NormsMilfordBlog

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”  (Desmond Tutu) – as originally seen on the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

I’ve written here before about the story of the four candles – Peace, Love Faith and Hope – and how they went out one by one until only Hope was left. It was through that remaining Hope that the other three candles were re-lit. We all go through periods of turmoil in our lives, although the crises in most of our lives are usually relatively minor when compared to what others face. One has only to watch the nightly new to witness what real crises look like. Scenes of earthquake survivors picking through garbage dumps to find something to eat can quickly put our personal emergencies into some perspective. Coverage of those wailing at the loss of a loved one in a suicide terrorist attack can deliver a dose of reality into our sheltered lives.

Yet accompanying all of the stories of woe and despair there are usually also stories of hope. Hope for a better life or a better world. Hope that tomorrow will bring relief and an end to the pain. Hope that the danger ends just around the next bend and that life can return to some form of “normal.” It is that hope that keeps the darkness that may be all around us from closing in and consuming us. I wrote some time ago also about hope being stronger than fear. In fact in that post it was hope more than anything else that the fictional ruler in the movie Hunger Games feared the most. It is through continued Hope that people overcome oppression.

As a people, we must keep the candle of Hope burning; for without it we will not be able to find our Faith and Love and Peace again. They are a connected series of things in our lives. It is hope that supports our faith that there is a better life; if not here, then in the next life. With hope and faith it is possible to love ourselves and others. Once we have achieved the ability to love through our hope and faith we will quickly discover that we are at peace – a peace that passes all understanding.

So, keep the candle of Hope burning in your life. Let it keep the darkness at bay and allow you to see your Faith again so that you may find Love and once again be at Peace.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 23rd, 2016 at 11:35 am and is filed under faith, Inspiration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.