Hope in a Darkening World

Not so long ago we had a President that declared, “We are not a Christian nation.” A statement which would likely have surprised and upset our founding fathers. And though today’s headlines might lead one to discouragement and despair, this present darkness should hold no surprise for the Christian. While reflecting on the state of the world in general, and our nation in particular, I was reminded of two things that point to a future hope:

The first, a theory by Scottish historian, Alexander Tytler who observed in the early 1800’s a pattern for democracies. He stated, in what is referred to as the “Tytler cycle,” where democracies moved: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to courage, courage to liberty, liberty to abundance, abundance to complacency, complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence and from dependence back into bondage. From this, we may each draw our own conclusions with regard to our country’s place in this cycle. In other words, “a return to spiritual faith will eventually return the light.”

The second, a remembrance of a mission trip I took over 10 years ago to Venezuela. During my return trip I had a chance encounter in the airport with a former witch doctor who had been converted to Christianity.

As I was returning from Venezuela, he was returning to Venezuela after a speaking tour at US Universities. His translator explained that during his last engagement at Stanford he had expressed how Christianity had brought him from a life of darkness into a life filled with light. At that point, he said, a Stanford professor raised her hand and said, “I don’t believe that you should equate this with becoming a Christian. I came from a communist block country to the US, and experienced this same feeling of coming from darkness into light. Yet I am not a Christian.”

His reply was simply, “Madam, you moved from a Godless communist country to a Christian nation. What you have experienced is the reflected light of a country blessed by God.”

These two remembrances were, for me, a reminder of both the Sovereignty of God and the truth of Scripture. The Bible tells us that our nature attracts us to darkness.

John 3:19 says, “For men loved darkness rather than light.” And 1 Peter 2:9 encourages us with these words, “...you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

We are a people of hope, a hope based on faith (for faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 in this way, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”) Our present tribulations might thus remind us of Paul’s words to the Roman’s: “...we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

As Christians we have both the freedom to focus on the discouragement around us or the power of the Holy Spirit to focus on the hope that is ours in Christ Jesus.

And thus I pray this promise of God, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, submit your requests to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”