Beacons of hope
Podcast
Scripture references
Reflection
Anyone who has ever gone on a business trip knows that when it’s all over, justifications must be provided for any expenses that have been incurred, either so that reimbursements can be issued or merely for reasons of bookkeeping entries. With just a few days to go before the deadline for filing Income Tax returns arrives, many of us may still be scrambling to gather up the necessary paperwork so that our reports can be completed on time. Whether we realize it or not, the society we live in calls us to be accountable. If we fail to comply, there may be stiff penalties.
We’re used to filing Income Tax returns, or expense reports, but how would we react if someone asked us to explain the reasons for our hope? This question, first posed to members of the early Church (1 Pet 3:15) is just as relevant today. Against the tide of secularization which seems to be constantly trying to deny the importance of faith and the place of religion, people who live in hope become sources of light and life.
How is it possible for us to be hopeful, even in the face of despair? Because we are not alone, because no matter what happens – death, suffering, betrayal, illness, poverty – God does not abandon us. He told the disciples that even though he would not always be physically present with them, he would not abandon them (cf Jn 14:18) and we believe that this promise holds for each of us as well.
Those of us who are married witness the fidelity of the Lord in the abiding love of our spouses. We are beneficiaries of His love when we witness it in the caring gestures shared by friends, when we receive the generosity of other people, when we recognize the refined moral sense of those who cannot turn a blind eye to injustice in our society and in our world. God’s promise is true, ‘I will not leave you orphaned’. We have seen it in our own lives. We have seen it in the lives of others. We ourselves respond willingly to the call to live out this promise in service to others.
Still, it’s possible for us to feel abandoned or uprooted in today’s society. In general, we have never been more mobile than we are today. For various reasons, people may change jobs, buy and sell property, move from one city to the next, all with far greater frequency than other generations of our families ever did. When this occurs, one of the stages of getting settled involves re-establishing routines. The apostle Philip who dared to speak hope to the Church of Samaria (Acts 8:5), and was confirmed in this work by the prayer of the apostles and the presence of Peter and John by his side (Acts 8:14). Likewise, people today should be able to seek out support from a parish community which welcomes newcomers, which at least holds the promise of supporting them and helping them to get rooted in unfamiliar surroundings, but getting connected is not always easy.
If relationships nurture our hope with a sense of divine fidelity, our ability to hope may falter if relationships collapse or are threatened. How much more important then that we be signs of hope for one another. We all need to know that we won’t be abandoned by members of Christ’s body, even when we face disaster or major upheaval. Throughout the ages, hope has enabled the courage of Christians even in the face of persecution. It assured Jesus that he was safe in the Father’s love (Jn 14:21), and was the foundation of the apostles’ fervour. We too find security in the virtue of hope that endures no matter what, and because of this we can be beacons of hope for one another.
