Hope Has a Name
 

“...and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been
poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
~ Romans 5:5 ESV

I used to make it a point to watch the late-night news because I felt that a responsible person ought to stay up to date on the issues of the day. I rarely lost any sleep over the reports I consumed, but I did discover over time that my heart grew cold and my outlook cynical. To alleviate these symptoms of data indigestion, I began to limit my intake of daily news reports.

What I find astonishing is that, when I do occasionally watch the news these days, nothing seems to have changed. The locations and individuals may differ, but I feel like I'm watching some never-ending soap opera. It's no wonder many people in today’s society are stressed, desperate and afraid. If you buy into the narrative of these news feeds, there's not much reason for hope.

Then there is the news that’s regularly coming into my inbox about reports of Christians suffering for their faith. How many times must I keep reading about the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, the arrests of pastors in China, and the forcible marriages of young Christian teens to much older Muslim men in Pakistan? Then there’s information about the churches that have been burned down, worshippers attacked, believers threatened in public, and new converts excommunicated from their communities.

All of these recurring incidents describe the unending cycle of persecution. There is little to no recourse for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, so they strive to be faithful amid an atmosphere of hostility. It makes our grumblings about the first-world problems we experience seem trivial compared to the severe difficulties these believers must regularly face. With these things on my mind, I travelled to Ottawa recently to attend the National Prayer Breakfast:

“The National Prayer Breakfast was founded in 1964 as the first national prayer breakfast in the world. Fifty-eight years later, Members of Parliament, Senators, and a group of dedicated political staffers volunteer their time to organize the breakfast, a leadership dinner, and a multi-day summit for young Christian leaders from across the country.”¹

Hundreds of Christian leaders from across the country participated in the event, making this the largest attended prayer breakfast in the 58 years of its existence, and the longest-running parliamentarian prayer breakfast in the world. I also learned that Christian MPs from across party lines gather early every Tuesday to pray for each other, the government and the nation they serve – our beloved homeland of Canada.

I may not agree or see eye to eye with several of the MPs who gathered at the prayer breakfast that day. Yet, if they could commit to praying regularly, then shouldn't I? It's far too easy to cast the stones of disdain and hatred at those whom we feel are against us or our political stances, and so much harder to drop to our knees and earnestly pray for them. Could that be why Jesus told us to love our enemies, knowing this is the more challenging task of discipleship?

Shaila Visser, the National Director for Alpha Canada, gave a powerful address to all those who were gathered at the prayer breakfast. Her closing remarks have remained with me as a reminder that the children of God have no right to harbour discontent and cynicism. To do so is a sure sign that we are focussing on the wrong things, allowing them to dictate our actions in response to them. Her closing words were: "I have hope, and hope has a name. His name is Jesus!"

What sweet comfort filled my heart! Does Canada have problems? No doubt. Should we, as Christians, be alert to the issues and challenges that threaten us? Absolutely! However, trying to address these concerns without the hope that comes from Christ would be like adding regular fuel to a diesel truck. It won't go very far before the engine stalls and shuts down.

What I rediscovered and locked onto at the prayer breakfast was a truth (I always knew) that carried me through the cynics' fog to the bright light of the Gospel. The message of Christ needs to be heard: "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."² We must faithfully proclaim this message and then stand back to watch the fantastic ways in which God will move throughout this land and the world beyond.

So, let us pray expectantly, abiding in the eternal promises of our faithful God, because we follow the One in whom we have enduring hope – Jesus.

 
Floyd A. Brobbel
Chief Executive Officer
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada Inc.

Endnotes: ¹ NationalPrayerBreakfast.ca  ² Matthew 4:17 ESV