Hope in Dark Times

Wednesdays are always a hectic day, wonderful, but hectic with prayer, worship and study groups. Yesterday was busier than average with a lunch meeting as well, so I hadn't looked at Facebook or Twitter, to turned on the TV or read the latest news on the internet. It was not until late in the afternoon, when everything was setup and ready for the evening study group that I opened Facebook for the first time.

Shock, the only word to describe what I felt as I read post after post about the events in Ottawa, and being reminded of what happened in Quebec on Monday. This is Canada, things like this don't happen here. We pride ourselves on being a safe country in general. We don't carry guns unless we are hunting, and violent incidents are rare enough to warrant extra media attention. Before I knew it I was watching the live CBC feed, baffled by the heinous nature of the attack, numbed by it all.

Like many Canadians I expect, as the initial shock began to ebb away others emotions quickly took its place, sadness at the death, but also the loss of innocence for all of us and anger at "those people" who would perpetrate such an act and who would rob us of our sense of security. I was struck as well with an overwhelming feeling of despair and helplessness. Those same emotions and thoughts were shared by others as we gathered that evening, putting aside our planned study to share reactions and to ask the questions on our hearts and minds.

The questions that we kept coming back to were what does this mean for us as Christians and how are being called by God to respond. Fear is a healthy natural reaction, but it can be paralyzing especially in the face of events of this magnitude. It would be easy to become paranoid of everyone and everything around us, possibly leading to isolation and disconnecting from relationships.  We agreed we need to know how to balance a healthy level of fear that keeps us aware of our surroundings and trusting others and God.

Prayer was another common them, so simple and yet one of the ways we can counter the fear and mistrust that runs rampant. To pray for wisdom for leaders about how to balance the safety and security with rights and privacy. To pray for understanding and compassion between peoples who hold very different beliefs, leading to bridging relationships rather than further entrenchments of us and them. Most importantly I think, to pray for hope for those who have lost hope and I see more and more of that these days. I think of the marginalized who are so often ignored and made to feel invisible.  When a cause comes along that would bring them attention they maybe quick to jump on board, even when that attention involves violent or aggressive acts. Hopelessness can have devastating consequences for not just the person feeling hopeless, but for all.

As Christians we called to be people of hope, people who believe and act toward the redemption of the world by God through Jesus. So what would it look like live out that hope? We are called to be people of light, sharing the light of Christ in and through our lives. So what would it look like to be beacons of hope, to be light for those in the darkness of despair and marginalization?

Wednesday morning, without knowing that a gunman had shattered the Canadian sense of peace and security, it was hope that was at the center of our discussion in communion and in the bible study that followed. Recalling Moses standing on the edge of the promise land with hope for the generation who would enter it, even though he himself would not. He knew that they would face challenges, he knew they would falter and fail at times, but he spoke words of hope and blessing over them. I believe that that is part of what we are being called to do. To not just speak words of hope or a pray for hope, but become beacons of hope for those who are hopeless, who are marginalized and grasp onto the wrong ideas and values. In particular  the next generation of who hear constantly how the world will never be as good as it was when their parents were their age, who will never be able to have what their parents had. While that may not be true it is the message I hear from those working with youth and young adults. So how can we as Christian men and women become agents of hope? How can we not only pray but actively work to bring hope to those who feel hopeless?

I don't have any quick answers, but it begins with recognizing and claiming our hope in Jesus. We also need to be more aware of those around us who are facing situations that can feel hopeless, even desperate. To follow Jesus' example of seeking out and ministering to the marginalized. This can be challenging when it takes time, resources and attention away from those things we hold dear. There are no easy answers.

May the hope that you have well up in you, and spill over in your life, overcoming the fear and darkness created in the last few days and may you become the beacons of hope, that this world desperately needs right now.  May you shine with the light of Jesus, a light no darkness can extinguish.