We can find hope anywhere if we choose to look for it

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: By the Rev David Macartney, North Coast Parish, Church of Scotland

There are many times when hope can be in short supply. We look around and see a world full of unfairness and violence, a world with injustice, racism and prejudice. There are people living in doorways begging for food and entire families displaced from their homes because of wars.

If we only ever hear those who agree with us we do not learn to listen or learn from difference. We can live and work with others even if they do not see the world the same way that we do.

I think we can find hope anywhere if we choose to look for it.

As a Christian I am regularly told that people do not understand me because I do not fit their assumption of what a Christian is.

That’s good, because I hate labels!

My definition is usually different from theirs because my experience and views are different. In fact, my definition is probably different from many other Christians too. Ultimately a Christian is anyone who follows Christ.

For me that means loving God with all that I am and loving my neighbour as myself.

Living that day-to-day is hard, and some days are harder than others; but I have hope because I have someone to follow, someone who included the excluded, who treated others as equals and offered respect to those who were usually given none.

“Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable.”

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