It seems that each day brings something from the world intruding on my sense of peace – political differences, senseless violence, wildfires – even just driving across town there are so many homeless people at the stop lights and street corners on the journey.  The news thrives on highlighting division and discord, sometimes people do too.    All of that stresses people out, adds to their burden.  When one adds to that the struggles in our very own families – emotions can weigh a person down.   Many people experience deep anxieties, stress, sickness, loss and sorrow especially as we approach the holidays.

Christians are not immune it, and that’s okay.  We would not be human if life’s circumstances did not pull on our hearts.  But as we walk in faith these days leading us to Nativity Season – our evergreen Winter Pascha – I pray for all of us that we will kindle our joy and rouse our hope.   To kindle is to ignite, awaken and set aflame.   One of the best ways to stoke the embers of smoldering hope is just to make ten minutes in your day to read the Scriptures – especially the Gospels because those are the very words of Hope because they are the words spoken to us by Christ Himself.

Hope is not so much optimism but peaceful grace & steadfast perseverance through tribulations.  Peaceful Grace wrought in and through Christ – inner hope – found not always in outward circumstance – is the never waning flame of Pascha – strengthening warming & soothing the hearts of believers.  Hope is prayer, with and for others – so let’s pray together.   Hope is gratitude and forgiveness, so lets be grateful for one another, speaking to one another is psalms and hymns and spiritual songs & be slow to anger and quick to forgive.  Hope is “glorying in tribulation” forging kindness and patience – the Greeks call that makrothymia – and it is a fruit of the spirit – a quality of God – a long suffering gentle endurant love.

Hope can be an effort.  The effort to lay aside our earthly cares at each Liturgy, partaking of the Sacramental Mysteries of the Church, receiving the True Light, the Eucharist – Christ Himself.   As Christians we boast in the hope of the glory of God – so this coming Nativity let’s bless one another, lift and bear one another, encourage and see the good in one another for surely we all desire the same.

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“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.†” (Romans 5:3-5)