“Hope is the ability to listen to the melody of the future and faith is the courage to dance to its rhythm now.”
Attributed originally to Rubem Alves, Brazilian theologian and psychoanalyst, I first heard these words at a gathering of the Leadership Conference of the Americas in Chile. A gathering fully immersed in the reality of suffering and despair, and equally immersed in resurrection promise and hope.
We gathered recently, too, for our National Convention under the theme Rejoicing in Hope, where we were immersed in our church’s reality and in the resurrection promise and hope.
How can we hope when the melody of the future is faint, unfamiliar, or forgotten; when the melodies around us speak not of promise, life or hope, but of destruction, violence, polarization? How can we dance when the familiar rhythm is one of mounting social, political, economic and ecological marginalization—denigrating the dignity of human lives and all of God’s creation?
“Hope is not simply a form of optimism. Optimism tends to see facts or circumstances in a nicer and more positive way. It tries to disguise reality so it will look better and will be easier to face. But biblical hope does not rest on circumstances, be they good or bad. The biblical people of hope very often faced exceedingly demanding situations and stormy times, but they chose hope and trusted [God]…even when there was no evidence that things would get better. This is the meaning of the word, ‘hope,’ in biblical Greek. It is a hope that does not depend on the current circumstances, rather one that lives amid difficulties and trials, because it is sustained by the grace of God. [Hope] is a motivating force to persevere in faith, in doing good, in loving others, [in caring for creation]” (Gerson Acker, LWF 13th Assembly Bible Study, September 18, 2023).
At our ELCIC National Convention, we welcomed Bishop-Elect, Rev. Dr. Imad Haddad, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. Speaking on the convention theme, he shared: “I will really cling to hope, but it is a hope that is not alienated from reality, a hope that understands the challenges. A hope that is great enough to choose life, a hope faithful enough to pose a question, ‘my Lord, why have you forsaken me?’, yet without losing faith in the justice of God. God is just. That is our hope.”
Hope is built on nothing else but Jesus Christ who speaks words of promise for salvation and liberation to all God’s creation.
Hope is a gift of the Spirit generated not from within but created when a promise is spoken from the outside.
Hope proclaims that in a broken world, amidst suffering, injustice and the abuse of creation, God does not abandon humanity, and the world God created.
Hope is not passive, it is active and committed to this world, with all of creation.
Together we are practising the way of hope as we actively pray and bear witness to God’s compassion and mercy for the world—through engagement in service and mission, such as prophetic diakonia, humanitarian action and advocacy to end injustice and dehumanizing practices.
The Spirit calls us to dance and accompany one another in this dance, in a rhythm of grace, openness, mutuality, inclusivity, humility and love.
We do not fully know the future, but we have what we need, dear church.
Jesus is feeding us. We have bread and wine. We have the Scriptures. We have each other. We will not get to where we are going without going together. Jesus comes alongside—love is at our side.
Hope, faith and love—these are the tools of our calling: hope, the ability to hear the melody of the future; faith, the courage to dance to its rhythm; and love, a stubborn and unwavering commitment.
May we together have such hope, faith and love.
The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
Rev. Dr. Larry Kochendorfer
ELCIC National Bishop-elect
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