ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 6, 2026
I have referenced this MLK quote before, but it is worth repeating:
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
I appreciate knowing who said it because I have this tendency to think about how the finite disappointments pile up one after another. The weight of the disappointment can appear unbearable. Yet my handful of disappointments do not compare to the level of disappointment Dr. King experienced throughout his work. So many peaceful demonstrations met with violence. Numerous voices for love and justice were extinguished. Yet there was this deep trust in infinite hope, a hope that was rooted in God. And equally important, the hope was embodied every single day. Not only in the people who kept on showing up in spite of what appeared to be an immovable and entrenched hate, but in the choice of nonviolent resistance. When the goal intentionally takes form in the method used to achieve the goal, it’s as if the hope has already been realized.
Disappointments can push us down, yet we trust in your immeasurable grace and abiding faithfulness. Encourage us, Merciful and Gentle God, as we seek to move toward your Kin(g)dom in every little choice we make. Amen.
