Easter Reflection - What does ‘hope’ look like in these hard times?
In the midst of suffering, hope can sometimes seem like a distant star in the night sky. For many of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East today, the agony of Good Friday is a daily reality. To talk of hope at this time can seem absurd. Yet, as Christians, we are called to witness to the hope of Christ’s resurrection.
The stories shared by our partners in our latest podcast series reminded that hope in hard places is not only possible but palpable. The women that we spoke to are not just surviving through hardship; their faith means they are cultivating hope – often in the most unexpected ways.
Take, for instance, the story shared by Dina, a humanitarian worker in an economically deprived community in Cairo. In a place where many families have been torn apart by poverty and addiction, the idea of hope could easily be dismissed as a luxury. Yet, as Dina points out, it is precisely in these vulnerable and desperate situations “where they meet Jesus and where we are honoured to meet Jesus with them”. In the face of loss and brokenness, people find a deeper, enduring hope, rooted not in the absence of hardship, but in the presence of community, faith and belonging.
One thing that stands out in the testimonies on the podcast is the power of living out our Christian faith outside the walls of the churches and reaching the neediest in society. This can only be done through love – and, as Alia from Lebanon reminds us, real love will always cost us something: “You cannot see someone who’s hungry or homeless and just say, ‘God bless you’ … Honestly, there is no love without sacrifice … You cannot love without paying a price.” Hope is embodied in small, faithful actions of love, even when the world seems to be falling apart.
The podcast also draws attention to the resilience of women living in hard places and how a refusal to accept the status quo can be a weapon against despair. For Hana in Palestine, holding onto hope – despite the bleak political landscape – is an act of defiance and courage to believe in the possibility of a better future: “Hope to me is a positive expectation about the future … As a Christian, first of all, my hope is focused on the Bible, my faith and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a new beginning”. This reminds us that hope can arise from individuals’ refusal to be defined by their circumstances, instead choosing to find purpose through a Christ-centred perspective.
We are also reminded of the importance of being rooted in Christ and seeking to live our lives in the presence of God. Sally from Iraq reflects powerfully on the actions of ISIS against the Christian community in Iraq, and how her trust in God and her sense of belonging to the Christian community there gave her an overwhelming desire to stay and serve, despite the danger: “It's not just going to the church, but actually living a life that Jesus is centred of … I couldn't do it without Jesus and I couldn't have done it without the guidance and protection of God.” As Sally’s story testifies, hope in God’s promises can give rise to acts of incredible bravery.
Yet we are also invited to consider how faith and hope manifest through small acts of obedience and service in our daily lives. God does not always lead us through the refiner’s fire; sometimes it is in the mundane moments that he gently invites us to shine for him and be faithful to him. Huda from Syria issues a passionate call to western Christians, many of whom live comparatively comfortable lives without great material challenges, to consider where God is in our plans for the week. Without him, we can do nothing: “Faith is the power to our soul. The power for everything in our life.”
Hope in hard places, then, is not some abstract idea, but a lived reality – a commitment to keep moving forward, however small the steps may be, knowing that God is present in the struggle and that he is in the business of turning brokenness into beauty. As we listen to these women’s voices, may we too find strength to hope in the hardest of places.
HOPE IN HARD PLACES PODCAST
Catch up on our Hope in Hard Places podcast series - all 6 episodes are available on our website