Reason to Hope

It’s amazing how one phone call or one conversation or one piece of information can suddenly plunge us into our own world of darkness.  You know what I mean. “There’s been a terrible accident.”  “I hate to tell you this, but your tests came back positive.  You have cancer.  There’s not much we can do.”  “Your mommy and I just can’t live together anymore.”  We hear those words and our world goes dark.  The birds may be singing and sun may be shining, but it’s raining on the inside.  The storm clouds have moved in and the thunder and lightning in your soul drown out just about everything else.  Ever since sin entered into this world, life has become full of those moments. 

We can’t escape them.  We can try to pretend that they aren’t there and that nothing is wrong, but it doesn’t make it so.  We can deny and act as though we are fine, but our soul is in solitary confinement with the light shut out.  Where do we find the hope in a time like that?  Where is our one blade of grass on those days?  How do we go on when we don’t even want to?  What is our reason to hope?

And as long as you have hope, you can’t be defeated.  I’m not talking about unrealistic denial of the facts.  I’m not talking about hoping for what can never be.  I’m talking about a realistic trust in the Lord; a looking to Him for your stability in the midst of your storm.  A confidence that no matter what happens, He will see you through.  When you have that hope within you, no one can take it away, no matter what they do to you.  And you will, yourself, be a source of hope to those around you.

Anthony de Mello in his book The Heart of the Enlightened, page 19 writes:

Once upon a time in a concentration camp there lived a prisoner who, even though he was under sentence of execution, was fearless and free.  One day he was seen in the middle of the prison square playing his guitar.  A large crowd gathered to listen, for under the spell of his music, they became as fearless as he.  When the prison authorities saw this, they forbade the man to play.

But the next day there he was again, singing and playing on his guitar with a larger crowd around him.  The guards angrily dragged him away and had his fingers chopped off. 

Next day he was back again, singing and making what music he could with his bleeding fingers.  This time the crowds were cheering.  The guards dragged him away again and smashed his guitar.

The following day he was singing with all his heart.  What a song!  So pure and uplifting!  The crowd joined in, and while the singing lasted, their hearts became as pure as his and their spirits were invincible.  So angry were the guards this time that they had his tongue torn out.  A hush descended on the camp, a something that was deathless.

To the astonishment of everyone, he was back in his place the next day swaying and dancing to a silent music that no one but he could hear.  And soon everyone was holding hands and dancing around this bleeding, broken figure in the center while the guards stood rooted to the ground in wonder.

Two thousand years ago, thinking to silence hope, the devil looked at the Singer of life and love said, “Destroy this One, and we destroy any hope that humanity ever thought of having!”  And he did his best.  Satan used one of Jesus’ friends to betray Him.  The mob took Him. They spit on Him; pulled out His beard, beat Him until He was almost dead.  Then forced Him to carry his cross up a rugged hill, and there, they crucified Him. 

“That should do it!” Satan beamed.  And for a while, it looked like it would work.  The disciple’s world caved in.  They locked themselves into a room for fear of the Jews.  It was as if a hush descended on the camp, a something that was deathless.

All seemed bleak.  Hopeless.  Dark.  But then someone found the crack in the concrete.  A small hole with a single blade of grass hope.  “Hey, I wonder if it’s really true?” “What’s that?”  “Well, you know, what He said about the third day.”

It seemed hopeless to all, but to the astonishment of everyone, on the third day, Jesus was back in His spot once again singing hope.

Scripture tells us in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God.  That’s hope.

Psa. 62:5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

Lam. 3:25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

Rom. 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I don’t know what dark cell you may be in this morning.  I don’t know what is darkening your sky…But I do know there’s hope.  I have no idea where you are in your walk with Jesus, but let me just say: That’s where your hope lies.  That’s where you will find it.  It may only be a blade of grass hope to start with, but He promises to give you a hope and a future.

You can go on.  You can make it, because He did.  You have an assurance of tomorrow because He’s provided it for you.  He’s still in His place singing His song of hope.  It may seem silent in your soul…but if you look closer, you might just see Him dancing and swaying in place to a music that can’t be conquered.  A music, that in the face of all odds can bring you hope.  A music that He longs to bring to your soul.  Because He did all that for you, He can bring you hope.  Open up your heart and receive it.  Look out from the darkness of your soul and see the color once again, no matter what you are facing.  It may be only a small wisp of fresh air and a view revealing that small blade of green grass, but that still signals there’s hope.  And Jesus is holding it out to you.  Reach out and take it. Take it and let Him put the music back in your soul.  And then turn to your neighbor, turn to your family, turn to any the Lord brings across your path and share that hope with them.  Be in your spot, singing hope to a world that so badly needs it.