Living in Hope
In the meantime.1
A big Event is coming! You’re not exactly sure when it will be, but you know who’s behind it, and that it’s going to be unimaginably spectacular. It will make sense of an awful lot that has puzzled you and the rest of humanity. The real heroes will at last be seen for what they are – as will the real villains. BUT – and this is important, what do you do while you’re waiting for it to come on?! Do you keep changing the cool clothes that you’ve set aside for the occasion? Do you lord it over those you suspect have not been invited? Do you run an unending set of self-examination assessments to make sure you’re ready for the Event? Do you run around telling everyone that it’s coming – telling them to get ready too? Do you research and run seminars trying to predict when it will happen?
What you don’t do is to stop living. You keep eating, sleeping, probably going to work, going out to the movies, making love, listening to music, watching TV. But is that it? Is that all that such fevered anticipation leads to? Surely there is something about the nature of the Event that suggests a change in attitude, a generosity of spirit, a renewal of focus on the lives of others (after all your place at the Event is already assured!)
Perhaps you would allow a near permanent smile to develop on your face and in your approach to even the most difficult people because you know a little of the great surprise that we’re all in for and you know that it’s great!
Hope is about the sure expectation of a great and astonishing Event that awaits all those who trust in Jesus as the Christ of God…what we do with that…what we do now…that’s the challenge! …eh?