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Hope Versus Faith

On a very hot day, Andrew found himself lost in the desert. Completely out of water, he could not get his bearings nor find his way back to his starting point. He was desperately searching for signs of water when he spotted what appeared to be a small hut in the distance. Thinking it could be an illusion, he continued walking towards it until he reached it. When he opened the door, he found no one there. Seemingly abandoned for some time, he was surprised to find a hand pump. Overcome with thirst, he started pumping, but there were no signs of water. He was finally overcome by exhaustion. He then searched the hut and found a bottle of water hidden in the corner. He was so grateful and prepared to drink it, when he found a note attached to it. The paper stated, “please use this water to start the pump. It works. After you are done, do not forget to refill the bottle again.”

He had to make a choice. He could drink the water in the bottle, or he could use the water to prime the pump to get abundant water. He couldn’t help but think, “but will the pump work if I use the water?” If not, he would waste the much needed water. Could he trust the words on the paper?

He paused for a moment, closed his eyes, and prayed. Then he poured the water from the bottle into the pump and began pumping. Soon, he heard a bubbling sound, and water began pouring from the pump. He drank his fill, filled his bottle, then refilled the bottle from the hut. Afterward, he saw a pencil and map which explained the direction to a nearby village.

How did hope play a role in Andrew’s predicament? Hope can be defined as a wish or desire for a particular event, an event considered possible. It seems quite feasible that he was hoping to find water. According to Harvard University, hope is beginning to reveal its value in scientific studies. Hope can provide an opportunity for us to process events that seem unsurmountable. As an essential component of our well-being, hope can foster positivity, even in the face of its absence.

How did faith play a role in Andrew’s predicament? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. It is to trust in something that cannot be explicitly proven. When Andrew made the decision to pour the only available water into the pump, he had faith that the pump would then produce even more water. Trust was needed to actually pour the water.

Hope and faith are distinct yet complementary. When Andrew believed that the pump would work, he had faith. At the same time, that belief kindled joy, which was hope. Without faith, there is no hope, and without hope, there is not true faith.  

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, we are called to abide in faith, hope, and love. Faith and hope are instrumental to our ability to cope with the world around us. Therefore, go forth in faith, knowing the impact hope plays on your health and well-being. Continue to hope, and may faith always guide you.

References:

https://www.gotquestions.org/difference-faith-hope.html
3 Inspiring Short Stories on Faith to Make You Trust Yourself
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Kindness Matters

A Buddhist monk was invited to speak to a high school Senior elective class. As he entered the room, he remained silent. This made everyone more attentive. He walked to the chalk board and wrote, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wanted to help mom do the dishes.” They all laughed.

He then went on to say:

“Statistically, it is highly unlikely that any of you will ever have the opportunity to run into a burning orphanage and rescue an infant. But, in the smallest gesture of kindness – a warm smile, holding the door for the person behind you, shoveling the driveway of the elderly person next door – you have committed an act of immeasurable profundity, because to each of us, our life is our universe.”

Kindness is universal. It requires no special language. It is not critical or self-seeking. It requires no experience nor college degree. It only requires a willingness to make the world a better place for someone else.

Kindness can be the giving of a gift or service. Yet it can also be in not reacting negatively to someone else’s behavior, for example, the way they are driving. Unless you have walked in someone else’s shoes, which you haven’t, let’s cut them some slack.  You’ll feel all the better for it.

Plan to show someone an act of kindness every day for the next week. And for goodness sake, help mom with the dishes.

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Christmas Origins

Close your eyes and recollect your first memories of Christmas. Perhaps it was waking on Christmas morning and marveling, blurry eyed, at the spectacle laid before you. It can seem magical. Were there presents piled high under a magnificent, sparkling tree? And how could anyone resist the sheer excitement upon seeing the larger gifts, those much too big to hide behind wrapping paper.

If your childhood was similar to most, your first memory likely involved a jolly old man named Santa Claus, wearing a costume of red felt with white fir. How did our modern day Christmas evolve and where did this Santa Claus come from?

To understand the history of Christmas and the origins of Santa, one must travel back to the third century A.D. to a Greek area in Asia minor, now known as the southern coast of Turkey. Losing his parents at a young age, a young Christian named Nicholas, spent his entire inheritance in service to the needy.  With his devotion to God, he became Bishop of Myra and became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need and his love for the children.

The girls of that time could be sold into slavery if no dowry were available to prospective husbands. In remediation, stories claim of bags of gold found in homes, having been tossed through open windows and landing in socks or shoes, laid before the fire to dry. There are even stories of Nicholas bringing children back to life after untimely death. Therefore, St. Nicholas became the patron and protector of children. It’s also been said that the modern Santa Claus is a direct descendent of England’s Father Christmas, who was not originally a gift-giver. However, Father Christmas and his other European variations are modern incarnations of old pagan ideas about spirits who traveled the sky in midwinter.

The Christmas tree is a 15th-century German invention, but is derived from the pagan practice of bringing greenery indoors to decorate in midwinter. Midwinter was deemed a time of celebration for the completed harvest and the winter solstice. Hanging the tree upside down represented a triangle. appearing similar to a cross, it was used to explain the trinity. The tree skirt originated for two reasons, to catch the pine needles and also to protect the table or floor from drops of candle wax. Being one of the first to do so, president Grover Cleveland decorated his Christmas tree with lights in 1895, because his daughters liked them.

But let us not forget the religious tradition of Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ. By the late second century, Christ’s birth was celebrated on January 6th in the east (Egypt and Asia Minor) and on December 25th in the western Roman Empire. The modern Armenian church continues to celebrate Christmas on January 6; however, December 25 would prevail for most Christians, while January 6 eventually came to be known as the Feast of the Epiphany, commemorating the arrival of the magi in Bethlehem. The period between became the holiday season later known as the 12 days of Christmas. Christmas was declared a federal holiday June 26, 1870. The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in the year 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine.

How might this date be derived? It is said to be biblically anchored to the conception of St. John the Baptist, which took place on the Jewish feast of “Yom Kippur” (Day of Atonement), which normally falls between Sept 22-30th in our modern calendar. According to Luke 1:26, the conception of Jesus via the holy spirit took place six months after the conception of John the Baptist, or more precisely March 25th. March 25 + 9 months gestation = December 25th.

So it would seem that Christmas is a mix of both Christian and Pagan traditions, with gift giving added at a later time. In your gifting plans this year, don’t forget to bless the non-profit entities, who can spread your blessing to so many in need. They are the modern day St. Nicholas.