Hope dies last
In the spring of 1968 hope and optimism were very much alive in what was then Czechoslovakia. Winds of change were blowing through the oppressive Communist state. The new leader Alexander Dubcek had implemented a programme of reform which was allowing freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. It really seemed that a new world was about to dawn. Then the Soviet army swept in, occupied the country and threw Dubcek into prison. Yet Dubcek never gave up hope and hence the title of his autobiography which is quoted above. Indeed in 1989 he saw his dream of Czech liberation become a reality.
By the time this article is produced we will have a new prime minister. One that we hope will make things better. Yet watching the news, reading the papers and just talking with other people that hope doesn’t seem to be much in evidence. Instead a weary cynicism seems to prevail. “They’re all the same”. “Only in it for themselves”. A sense that simply nothing will change and there is nothing that we can do to effect that change.
At one level Christians are no different to everyone else. We suffer the same fears and frustrations as everyone else. We face illness, unemployment and financial burdens. We mourn over the loss of loved ones. We wonder about what kind of world we will leave for our children. Yet we also have hope. In fact the bible tells us that we have a sure and certain hope. We have the hope of Jesus who came to set the people of this world free from guilt and shame and fear. We have the hope of Jesus who has the power to transform communities and make a difference. Somebody once said that the church is the only club that exists for the benefit of its non members. All the ministries at our church are designed to bring hope to our community. Hope in grief or loneliness or despair. Whether you are “religious” or not we invite you to come and experience that hope. Real hope that lasts.