Finding Hope In a World of Despair

Is there any hope?

Hebrews 6:13–20 ESV

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Heb 6:13-20

“Hope is called the anchor of the soul, because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’; rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.”

R.C. Sproul

“A prayerful church is a powerful church…”

Historically, we know that the church is at its best in times like these. It's when the power of the Gospel really begins to shine through. This is an extraordinary Gospel moment.

Historian Rodney Stark describes how God used a moment like this in the early days of the church to expand the Gospel in unprecedented ways.

In A.D. 250, an enormous plague struck the Roman Empire, killing an average of 5,000 people every day. At this time Christians were less than 2 percent of the entire population. Their numbers were growing, but statistically speaking, they were nearly insignificant.

Yet despite their numbers, their response to this pandemic won admiration and a greater following. Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, reported:

"Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy. ... Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead."

Outside the church, the situation was much different. Dionysius continues:

"But with non-Christians everything was quite otherwise. They deserted those who began to be sick, and fled from their dearest friends. They shunned any participation or fellowship with death; which yet, with all their precautions, it was not easy for them to escape."

Stark even points out, in evident irony, that the death rate for Christians in many of these plagues was actually lower than that of those who simply fled. In some cases, by as much as one-half!

Why? Some analysts say it was because of their strong sense of community, their refusal to submit to despair, their commitments to care for each other and their robust hope in the face of death. In other words, through their willingness to embrace death, they found life.

Andy Crouch explains why this led to an explosion in the church in the following years:

"[If you were a first-century Roman], after you had recovered from the plague, where would you want to worship? The pagan temple whose priests and elite benefactors had fled at the first sign of trouble? Or the household of the neighbor who had brought you food and water, care and concern, at great risk to themselves?

"When this plague has passed, what will our neighbors remember of us? Will they remember that the Christians took immediate, decisive action to protect the vulnerable, even at great personal and organizational cost? Will they remember that, being prepared and free from panic, the households of their Christian neighbors were able to visit the needy (while protecting them by keeping appropriate social distance!), provide for their needs and bring hope?"

How we conduct ourselves in this moment will demonstrate to the world what we actually believe about the Gospel. Our theology is about to be on display. So let's make sure to be faithful witnesses.

We may be living through a very new day. But God promises that He gives new mercies for new challenges. He never runs short on supply; the shelves of His heavenly riches are never empty, and His angels never get sick. Let's call on Him for grace to meet this challenge.

Our Convention offers multiple avenues for sending relief to others. For example,