Hope

Today we light the first candle of Advent, the prophet’s candle, which reminds us we have hope because Jesus is coming. Today more than ever we need hope. Hope is something you cannot fake, cannot buy, cannot command and it comes from our deepest desire to be all we were called to be. Without hope the world descends into darkness. We have hope. This is a gift. It is not a wrapped present under a tree but comes from the presence of others in our lives who show us glimmers or flames of love which remind us we matter; we have a purpose, and we are meant to be. Interesting that tradition connects prophets (who let’s face it were never believed by the people they were with) with hope. Perhaps it is to remind us that when our world seems blind and deaf, we still hold tight to hope in a prophetic way as we know and believe the truth to be beyond the surface, to not be killed by lies but to still exist, living, breathing, just waiting to be revealed and be acknowledged.