a people of hope in all situations...

It is a time of bad news. As I write this, the thoughts of the young kids and adult who just died tragically in a car crash, and the news of GM's Ontario plant closing are prevalent in my mind. My heart and prayers go out to them. I know they are hurting. For a number of folks directly impacted by these events, there may seem to be no hope, no security, no peace in the time of storm. How do we, as believers, even respond to such things? What can we possibly do when the hurt is so great that it borders on despair? It's so hard to know what to say, what to do, what to even think! We may not have the answers...and that's okay...but we do have one thing that we can represent wherever and to whomever: Hope. I'm not trying to be trite here, or jump on the bandwagon of our current president's election campaign theme, but we Christians have a long heritage of being a hopeful presence in uncertain times. We are a part of the greatest story of all--God's story, the world's story, a story of life from death. As followers of Jesus, we represent everywhere we go that there can be a future, even in the most dire situations. This isn't to say that when we show up we should fake happiness to try to lighten the mood. But we should express encouragement, even if no words are spoken. "Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ" (Galatians 6.2). So, cry with those who cry, be real with those who are hurting, share their pain, but don't fall into despair in the process. Instead, be the ever-stable Hope in the midst of uncertainty as you allow Jesus to live in and through you.