What do you believe in? Does that belief offer you hope? And if you aren’t offered hope resulting in a better outcome, of what value are your beliefs?
Nothing but bad news! I am disappointed with the news that reaches us. Perhaps you are too? No matter whether we turn to network news sources, cable, internet or general social media, we are being bombarded with news that for the most part, does not inspire or offer solutions to an ever growing list of what’s wrong with the world.
So this blog, dedicated to the theme of hope, will cease to be relevant unless it can offer you some good news, some solutions to the problems that confront us. So here is my plan.
First will be to review some of the bad news we receive.
Second will be an attempt to offer some good news solutions to counter the bad news.
Third, and here is where you come in, please consider how you might call on your elected leaders, at every level of governmental service, to step up and get to the tasks necessary for good news to prevail. It’s time to ask our leaders for some accountability and some real leadership.
Since addressing all three of these steps will result in a blog of overwhelming proportions, three separate blogs will be posted over the next week or so. For the benefit of simplicity, the posts will be titled, Step One, Step Two, and Step Three.
I hope you will bear with me as I attempt to bring us all to a place where we can start to experience occasions for hope and then in turn, to develop positive attitudes to counteract the news that assails us.
Step One will arrive early next week. In the meantime, consider this old adage from the turbulent days of the 1960’s and 70’s – “If you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” It’s our obligation to ask for, even demand good solutions to the problems that confront our society since our elected leaders seem unable to do that without some encouragement from their constituents.
As we consider our next steps at problem solving through hope, think about this – we can only find hope when we have something helpful in which to believe. For me, that belief is in the power of my God to bring about good. That is why I have hope.
There are others who believe all history is cyclical and hence this downturn is temporary and will result in improvement and regeneration as it always has. They have hope in the cycles of history, with or without help from a Divine Presence.
By far we are saddened by it all but if Jesus Christ is your focus the news of the world today will bring you hope the He is coming soon.
Kathleen, For those of us Christians this is true. There are still folks who need to hear the Good News. But my theme is providing resources for all who are looking for hope and they may find it somewhere other than what you and I have found. It’s a tricky business not scaring people away. Hope is a basis that can stimulate conversation that can lead to the Good News. That’s why I have your site on my resource page, to offer another perspective.
John, We need the good news, the bad news and the hope that overrides them both. In the midst of all that is part of this world, may we be reminded to take care of building lives of spiritual, Mental and physical resilience (my themes over on http://www.gregorywoodard.com). Resilient living will make it more possible to live positively in the face of the challenges that we face daily.
Resilient living seems like it might also have a basis in hope. I am adding your blog site to my resources page in the hope that folks will find what you offer of assistance in their lives.
Jon
Have you read anything by Paolo Baciaglupi? He’s a fiction writer who wrote The Windup Girl, a novel I read twice and still think about years later. I mention it because I often think that the planet earth he writes about is the world we are heading into and that these are the twilight years of living what we think of as “normal lives.” It’s hard to know how hope fits into that belief. Sometimes I think the only realistic hope is that, as humans devolve into more and more brutal wars over dwindling resources including primarily water, and there are more and more mass migrations, maybe somehow by a miracle we can avoid nuclear Armageddon — that’s my hope — so that, when most of us have been wiped out, the earth can at least regenerate. Some would call me a pessimist to express these thoughts. Others would call me a realist.
Moira
That is exactly what I am going to blog about next. You must have read my mind. I am sorry for the confusing message you received when posted your comment. I will be checking with my hosting site. Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. Check back in a few days for my post that expan ds on what you have written
Will do — am looking forward to seeing what’s in store.
“What do you believe in? Does that belief offer you hope? And if you aren’t offered hope resulting in a better outcome, of what value are your beliefs?” Yes! Amen brother! We can’t solve the problem without first rising above it and approaching it with hope. Our beliefs are everything. Keep up the amazing work I am on your team.
Love and Light,
Kelsey Aida
Thank you Kelsey. I appreciate the feedback. Come back again. I will take a look at your site too.