Hopes and Fears

I love view points. You know the kind, when you’re on a windy road and you can look back and see where you have come from, and look forward to where you are headed? To me, New Year is like that. It’s a turning point of sorts, a fresh start, a new page and chapter. A place to take stock, think back and dream ahead. Three little words that have stuck with me like glue over this Christmas season have been hopes and fears.

We all have them. This past year has been full of them. We have seen and experienced the credit crunch, heard Barack Obama speaking of the audacity of hope, and witnessed him being elected as the next President of the United States of America. Our own lives have seen the ebb and flow of fears and hopes. My own life has its fair share. Today I am not fearful, but what about tomorrow? What about this New Year – 2009?

Phillips Brooks, who was a preacher in Boston and Philadelphia, wrote the hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem in 1868. He originally wrote the hymn for the children in his church but it has found its way into hymnals and Carol Services for over one hundred years since. Brooks wrote the hymn after visiting Bethlehem and the Holy Land in 1866. For some reason, the line the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight hasn’t left me the last couple weeks. It has been a kind of Christmas theme to me and one that is very apt for this New Year.

I was driving through Edinburgh today and wondering about the hopes and fears of the people I could see wearily scurrying about. Partied-in faces, heads down in some cases, laughter. There was a building where the words do not fear were graffitied across one wall. I don’t know the sentiments that inspired that particular art work but the words reminded me of the hopes and fears that were met in that little town of Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.

Last week, I watched the film The Nativity with my family. It was my first time viewing it and what really struck me were the hopes and fears of Mary and Joseph as they heard the news of Mary’s conception with the Christ-child. What confusion and bewilderment they must have experienced, what array of emotions must have been playing on their minds and hearts. And yet, they were given the strength to believe and to act. Despite their own fears, their own lack of understanding, their families’ reactions, Mary pondered these things in her heart and Joseph married her. And they journeyed to Bethlehem. And Jesus was born.

What a definition of hope in the midst of fear! And, how we need a definition of hope. It was exciting to see the first African American man in history being elected to the US Presidency. He rode to election success on the back of promising hope for today and the future. But how defined is that hope? We shall see, and the world watches expectantly. Those involved in the Christmas story were watching the stable expectantly – Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the angels – and, likely, later, the wise men.

Keane has an album called Hopes and Fears. I like it and, today, I looked to see if there was a song called Hopes and Fears on the album. There isn’t, incidentally. But, what struck me was how easy it is to not know for what we hope or what we fear. How do we define these things?

In the Gospel accounts, it is written that Jesus was once fast asleep on a boat in the middle of a stormy Sea of Galilee. The disciples were worried and fearful and woke Jesus up, who rebuked the wild sea and the disciples’ shaky and normal faith. Jesus defined that hope – and it was in the midst of the storm. He had full control and mastery even over the forces of nature...and the disciples’ hearts if they would but trust him.

Jesus brings that hope. Jesus is that hope, because after he had lived and breathed on this earth – doing good, teaching, healing, raising the dead, weeping and laughing, eating and sleeping – he died because of our sins and then rose from that cold grave.

That is hope in the midst of fear – earth shattering fear. The disciples and Jesus’ family did not know what to do and even went into hiding for a short time. Jesus appeared to them and said to them those words, do not fear.

Jesus speaks to us of real life and hope in the midst of despair, depression, chaos, fear and hopelessness. It’s not about gritting our teeth and bearing it – although, at times, life is gritty and messy and wearisome. But, his life, and hope, in us is about faith and trust, about light piercing the darkness and being empowered by him to face whatever comes. That’s how I want to face this New Year – looking to Jesus. He is that view point and sign post for us – giving us hope in the midst of our fear as we journey through life.