The Death of Hope (Part 2)
Written by Larry Doornbos /
October 3, 2023
Written by Larry Doornbos /
October 3, 2023
If there is no hope, there is no future.
In his 1992 novel The Children of Men (Made into a movie of the same name in 2006), P.D. James tells of a future where no children are born. James insists that hope depends on future generations.
“It was reasonable to struggle, to suffer, perhaps even to die, for a more just, a more compassionate society, but not in a world with no future where, all too soon, the very words’ justice’, ‘compassion’, ‘society’, ‘struggle’, ‘evil’, would be unheard echoes on an empty air.”
In this hope-draining moment, the church graciously notes that it is a place of profound hope. A hope that is rooted in a sure future where the world is turned right-side-up, where there are no more tears, death, dying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Paul writes to the church in Rome,
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5 NIV11)
But noting a reality is one thing; drawing people into that reality is quite another. How do we attract people (even those in the church) into a place where hope is the atmosphere? A few ideas
If there is no future, there is no hope. How do you infuse hope into this world?
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