There's Still Plenty of Hope

God has called us to proclaim His hope, as we speak His truth and as we live our lives.  In 2nd Corinthians chapter 3, we find a passage that reminds us not only of our call as ambassadors for Christ, but the hope component of our message:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Paul makes the point that the current ministry of the Holy Spirit in the earth is a glorious ministry, and writes in verse 12:   12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech--

In a world that is shifting, with cultural trends seemingly pointing in a direction away from God, we have been placed, called, and empowered to reflect hope, to radiate the character of a God who does not change, and to speak truth, which can provide an anchor in the midst of uncertain times.  In times of crisis, we can certainly bring that message of stability and comfort, but in our everyday lives, interfacing with people whose lives are going well and who may not be sensitized to the presence of God, we can radiate that quiet confidence and hopeful attitude that can make a powerful statement to people around us.

Colossians 1 gives an incredible description of the preeminence of Christ, the preservative role of His church, and the practice of hope to which we are called:
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.       21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.  

A new Gallup poll shows that over three-quarters of Americans (77%) say religion is losing its influence on American life, while 20% say religion's influence is increasing. These represent Americans' most negative evaluations of the impact of religion since 1970, although similar to the views measured in recent years.

A separate question found much more positive views of the potential for religion to have an impact on the country, with 75% of Americans saying they think it would be positive for American society if more Americans were religious.  As we could expect, Americans who attend church regularly and who say religion is important in their own lives are far more likely than others to say it would be positive for American society if more Americans were religious.  Even so, over half - 58% - of those who seldom or never attend and close to one in three Americans who say religion is not important to them personally still say it would be positive for society if more Americans were religious.

So, there is an admission by a significant number of those surveyed that our country would be better off if more religion were practiced.   And, as Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research points out in a column published last week in USA Today and syndicated to other Gannett papers, including the Montgomery Advertiser, we certainly think that America would be better off in the wake of a disaster or tragedy if we were to turn to God.   Highlighting expressions of faith, such as the #PrayForOklahoma hashtag after the Moore tornado or the faith statement of Connecticut's governor after the Sandy Hook shootings, Stetzer writes concerning our faith:

Many are embarrassed by this national identity -- until it is time to grieve. Then, politicians, celebrities and reporters can unashamedly say they are praying for those affected. News networks will show church bells ringing in memory of those lost. Nightly news shows feel the need to broadcast excerpts from sermons delivered by pastors in the area. Journalists interview religious leaders about how God can help us through.

People are continuing to seek God for answers, and the data bears this out.  LifeWay found that after a national crisis like the terrorist attacks of 9/11, 38% said they were more open to matters of faith. More than 30% said a natural disaster would do the same, while 25% said the start of a war or international tension would cause them to be more receptive to religious considerations.

Stetzer writes that even speaking broadly outside of tragic moments, Americans maintain a faith-based outlook. Of the 20% in a Pew poll who were religiously unaffiliated, 68% believe in God and 58% classify themselves as "religious" or "spiritual."  In a 2011 national poll by LifeWay Research, 88% agreed "there is more to life than the physical world and society."

Frank Newport of Gallup, who has been a guest on The Meeting House, is quoted as saying that, "When we put it all together, we get the image of a basically religious American population whose underlying religiousness has not changed a lot in recent decades."

Inspiring indeed, and a reminder for us as the church, the body of Christ, to reflect the character of Christ, to proclaim His truth, and to remain rock solid in a sea change of cultural trends.  We are the proclaimers of this hope!   Wallace Henley, Senior Teaching Pastor at Second Baptist Church in Houston, writes in his book, Globequake: Living in the Unshakeable Kingdom While the World Falls Apart: 

Orthodoxy is "right belief".  Theology is important to help us lock on to pure biblical doctrine.  Orthopraxy is "right practice".   When the two are in balance, there is alignment between belief and action.  The genuine church stands on those two sturdy legs and cannot be brought down by the Globequake.

So, we have to make sure that we are rooted in Biblical truth and living the truth daily, prepared to minister God's love in time of crisis and practicing our faith visibly even when we think others are not paying attention.