There Remains a Great Hope For All!

I have often spoken and written how the Christmas season has always been my most favorite time of the year. A joyful time to share with family and friends and a time to re-affirm our faith, identity and purpose in this world. However, for many, this past year we have been deeply troubled and weighed down by the political divisiveness, the pandemic and the uncertainty that the future holds for us as a people and a nation.  Everywhere we turn there seems to be strife, great division and darkness and we can find ourselves asking once again if there really is hope for us, as a people and as a nation? And then I am reminded of our great hope when I hear the beautiful words of the famed Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” 

The carol was based on a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863. At the time he wrote the poem, Longfellow had recently lost his wife in a tragic fire, the nation was being torn apart by civil war and his oldest son was critically wounded while fighting for the Union. Longfellow, for a time, must have burdened an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and darkness that is clearly depicted in the early stanzas of his poem; “…hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men". Yet Longfellow knew there was a very real hope for him, for the future, for the nation, as he leaned on his faith and the knowledge that a great light was given to mankind on Christmas Day. “And peeled the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead nor does he sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth, good will to men!”

 It is important to understand that this same hope many of us share, is not wishful thinking; rather our hope is a “confident expectation” that the God that we serve is still very active in the lives of His creation. So yes my friends, there remains a great hope for us all, “For unto us a child is born, a son is given to us; the government will rest on his shoulders and he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Merry Christmas my friends, to you and your families; may the New Year bring a renewed season of hope, prosperity, healing and restoration. God bless you all this season and may God bless this great country of ours!      

 James L. Capra is an author, professional speaker and the CEO and Founder of The Front Line Leadership Group. His critically acclaimed third book, "Raising Courageous Children in a Cowardly Culture" co-authored with his wife Michelle, details the challenges and triumphs of raising faithful children of purpose in a culture bent on their destruction.