Romans 5:1-2
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”
Romans 12:12
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.”
For Western Christians, Lent is often a season of lament and mourning. If fasting isn’t difficult, then one should have sacrificed something greater, the thought may go. It is the pain of fasting that brings us closer to God. Many Eastern Christians, though, think of fasting differently. The Orthodox Church observes Great Lent, a seven-week fast in preparation for Easter, as a joyful and celebratory season! The Orthodox Church prepares for Great Lent with four weeks of liturgy, the second of which reflects on the parable of the prodigal son. The parable teaches that returning to the Father is a gift. Fasting during Lent is an act of repentance, but repentance is a joyful occasion because it means reconciliation with God.
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The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5
Today, on Holy Saturday, the sacred light or “Holy Fire”—the fire that lights the tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem—comes out into the world. The fire from the tomb is spread from candle to candle all over the church and throughout the streets of the Old City—a powerful symbol of the way that Christ’s light is spread into the world. However, many of us still feel as though we are in darkness, and that Christ’s light has not yet come to us. Read more
In the season of Advent, the Christian community around the world anticipates with great expectation the birth of Christ. Yes, Christ came 2,000 years ago, but we observe his birth today to remember there are still areas of the world where it feels as though he has not yet come. There is still so much pain, suffering, and loss. It is easy to see the challenges and brokenness in the Holy Land, particularly the situation of Christians in the broader Middle East, as those types of places.
This Advent – as we observe a time of waiting and wondering in a world filled with very real pain, suffering, and loss – we invite you to Choose Hope. While optimism falters in the face of these realities, we know Christmas will arrive and Emmanuel, God with us, will be born. We Choose Hope not because we ignore the realities of pain and conflict, but because we know that Emmanuel walks with us as we do the work of peace and justice God has called all of us to do. Read more
