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Kindling Hope This
Advent

“Hope is being able to see that there
is light despite all of the darkness.”

Desmond Tutu

This week we enter the Advent season, preparing room and getting ready. But what are we getting ready for? Where do we find hope in the bleakness of the world right now? How do we stop focusing on the despair and begin looking for evidence of light that may eventually find its way to the surface, despite the darkness?

There can be a lot of expectations that come with this season. Some of those expectations are unrealistic when we consider the changing circumstances in our lives from one year to another. The only way to give ourselves some grace through this time is to return to the question, what are we getting ready for? It’s got to be about more than the decorations, the shopping, and the baking. For a deeper answer, we return to the ancient stories that remind us that we are preparing room for the in-breaking of the kin-dom of God.

Now, when I think about kin-dom, I have an image of a diverse, inclusive community living justly and in right relations with all people and within creation. We seem to be so far removed from that reality that it would be easy to give up hope. But then I listen to your stories. Stories of people helping people, of letter writing to governments, of advocacy work, of friends offering unconditional acceptance, of others simply accompanying another on a difficult journey.

Thank you for reminding me that hope is an active word, not a passive one. We are meant to be the hope – the crack of light in the darkness. Hope resides in all the places where we show up and are present for each other. Let’s make room for that
this Advent season. Let’s create the space to simply turn to one another offering simple light-filled moments, despite all the darkness. Let’s kindle hope.

Peace and joy
Nancy