"… but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." -- Isaiah 40:31
I told the dog this morning that today would be noisy, a duck and cover sort of day. He still acted surprised when eight guys showed up with a dump truck and started ripping off the asphalt from our flat roof. Jazz was scared by the shadows of people across the back yard, where no people walked, the incessant banging and bumping above. He takes his cue from me, following me around with head cocked to see if I’m anxious. I practice looking calm and unperturbed for his sake. When I settle in my writing chair he plops nearby, assured that the world is not about to end after all, as he had imagined. Dogs may not share our consciousness, but they know enough to align themselves with human hope.
After the Tuesday election, much relief emanated from those whose vote led to their preferred outcome. The grief or anxiety of those who voted for candidates that did not win the day, stalled the months of vitriol from all sides. While hope marks the path forward for all of us, it seems as if many of us hope for different things, or at least we believe that differing paths will take us to the desired outcome of hopes we may share.
Hope may seem like a fluffy feeling to many, yet properly understood, it packs a surprising punch. Hope researcher Casey Gwinn writes in his work called Hope Rising: “Hope is not just an idea. Hope is not simply an emotion. It is far more than a feeling. It is not a wish or even an expectation. Hope is about goals, willpower, and pathways. A person with high hope has goals, the motivation to pursue them, and the determination to overcome obstacles and find pathways to achieve them.” ― Casey Gwinn “Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life”
One of my colleagues describes me is indefatigably hopeful. Though I haven’t asked him, I suspect it has something to do with the compass of my faith that always asks, “Where is God leading?” “And how are we going to get there?” When we experience God moments that remind us that we’re not alone, we can’t not be hope-filled. God plants in the imagination of our hearts a vision of what can be, and instills in us the agency to create a path forward to achieve it.
In the days and months ahead, we’ll be searching for that path: personally, as a church, as a community, and as a nation. As people of faith, we may at times be discouraged, yet it is antithetical to faith to despair. God calls us forward from the future and will now and always show us the way forward, for those who hope.
The dog looks at me expectantly now as the rooftop banging draws closer. What can it mean? When will it end? He measures my mood, sighs and goes back to sleep. I wonder if we humans might settle down a bit if we look with equal devotion at our Master, and trust that not only shall all be well, but all is already and always will be.
Prayer: Lord of Life, show us the path you would have us take, and give us the courage to take it. Forever we hope in you. Amen
God’s grace, mercy and peace be with you,
Rev. Dr. Anna V. Copeland, Senior Minister
The Community Church of Vero Beach, Florida
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