Humans have faced crises before: plagues, wars, economic meltdowns, and widespread devastating famines. I believe that it is not trite or reckless to say we will get beyond this pandemic also. All of us must act responsibly. We must, among other things, practice physical distancing, we must wash our hands, and we must wear masks.
Sadly, we have temporarily shut down some of our voluntary service programs to comply with governmental directives and to protect the participants. We have also canceled in-person meetings and resourcing events.
It is troubling to know that so many across our church are feeling cut off and isolated from their regular worshiping communities. In light of this, we have launched The Hope Series: daily prayer devotionals, weekly Bible studies, and stories of God at work around the world, as a way to provide connection and spiritual resourcing for our constituents and beyond.
During this crisis, we sense a peculiar call to us, and to all Christians, to be agents of hope. For us, this commitment forces the question, "Where can we find hope?"
Our mission compels us to announce God’s hopeful vision of a better world in which human and non-human creation can thrive.
I believe this crisis presents us with a significant opportunity: to reconceptualize mission as a hope-filled engagement grounded in the promise of a God who is committed to the redemptive healing of the world shaped by a history of pain and suffering. This promise reassures that God will not abandon a hurting world. Not only that, but:
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It is an invitation to us to reject the temptation to surrender hope.
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It is an invitation to refuse to despair in the face of horrific suffering.
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It is a call to participate actively with our lives and our words in ways that infuse the reality so many are experiencing, with the hope in God’s purpose for healing and restoration of all creation.
Thankfully, we are heartened to see so many who are demonstrating compassion, bravery, mutual aid and generosity. On the road to restoring our hope, these are our "heroes." We don’t all have to aspire to be heroes; we must, each of us, however, seek to follow Jesus through words and deeds that bring healing and hope in a hurting world.
Stanley W. Green
Executive Director