At such a time as this ~ HOPE

Two things give me HOPE today:

1.  My friend Scott Sheperd, who lives here in St. Louis, wrote a piece of music called The Power of Hope (21 videos on YouTube) about a metaphorical family of humanity moving through a "day" filled with situations that appear hopeless and refusing to be beaten by them.  They rediscover hope and the power it has to help them face anything, and they tap into the strength of love and of people supporting each other.  I plan to spend part of today watching these videos.  Here's one called Before the Day that I picked randomly.  Scott posted on Facebook today:

"Eventually I want to get it choreographed and danced to locally.  I did have a variation of it performed in Kampala, Uganda.  It is about a metaphorical family getting through a day where it swings from a feeling of hopelessness to a sense of hope and back and forth.  It eventually celebrates all of us who have overcome that feeling of hopelessness and moved forward."

2.  The Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe wrote a prayer for this day that I, too, can pray.  She prays for these and more:

• For the good of earth and all of creation...
• For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed, and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them...
• For those who faithfully advocate for justice and peace...
• That we may live our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach...

My thanks to both of these people for the HOPE they have shared today.