Idaho faith: Even in times of despair, don’t lose heart, for God gives us hope

By any measure, these are hard times.

The economic gap between the super-wealthy and the poor and working classes continues to grow exponentially around the world. War-mongering nationalists abroad mobilize their armies to annex new territories. Seditious conspiracy theories at home fantasize about overthrowing democracy and human rights in the name of “Western values.”

(Oddly enough, “Western values” used to include democracy and human rights in principle, but apparently now extremists seem to believe the phrase “Western values” is limited to nationalism, violence, economic exploitation and selfishness).

Any student of history would tell you that there always have been hard times; it just depends on whose history you pay attention to. History is full of terrible oppression, violence, economic exploitation and hatred. History is full of opportunists clothing themselves in rigid (and often hypocritical) moralism rather than the mercy and justice of Jesus.

Still, don’t lose heart.

Don’t lose heart, really.

Even during hard times, there has been goodness in the midst of it all. Have hope. Trust in God’s love for all: you, your enemies, for every creature under heaven. Trust in the goodness at the deepest part of the human soul. Trust in mercy, in justice, in the power of compassion and empathy. Even in the most difficult of times, there are still traces of the goodness of God and the goodness in the deepest part of the human soul.

There is always hope.

One of the prayers in the burial services of the Book of Common Prayer has a phrase we all need to take to heart: “a reasonable and holy hope.” We are not naively hopeful, pretending the bad stuff doesn’t exist. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the heart of the Gospel, after all; the cross and empty tomb both give reasons for hope. Our hope sees the power of God at work in the good that is done for the healing of the world. Each good thing that builds up the world, no matter how small, will bear holy fruit.

There is hope. Don’t lose heart.

The spiritual life nourishes that hope in our heart. We aren’t alone. We are bound together with God, with one another, with all creation. By nurturing the love for God in the heart, the heart is strengthened to keep going and persevering in hope. God’s goodness and truth keep us moving forward and free us from the many things that try to trap our hearts these days. We have unlimited, unstoppable hope. As a beloved, classic hymn goes:

“All my hope on God is founded;

he doth still my trust renew.

Me through change and chance he guideth,

only good and only true.

God unknown,

he alone

calls my heart to be his own.”

God holds our hearts with fullness of love. God has given us a reasonable and holy hope, even in times like these.