How Crucial Is Hope?
This is a question I’ve wrestled with throughout my life. Hope has a profound impact—when it’s present, even the toughest problems seem manageable, filled with the possibility of positive outcomes. But when hope is absent, we can be plunged into deep despair and desolation.
A vivid image comes to mind: a man down on his luck, reaching toward the sky for a helping hand while people walk past him. No one stops. No one offers a jacket on a cold night or food when it’s clear he is starving. It makes me wonder, how hopeless does someone have to be before anyone notices? Sometimes, it feels like we’re just a “number” in society—overlooked, ignored, without genuine concern for one another. We see this attitude everywhere. It’s hard not to ask, what must a person do to be cared for by another human being?
Once, my son and I were driving home from a skating party. He realized he’d taken more free pizza than he could eat and looked disappointed—his eyes bigger than his stomach. At a stoplight, he noticed a man on the next block holding a sign, hoping for a donation. The man raised his sign again and again, only to lower it, defeated, as people walked past.
My son whispered to himself, “I wish I could give that man my pizza.” I asked, “Why don’t you?” He hesitated and gave a few reasons not to: classmates often talked about the homeless, and there were reasons it might not be a good idea. I didn’t argue, but the light changed, and I decided to pull over to let him think it through. While he debated internally, I slowly edged closer to the man.
The man saw us coming, stood up, raised his sign, and started walking toward our car. I rolled down the window, and my son offered his pizza. The man smiled as he accepted it. As we drove away, I asked my son why he did it. He answered quickly, “He looked hungry. It was a good way to finish my pizza. And I didn’t have to carry it home. It was a win-win.” His thoughtful and swift decision made a deep impression on me.
Shortly before my father passed away, he told me about a man he had been helping. “Do you see that man over there? The one with black hair, an eye patch, a cane, and one leg?” I said yes. He said, “When I leave this earth, I want you to find him and continue helping him.” At first, I didn’t think he was serious. But then I realized this was one of his final wishes for me.
Hope reaches out to everyone, everywhere—no matter who they are or what they believe. Jesus Christ is the hope of eternal life. He reaches out to all—rich and poor, educated and uneducated, every race and creed. All who come to Christ find hope. As Psalm 25:5 says,
“You are my God and Savior; my hope is in you all day long.”
How crucial is hope? What is your experience with it? Can hope save you? Job 11:13,18 reminds us:
“If you devote your heart to God and stretch out your hands to Him, you will be secure because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.”
And Psalm 62:5 declares,
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.”
May we all find our hope in Jesus. May it be our compass, compassion our guide, and faith in Him our steadfast anchor. And may we weave a life filled with hope, kindness, and care for our fellow human beings.
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