"I have lost my faith in humanity." is a phrase I've heard numerous times over the proceeding months, right after someone has relayed a recent news story. Sometimes it's in a half joke, sometimes it's conveyed with a deep sorrow. But here's the truth: Faith in humanity is an illusion. In good times or in bad, the only hope for humanity remains in Jesus. Waiting for some prophet or politician to come along and set things right is an almost ridiculous proposition. To have faith in FDR or Reagan or Obama has proven to be extremely short-lived. Germany was full of hope at the rising of Hitler, he restored the prominence of that nation and gave hope. We are a world that can't help but Hope! It is a feature written in our DNA, put there by the creator himself. Ah, but while we may acknowledge and respond to this desire, we frequently fall short of putting our Hope in the only being that deserves it. Like the fools that we are, we tend to stop short and put our Hope in everything except the one that can actually deliver. It is not our Hope itself that matters, but the object of our Hope. Our Hope in Jesus resides on the eternal, just and loving nature of our savior, The Savior. Hope springs eternal...your damn right it does!
So whether it's Ferguson, Ebola, ISIS or our abusive neighbor, our Hope remains the same. Do I want peace in Ferguson and Shaw for my own convenience, or because I want Jesus to live in the hearts of those around me? We must not stop short! Why do I want the Middle East to have peace? Because extremism will always be the best option when Hope has died. Why do I want to help my neighbor? Because the condition of my own soul is at stake...Did I do everything I could to give to others the Hope I have in Jesus? Not for my own comfort (relationships in fact are all kinds of discomfort), but because he Loves me.
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