Hope is such an overused buzzword in today's culture that it's difficult to pinpoint its true meaning.
Does electing a particular candidate ensure hope for the future? Advertisers use the allure of hope to get us to do what they want. But true HOPE is deeper than a consumeristic transaction could ever promise. What is it really…this HOPE? And why is it so important to me?
One of my life’s primary motivators is a quest for authenticity. I want to be real. I don’t want to be fake. I want to be the actual person God created me to be, rather than some kind of fabricated or manufactured personae that is designed to be nice and inoffensive to everyone.
Here’s where I’ve got to be honest: Growing up a Christian has made this very challenging. I have been taught the right things to say and do (and the wrong things not to say or do) from a young age. I became an actor playing the role of “Good Christian” desperately wanting it be real, but not seeing many examples of what that would even look like.
It’s as if churches thrive by creating environments of inauthenticity. If you’re honest about your human struggles you won’t be asked to lead worship, serve as a deacon, and are immediately put on the prayer list. Pastors are let go when they admit that they too are sinners. They can also promote the guarantee of blessing and victory. “Look what God has done!” They promise that God can do that for you, too!
Yes, God still does miracles. But what happens when God doesn’t show up? When the relationship falls apart, or your spouse dies of cancer, or your child is born with a fatal birth defect? Many times authentic feelings of sadness and anger are placated with the urging to “Just trust God.” I’ve seen too many examples of struggle and pain that haven’t been fixed or removed. It’s literally as if Jesus doesn’t fix everything, contrary to what I had been taught. But heaven forbid you say these words for fear of being written off as heretical by those you love, and that love you, the most!
My journey has led me to placing extremely high value on spiritual authenticity. To not settle for trite cliches, pats on the back, or quick answers. Sometimes the most authentic spirituality sits in the questions and frustrations, rather than tossing out memorized answers. I’m thankful that it feels like God has held onto me through all of this, as these type of ponderings have led many to abandon the church altogether. But for me, I’ve never desired to throw out the baby Jesus with the stinky bathwater. Instead, I’ve been led to ask this question more than any other: Where is the hope in all this God stuff?
When I attempt to sift through all of religion’s dogma, rules, lists, creeds, etc., and cut to the core of the Gospel message of Jesus, I’m convinced more than anything that authentic faith is overflowing with hope. And that if your beliefs don’t lead you to being more a person of hope, then it might be time for a readjustment.
As I have traveled the country, I constantly met people who were struggling to find hope. Life is really difficult for many people. So many of us feel alone, tired, defeated, broken, and victims of our circumstances. This keeps me focused on my mission to bring hope to the hurting. We long to have some light break into our darkness, to experience hope in the midst of our pain. I believe that light can come from a variety of places—from something you read, a phone call with a friend, an inspirational song, a meaningful scripture, a stranger’s kindness, etc. That glimmer of light—however small or large—is the first sight of HOPE and tells a person they can continue.
The greatest truth, which I believe to be our great hope, is that we are not alone — that God is with us, Emmanuel. Hope says this is not all there is — this pain, this struggle, these circumstances don’t define you. Your story is not finished being written. And in fact, the best is yet to come. With hope comes increased courage, strength, faith, love, joy… I could go on! With hope, you are empowered to go after the life of your dreams. Because this is not always easy to remember, we need to demonstrate this to each other. This is the power of community.
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We are creating a movement of courageously authentic people who are choosing to live a life of hope. Regardless of the circumstances, we believe that hope is always the better option. We invite you to join us on this remarkable journey to explore what it means to live hope… to actually live life fueled, driven, commandeered by, and infused with hope. It’s a journey of waking up to the life you’ve only imagined.
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