On Hope

Many people are talking about hope these days. We're all very excited by the hope that different organizations, groups, and people are talking about.

It could be Barrack Obama speaking of a hope for a new America. His campaign is hoping to catch the heart of America making himself the voice for hope. He's even written a book on the subject. That has to count for something right?

It could be a company like Google. With their user friendly desire to make their software free, they have caught the eye of the world. They even care about the environment. I even saw an editorial in the school paper that addressed the good nature of Google and how we can really trust them.

It could be any number of 'green' organizations looking to save the world that we have worked so hard to destroy. Many companies have bought into this philosophy (Google, energy companies, California) and are showing genuine concern for the world we live in.

Shoot, even tech can get into the mix. Many an American can assuredly say that they've thought at some point, "Boy, if I just had that iPhone, my life would be easier. I could calendar, email, camera, and internet my life. All while listening to The Shins."

For whatever reason, this topic really struck me today about how much stuff we put our hopes into. I myself can't wait for a future where I have things 'figured out.' I also hope to get a new computer soon (one that doesn't run slower than this will catch on) and let me tell you, I've got probably 3-4 camera lenses/accessories that I want to get. On top of that, I spent plenty of time recently thinking about cars. And don't forget relationships.
What am I getting at with all of this? The fact is, we hope for so much and put our hope into so many things that are just unsure. For those of us who do indeed believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we have something we can ultimately put our hope in that acts as a trump card. Let us not put our hopes in things that are unsure.

I can confidently tell you no matter how much support, money, etc that Barrack Obama gets, he will not solve all of America's problems and heal your hurts. I can promise you that Google is, no matter how friendly they are, a for profit organization that is taking advantage of our willingness to be advertised too. I with some sense of confidence can tell you that man isn't the only reason for global warming, and while we should do our part, let us not hope that we can fix it alone. An iPhone becomes obselete, a car dies, friendships hit rocks, cameras can only capture a picture of the memory, not the memory itself.

So let us move forward from today truly considering what our hope shall be put into. Let us truly weigh the options with faith and not just prudence. It will be hard, but it shall be so worth it...