If our God, whom we serve, is able to save us from the furnace of blazing fire and from your hand, o king, he shall save us. And if not, let it be known to you, o king, that we will not serve your god. And we will not worship the gold statue you have set up.
Daniel 3
Rebellions are built on hope
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
It can be hard to have hope these days. Politically, we are increasingly calcified in our views. Economically, the gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to grow. Socially, we spend less and less time with other people and more and more time online. Spiritually, we often see faith take a back seat to the practicalities of keeping the lights on or patching the hole in the roof of an aging building. Calls for an end to violence and war fall on deaf ears, whether in Ukraine, Gaza or anywhere else.
As Christians, we are supposed to exemplify hope, and yet, often it feels like it is in short supply. So what are we to do?
This morning I gave the reflection at the Historic Saint James Church in Lafayette Square. I let them know I was grateful to be among them and more grateful still for their continued witness of resilience and hope.
You see from their inception, Saint James has been engaged in an act of rebellion and of hope. As the first Black episcopal church south of the Mason-Dixon Line, there were many who did not think they should exist at all. Every location, including their current home on Lafayette square was fought by white powers that be. And today, when it makes no economic or practical sense to have a church on that corner, especially one with the maintenance and other challenges it has, they continue to exist and persist, serving as a witness to all of us about the power of hope.
Rebellions are built on hope. This line from the Star Wars franchise is one of my favorites from the new set of films, and it is the turning point on which the decision is made to try
To try and get the plans to destroy the Death Star. To try to preserve the rebellion. To try to stand up for what is good and right and decent.
Churches are also built on hope, which, perhaps, suggests to us that going to church should be an act of rebellion. After all it makes no practical or economic sense to waste a few hours on a Sunday, maybe your only free day, to sit inside with a bunch of strangers. There are more productive ways to spend a Sunday, certainly.