A Christmas Reflection from our Christian Living Coordinator – Mrs Laurie Rankin
“Hope has been on my mind of late.
The war in Ukraine, the Oct 7th Massacre and subsequent war, natural disasters everywhere, pestilence, famines, antisemitism on the rise, riots in many capital cities, civil unrest, a wandering away from truth and morality, an embracing of all kinds of evil and the collapse of Western Society. It can sometimes lead to feelings of despair and an anxiousness about what the future holds for our world, our children, and for us.
When we consider the age and the moment in history in which we live, one can’t help but start to think about the return of Jesus. Dark moments, dark periods in history have come and gone, but this one has the potential to fulfill many biblical prophecies that herald the imminency of Christ’s return. I often say it is the hope of every generation to long for the return of Christ. Ever since the early establishment of the church, the apostles longed for his reappearance. Philippians 3:20-21says “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Revelation 20:22 says; “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”. He is the blessed hope of everyone who claims Christ as King. The whole of creation longs and groans for his kingship to be established forever and for the rightful restoration and renewal of all things.
The Bible teaches we are not exempt from trials and tribulations, in fact we are to expect them, particularly when living boldly for Christ. As we come to the end of the of another year and look to the future, I want to draw attention to the hope we have in Jesus. Hope lights up dark places, it whispers in the silence, and speaks encouragement to our hearts. It sustains and keeps us in perfect peace. 1 Corinthians 13 mentions that at the end of all things, three things will remain; faith, hope and love, the greatest being love. We rightly give attention to love, but hope is the spark that ignites the other two in that list.
Hope means to desire and expect for something good in the future. Biblical hope is centered in the Gospel, the good news. When this world ends, or our time in it does, it is not the final chapter for those who claim Christ as their Saviour. Death has lost its sting at the cross. We look forward joyfully to a better place. Heaven is our home. We are passing through this world, in it, but not of it.
When fear crouches at the door we welcome hope into our hearts. We embrace the entrance of Jesus into every situation we face. We invite the Holy Spirit to bring comfort when we are laden with grief. We open the word to give us wisdom and direction for the road ahead. We look to the sovereign God who has ordered our days, who knows the future and holds everything in His hands. We were born for such a time as this, this time in history, this country, this city, the home in which you dwell, the spaces in which you work and have community. We have a purpose. We have a hope to share with others. It is a hope that this world is crying out for. We are the vessels, broken and shabby looking as we may be. We hold a treasure of immeasurable worth, of such eternal value and we should hold this treasure, with reverence and the weightiness of responsibility that it requires.
I don’t know how many strange conversations I’ve had recently with those who don’t know Christ, who are starting to question what is going on in this world. A family member on my husband’s side started asking me about church and God. She said she’d started reading the Bible because all this evil out there, meant surely there was an equal and opposite force of good. What an opportunity we have, to speak hope into people’s lives. To give the good news of the gospel, to be ready to proclaim a reason for the hope we have within us.
May we be encouraged, no matter what road we currently travel, to hold onto hope. May we share that hope with our friends, our family members and those who come across our paths, as we reflect on the true hope of the world this Christmas season. Jesus Christ.”
