Hope Has Arrived

Romans 5: 1-5 (NIV) —

‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.’

Being hope-filled in our world goes against the grain. Considered as 'pollyanna-naive', hope-filled people are often dismissed as not living in the real world. I’m not naturally a hope-filled person: I usually foresee potential problems in any given situation. I find naturally optimistic people quite irritating as I try to share my pessimistic risk assessment!

But, in Romans 5, Paul indicates that hope, a deep hope that doesn't disappoint, is thoroughly rooted in the reality of suffering. For fellow dyslexics who struggle with Paul’s long sentences, it goes like this:

Suffering -> Perseverance -> Character -> Hope

This month we 'plant' from Gas Street into Christ Church Summerfield and the vision statement we are pursuing as we plant is: ‘Seeing North Edgbaston living lives of hope in Jesus’ name’. This isn’t a hope in denial of the urban deprivation experienced by so many residents in North Edgbaston; it's a hope rooted in God’s presence in that suffering. This is a hope in the knowledge of the love of God, a hope supernaturally poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It’s a hope that has a name - Jesus. This song from Kings Cross Church (London) has become an anthem for our 'plant': ‘hope has arrived and he has a name, Jesus’.

Today, bring to him the suffering you are experiencing; the suffering you see in the city around you, and choose to dismiss the lie that hope is the antithesis of reality. Invite the Holy Spirit to pour the Father’s love into your heart, that your hope in Jesus will not disappoint. And, fellow pessimists, together we can pray the words of St Julian of Norwich below.

Prayer — Thank you Lord that ‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.’