In his autobiography, Arthur Miller reflects on his relationship with Marilyn Monroe. He talks about their loss of faith and descent into despair. “How I wish I still had my religion and she hers.”* As followers of Christ, we have many reasons to hope. But if we don’t consciously and consistently reflect on those reasons, … Continue reading It’s (b)right around the corner
hope
The rabbit holes of speculation
I’ve been thinking a lot about how Jesus said he was coming back. The reason it’s been on my mind is because I’ve been teaching through 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, and that’s a topic that comes up a lot. The congregation to which Paul was writing was confused. So Paul needed to clarify a few … Continue reading The rabbit holes of speculation
Waiting is made possible by hope
Hope often requires waiting, but waiting is made possible by hope. Let me explain. Hope often requires waiting. Makes sense. There is a future dimension to hope. If I hope that my best friend comes to visit, it requires some waiting. But waiting is made possible by hope. In other words, when we are confident … Continue reading Waiting is made possible by hope
Your light and the coming dark
Jesus is going to come back. He said that he would. The early church said that he would. Christians have looked forward to this powerful day ever since. There are two unhealthy extremes when it comes to this topic. One is to never think about it, or to downplay it. The other is to obsess … Continue reading Your light and the coming dark
Keeping hope in front of your face
Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time in 1st Thessalonians. It was written less than twenty years after the resurrection of Jesus. One of the things that characterized their thought was that they were eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus. You can sense their anticipation. They thought it would happen any day. In chapter … Continue reading Keeping hope in front of your face
Living by the light of tomorrow’s sun
Hope. It changes things. C.R. Wiley says it like this: “We live by the light of tomorrow’s sun, and that sun is the Lord God.”* He cites the description of Eden restored in Revelation 22:5: “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the … Continue reading Living by the light of tomorrow’s sun
Hope works backward to lift you forward
Steadfastness of hope. What an inspiring phrase. Here it is in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (ESV): “We give thanks to God always for all of you… remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Hope. We like it. We want it. … Continue reading Hope works backward to lift you forward
Even if you have to wait
“LORD, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.” So prayed Heman in Psalm 88:1. He then went on to chronicle his lack of strength, feelings of death, despair, isolation, grief, sense of betrayal, rejection and terror! One of the things that strikes me about Heman’s prayer is … Continue reading Even if you have to wait
The king has one more move
Bobby Fischer was a world chess champion. There’s a story about a time when he went to see a film, called The Seventh Seal. A medieval knight plays a game of chess with death, the evil one. As the film progresses, they make moves back and forth. Finally, the evil one makes a move and … Continue reading The king has one more move
Tears of sadness to gladness
I’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ tears. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” But that’s not all he did. After his friend Lazarus had died, and after seeing Mary and Martha crying, Jesus “was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (verse 33). The phrase “deeply moved” could also be … Continue reading Tears of sadness to gladness
