We live in a world in which hope abounds.
Even in the pandemic, stock prices have reached record highs. These prices reflect the hope that at least our economic misery will soon pass.
But what of our Christian hope? I find the deepest, truest hope in my relationship with God, who made and knows and loves me as I am.
Ever since I saw “A River Runs Through It” many years ago, I have found Christian hope and fly-fishing to be inseparable. In the film, a Presbyterian pastor teaches his two sons fly-fishing in the Blackfoot river near Missoula, Montana. They learn precision and grace, “in the hope that a fish may rise.” They learn that hard work doesn’t assure success.
God gave us a beautiful world, and it’s OK to hope for a big fish, a sunrise, a job, or a pandemic’s end.
Perhaps the surest way to experience hope is through worship, where God becomes known to us through the Bible and hymnals, outreach projects and coffee hours. It’s harder to experience these things online, yet I hope that we’re finding new ways to love one another.
But let’s face it, even love can let us down.
In truth, we are fallen, suffering human beings, but through hope and by the grace of God we are destined for better things in this life and for glory in the life to come.
