Hope for the future

 

On my desk sits a glass – half-empty, or half-full? We often see this image as exposing an attitude of pessimism or optimism. I read something yesterday, in Sarah Wilson’s excellent and challenging book, this one wild and precious life, where she concludes that she is neither pessimistic nor optimistic about the future of the planet, because she reckons neither is going to inspire her to action. Both reflect passive observation, whereas hope is something that drives her into activism. She declared that she is full of hope.

I love that despite her lack of belief in God, she has hope. Her hope rests in humanity and its connection to the natural world, and her belief that if we all lobby and revise our lifestyle expectations, climate disaster can be averted.

I have hope, too, and I’m glad to be reminded of it and to identify where my hope is rooted – in the infinite love and beauty of our God, and his incredible grace and favour towards his creation. So today, with St Paul, I pray: ‘May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’. As we rest in dependence on him, may we all hear his whisper and respond to his prompts to reduce, recycle and re-use, and to use whatever influence we might have to inspire others to make good, healthy lifestyle choices for the sake of the planet and the lives of our children and grandchildren. May we all respond to his prompts to extend kindness to all, regardless of their opinions, and to work for unity and cooperation at the highest levels, across the globe.

Whether or not the glass is half-full or half-empty, I have hope in Christ.