'There is Hope: Who will bring it to Blacksburg?'
By J. James Estrada (04/19/07)
Somewhere between honesty and imagination there is hope. Following a loss... always the calls for it, hope; but how to find it? Should one find it, the entirety of the tragedy is made better. And it can be found, hope. It is there in faith; it is there in beliefs held close. It is in the tears and it is in the smiles. It is in the hand of a friend as it holds a grieving soul shaken beyond its foundation. It is in Scripture read aloud. It is in silent whispers of softly spoken prayer.
Hope is not far, but always a little bit out of reach when needed most. Who, then, will bring it home? Certainly not the cold and unfeeling among us, they do not call for hope, but for the furtherance of a personal or political agenda.
Jesus asked his disciples if they carried a sword among them. One of them said that he did. The Master responded “that is enough.” He proceeded then to the Garden of His betrayal. When armed men came for Him, this disciple that was armed used his weapon and sheared off an ear of one who came for Him. Jesus restored the man’s ear. He was then lead to His eventual death on the cross. Why was the sword needed if Jesus was going to negate its effects? Because after harm comes hope.
The message of the cross is the message of God and man. God hung on a cross built by man from a tree created by God. From His death comes Resurrection. As a result, a saved humanity become “trees planted by the water” of who’s “leaves bring healing to the nations.” Most know that death follows life. In God’s world, life follows death.
This is the hope we depend on. This is the hope we desperately need to find. Who will bring it home? Who will bring this hope to Blacksburg, Virginia?
J. James Estrada
http://www.jjamesestrada.com/
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