Pastor’s Corner: Optimism and Hope

November 4, 2020

I am not a particularly optimistic person. I incline toward a “Murphy’s Law” view of the universe: If something can go wrong, it will.

I rather enjoy being disappointed.

What I strive to be – what my faith summons me to be – is a hopeful person. Hope is not about what you expect to happen, what you project to happen, or what you fear will happen. Hope is about what could happen that will make things better than they are. Hope does not rely upon probabilities or even what we decide are possibilities. Hope is founded on faith.

As I write this, votes are still being cast in the national election. As I write this, I groan inside at the deep harm that unwise votes could do to our nation and, indeed, the entire world.

And as I write this, I write in hope that wisdom and compassion will take the lead at the polls. I write in hope that discernment and mercy will win.

May God satisfy our hopes.

With aloha,

Pastor Eric

Photo by Eric Anderson.