ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 11, 2026
Howard Zinn was a historian and professor, and he wrote the following:
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, and kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives.”
I am thankful this day for all the people who have embodied compassion, sacrifice, courage, and kindness despite bad and difficult times. Each of them made a choice, and this is the hope I desire to use as a model for my own life.
In the Book of Acts 2:26-28, we read, “Therefore, my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover, my body will live in hope, because you won’t abandon me to the grave, nor permit your holy one to experience decay. You have shown me the paths of life; your presence will fill me with happiness.”
These words were preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost, and they provide an image of hope as these early Christians ventured into the world for the first time after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. There was hope in Peter’s words, but not some foolish romanticized idea. It was a choice he made, rooted in his experiences of Jesus…yet an intentional choice he made for which we are thankful.
Though Jesus shows me the choice I have, I still need to consciously choose hope as my guiding principle. Thank you, O Lord, for giving me Jesus. Now help me with this choice. Amen.
