Agents of Hope

Pastor James DeLoach tells a story about an old photo that made a tremendous impression on him. It was a picture of a burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney, the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In the foreground stood an older grandfatherly-looking man dressed only in his underclothes. Next to him was a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, “Hush child, God ain’t dead!”

The pastor wrote, “That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words, “God ain’t dead” keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope. I need reminders that there is hope in the world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive.”

I think we all need reminders that there is hope in this world. Yet, I would take this pastor’s reflections a step further. Whether it is an act of generosity, a simple smile, or a kind word at the right time, I believe God often uses us to be that hope for each other and for the world.

Let us pray: Yours is the earth and all that is in it; the world and those who live in it. We thank you, gracious God, for the gift of a smile, for the laughter of a child, for the touch of a friend. We thank you for the reminders of life, great and small; and for the wonderful joy that comes from sharing. Give us the courage and strength that we need to reach out to others that our lives might be a catalyst of hope, through Jesus Christ. Amen.