Dear Ones of St. Columba's,

What does it mean to hope? I'm thinking about this question today because, well, because we are almost to Christmas, which is a season of hope. So what does it mean, to hope? Is it a feeling, a state of being? Is it a sense of optimism when things are going well, or a choice one makes when life has not turned out the way you wanted? I wonder, could hope be a way to live and act?

One of my favorite quotes on hope is from a book by Ursula K Le Guin. In it, one of her characters observes "there is a certain bleakness in finding hope, where one expected certainty." This one short sentence captures, for me, the vulnerability and courage that are required in order to live hope - to live in ways that are loving, kind, courageous, and turned toward God, in a world where the outcome of our love, kindness, and courage is not always known to us. We cannot be certain of much in this world - but we can hope. 

There are lots of ways to be faithful to our hope in God, and God's love for us and for the world. Some of them are simple, everyday choices to love people who are difficult (including ourselves!), or to engage in compassion when we feel to distracted or exhausted to care. Others are deeper decisions about where or how we live, who we engage in relationship with, and how we choose to practice our faith in community with each other.

These coming weeks, one way to live into hope is to come together to worship the incarnation of hope, God's first and best gift of hope to us in Jesus Christ. Another is to be kind to yourself, in a season where busyness and expectation can get out of control. However you choose to practice hope, know that I am glad you are part of St. Columba's, a place where I find hope and wonder and joy. 

Wishing you a Merry, Bright, and Hopeful turn from Advent to Christmas,

Alissa