “hope does not disappoint.” It is a beautiful witness from one who has been through the worst that life dishes out. Beaten, mocked, imprisoned and worse, it’s almost impossible to imagine that Paul after all of that could write about hope. Yet there it is.
I’ve found myself time and time again returning to Paul’s words. As we say in my work, “That’ll preach!” More than that, however, there is the underlying assumption that even in the most pressing of times, God is present, God is still at work.
Joseph Cardinal Suenens, a Roman Catholic theologian, said: “I am a man of hope, not for human reasons, nor from any natural optimism, but because I believe the Holy Spirit is at work in the church and in the world, even when his name remains unheard.” That is a remarkable comment because it reminds us that our hope is based on something more than our own good intentions.
I have a framed copy of Psalm 139 hanging on the wall of my office. It reads, in part, “Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.” The promise is similar to Paul’s words for the Romans. In those heavenly, rapturous moments, when it feels like life could not be any better, God is there. Conversely, when it feels like you have fallen into the pit of hell, God is in that place too.
The man who gave me that framed Psalm was struck down by polio when he was a teen. Before the disease hit he was a good athlete with dreams of being a great tennis player in his native land of Australia. After losing the use of his legs he began to ask questions. Most of them began with “Why?” His queries eventually led him to a PhD in science. He moved to the USA when he was recruited by NASA to work on the Apollo space project. He said to me one day as we talked about his journey: “I can’t use my legs but once I rediscovered hope I found that my mind could take me to the stars.”
Whether we are traveling through the universe or digging our way out of the pit, God’s promised presence is more than enough to help us find our way to the hope of glory.
Grace and peace to you,
