by Clem Sutterfield
Hope is a fascinating thing that exhibits many forms in our everyday life, and I would argue it is one of the reasons humans have survived for so long–even when we were not the strongest animal in the animal kingdom. Hope is at its best when we are at our worst. Hope spurs us to do something about the situation we are living through. Hope challenges us to dream of a better future, and it helps us see something we can live for.
I have found hope in the way we, as humans, have, in the past, been able to overcome great challenges. I have struggled and cried in this pandemic. The pandemic has been hard, but I have seen the faith of the people and the pure beauty of their hope. We overcome the worst of times, and we destroy and mutilate the best of times. We will repeat the same mistakes and, over time, get slightly better.
I have found that Preston’s sermons have given me hope in that they encompass ideas that fascinate me and encourage me to be a good person. I feel that our church is a fundamental part of our hope complex. I think our church is a place where we can share our hope with other people instead of keeping it to ourselves. When someone is having a hard time, you can lend a hand. I think we can give people hope with a basic– “Hey how are you doing?”. When I feel hopeless, I dream of a different future–a pretty future. The future that our church is a part of is the future I want.