Love and Hope
27 October 2023
Three days ago, I decided to change my Facebook profile picture and asked V, which one? He pointed to the set of photos on the wall of our flat, which my husband had just hung last month.
“Love is all you need.”
Yes Lord, cliché as it sounds, what the world needs is love…
Reading all the arguments and opinions from all sides amidst all the distressing news about the wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine, I thought to myself: there is no way to resolve this as their differences date back from so long ago and nothing can be enough to pay for the bloodshed and lives lost.
Truly, there is no way out except for love, impossible as it may seem.
But only Your love, Holy God, perfect and pure.
Only your love can soothe and heal.
A love that demands nothing and gives everything.
The love that understands what it is to lose a beloved Son.
A love that willingly endured unjust torture and crucifixion.
A love that is willing to die for the undeserving.
A love that waits patiently for the prodigals to find their way home.
Today as I read Psalms 86, I am reminded of this poster and prayed:
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.” Psalms 86:5-6 NIV
My eyes then cast on a smaller poster below:
“Hope is power”
In my early Christian years, when I cannot overcome all my failures and weaknesses and get despondent and frustrated with myself, all I could do was to cling on to hope. Hope has helped me overcome when my faith failed.
Yes Lord, there is power in hope.
Thank you, Lord, for your unfailing love and this hope we have in You.
You are the world’s only hope in this unsolvable pain and madness.
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