In seasons of despair, hope is never lost, but it is often misplaced. Advent is a time to rediscover and re-kindle the hope we have in Christ. And this year, we need a revival of hope.

Our frustration with the political theatre, our anguish over economic uncertainty, and our anxiety over threats of war or terrorism can feed a growing sense of hopelessness. Or, they can inspire us to rise up from our sackcloth and ashes, and to proactively address the issues of our day. St. Augustine imagined, “Hope has two beautiful daughters – their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”

Real hope is neither blind nor naïve. Real hope motivates us to rise above despair and deal with challenging circumstances constructively, collaboratively, and courageously. Our hope in Christ reminds us that through the ever-changing circumstances and seemingly insurmountable challenges of life, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

A few years ago, I read of a rather profound exchange between two clergy who were working together during a season filled with monumental changes. In 1960, John Claypool began his tenure as pastor at the Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville. Shortly after his arrival, Claypool became friends with a Jewish rabbi who was forty years his senior. Their friendship grew deeper as they worked together in the civil rights movement. After a tense and unproductive meeting one day, Claypool looked at his Jewish friend and said, “I think it is hopeless. This problem is so deep, so many-faceted, there is simply no way out of it.”

The rabbi asked Claypool to stay a few minutes after the meeting and said, “Humanly speaking, despair is presumptuous. It is saying something about the future we have no right to say because we have not been there yet and do not know enough. Think of the times you have been surprised in the past as you looked at a certain situation and deemed it hopeless. Then, lo and behold, forces that you did not even realize existed broke in and changed everything. We do not know enough to embrace the absolutism of despair. If God can create the things that are from the things that are not and even make dead things come back to life, who are we to set limits on what that kind of potency may yet do?”

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

When underscoring the therapeutic value of hope, Norman Cousins proposed, “The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.”

Advent is a season to rediscover our hope and to renew our strength, a hope inspired by God’s perspective and strength that motivates us toward God’s future, on earth as it is in heaven.

(Barry Howard serves as a leadership coach and consultant with the Center for Healthy Churches. His writings also appear on his blog, Barry’s Notes. You can follow him on Twitter @BarrysNotes.)