Affirm Hope

After a lifetime of walking on eggshells, pretending to ignore the 800 pound gorilla in the room, it feels pretty strange to accept the reality that conflict is normal.  It is normal among neighbors and friends.  It is normal in families.  It is normal in churches and Christian communities.  Accept conflict.  If God made us all unique and has given us all free will, then its going to be normal to disagree.

Faith doesn't leave us at acceptance.  To accept conflict alone is to be doomed to a life of suspicion, caution, and cynicism.  To be stuck on point one of "Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love" is to be alone with no hope for action or change.  Which is why faith automatically moves us to point two: AFFIRM HOPE.  God will work with and through people who disagree so that growth can happen.

Christ is the embodiment of AFFIRM HOPE.  A world that was stuck in the darkness of sin desperately longed to get unstuck.  In Christ, God meets us in our conflict and disagreements and models a way to get unstuck by moving ahead and seeing the truth of God's light.  The cross is that model and it moves us from hopelessness to life.

The civil rights movement is the great example in twentieth century America of a nation stuck in conflict moving ahead to positive change.  A people stood up and said "no more.!"  The eggshells were broken as thousands marched for freedom.  The 800 pound gorilla called Jim Crow was named as the wicked, immoral lie it was. 

The protests, conflicts, and disagreements of the civil rights movement were not comfortable for anyone, but God worked through the conflict.  It became an opportunity for growth and change.  God worked through the disagreements to lead an entire nation forward... and the journey continues.

Individuals who struggle are poised to have the Lord step forward and move them in amazing ways.  "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."  Families and friends who struggle in their relationships have the opportunity to affirm their hope in each other and Christ if they stick it out and live according to love. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."  Congregations that struggle with finances have been given the chance to bask in the light of Christ, being led for the sake of mission. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

We can affirm hope as we live out our faith.  Affirming hope gives us the freedom to accept conflict.  It gives us the freedom to both speak and listen to our neighbor.  God will work with us.  God will lead us.