Hope can range from great confidence to holding on by a thread.  In either case, it requires waiting. Yet our culture is not very good at this, for in waiting lie vulnerability and uncertainty.  We may wonder and worry, knowing our hope is not a guarantee but an anticipation —  a longing that our cherished desire will come to be, that things will improve.

Sometimes we do not receive the happy ending we long for, but that is often where hope grows larger.  In our surrender to what is, we move closer to the Divine Hope that whispers “Love is on the way.”  This is a hope wide enough to hold all darkness while we await the light that is to come.  It is the hope of our ancestors, and we can lean into it as Advent begins.

“May the light of Christian hope illumine every man and woman, as a message of God’s love addressed to all!” — Pope Francis

Reflection questions:  What is the deepest longing of my heart?  In what ways is God holding me while we wait? How might I bring hope to another? 

May you be inspired!

NOTE:  This reflection is part of an Advent Reflection Series initially published by Tau Center.  You can view the entire reflection here: Still Point.