Scripture: Psalm 37:9
“And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.”
Thought for the Day: Hope is a strange and often difficult concept to fully grasp. It is so much more than wishful thinking, for in faith, God is active within it. Back in January of 2011, President Obama offered remarks at a memorial service in Tucson where he said, “As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together.” I love the language of expanding our moral imaginations, an act fully based in hope. Throughout history, many hope-filled people have allowed their God-inspired imaginations to reach beyond the boundaries of what was. On this anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech, I am reminded of those powerful words, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character.” Such thoughts are often considered naive idealism, but thank God for those who allow their moral imaginations to connect with true hope. I don’t believe we’ve quite embodied Dr. King’s imaginative place of justice and wholeness, but we are moving in the right direction because many hope-filled people continue to allow their moral imaginations to soar.
Prayer: I hope in you, O God, and in that hope my imagination begins to connect with your dreams for this world. Call me to be a partner with you in seeing hope realized in the lives of all people. Amen.
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