Hope, what is it? Is it a feeling, an outlook, a decision to be positive and optimistic? Is it a gift from God? You know me; I’m going to say, yes, because I believe that is so. Can I find it in the Bible? Of course, I can; at church, we have been working on some themes for November, and Romans 15:13 and Jeremiah 29:11 tell us of this hope. But you also know me by now and you know I have found hope written boldly where my canoe can take me.
This past July, we were at one of our favorite campsites on the Granite River by the Devil’s Elbow on Marabouef Lake. If you wonder why it is because of the walleyes of course. It is no secret. Mike Prom and I were guiding a group of boys from church. Some of them had been with us at that campsite three years earlier, and they were excited to get back to the site again. For them, it was because of the great swimming in the bay and off the small island close to shore. For me, it is because of some of the best fishing in my life, and the best conversations of faith around the fire in the evening.
This year offered new insight. The area had been thoroughly burned over in the Ham Lake fire of 2007. But now it is a lush growth again. Walking into the woods behind the campsite the sign of moose was everywhere. Pin cherry and serviceberry shrubs were so thick and full of fruit it was hard to bushwhack my way. The raspberries were still profuse while the blueberries were being shaded in the thickening trees. I found an easier path made by a birch harvesting beaver, followed it further in and found a bald spot of granite. Fireweed and asters were blooming in the mossy circle around the rock. Numerous species of bees, wasps, and mimic flies were dancing from blossom to blossom. Birds were everywhere keeping up a constant chatter.
A friend of mine had told me that the Granite trip is no longer the beautiful place he cherished. I understand that I had paddled it before the numerous recent fires took their toll. And yet I can also disagree. It has changed, but it is a testimony to the restorative powers God has built into everything created. In this case, the destruction caused by natural disasters of forest fires is giving way to an amazing statement of hope, dare I say, grace. New growth, new succession, new food sources, new populations of species are so obviously visible. That is definitely a stunning testament to God’s impulse toward life in my reading. For many years driving through the Iron Range, I have seen this same testament as a human-made area of desolation has been transformed (I believe) by God’s will. I refer to the mountains of ore tailings that are being reclaimed by a dense growth of balsam and other pioneer plants. Those hills are now home to abundant flora and fauna.
This testament to God’s will toward life and renewal is indeed a steady proclamation of hope. We see it also in our lives. We see lives restored, even “reborn” in recovery programs. We see families re-formed by the work of reconciliation and forgiveness. We see individual lives open to new growth and possibility because of the compassion and empathy of others. We all can think of friends who have suffered devastating life events and yet are not crushed but come through with greater zeal and determination in life, and they then give hope to others in their struggles. This testament to God’s will for life is, of course, found throughout the Holy Scriptures, in both Old and New Testaments. There we read about God’s renewing love refreshed with every dawn. In the life story and teachings of Jesus, we learn about the renewing and restoring the power of love and forgiveness. By faith, we recognize that this is happening all around us.
So, is hope an outlook or a decision? Maybe it is a calling. In the midst of all the destruction and hurt humanity has unleashed on each other and God’s creation, I hear the invitation to take our place with God, for hope, for renewal, for life.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month our contributor is Reverend Mark Ditmanson of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Grand Marais.
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