Here's the final  installment in our spring Immeasurably More blog series.

BY SALLY GREEN

As we end our season together, I’m prompted to speak about something to carry us through till we meet again and I couldn’t think of better words to send us forth than St. Paul’s trilogy of Christian virtues: Faith – Hope – Love.

I want to embellish on Hope. Being in the middle, it often gets treated like the middle child in a family... always there, but standing in the shadow of the eldest child and the youngest, each of whom have seemingly “special” places in the hearts of their parents. Faith and Love, the eldest and youngest of the family, have many meanings and get lots of attention. Hope is sometimes relegated to “Wishful Thinking” -- I hope I get a bicycle for Christmas! I hope I pass all my exams and make my parents proud! I hope someday to become the center of attention! Hope seems, indeed, to be a longing for a “future” happening to cling to – something to think about while waiting for time to pass. When will I grow into something of substance?” cries Hope, demonstrating a yearning to become more than a “go-between” with Faith and Love. This seems to elude us, but then scripture speaks to us about this in Lamentations 3:21-23:

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”

Hope hasn’t waited for the future! God IS faithful and has reminded us that his compassions ARE new every morning! Long ago, Alexander Pope said, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” indicating that Hope is a longing within the heart of every human being. As we look at the empty tomb on Easter morning, our inner eyes see HOPE itself materialize before us in the form of the Risen Christ! The essence of reality we have longed for – the fruition of God’s grace becomes evident to us! It no longer stands in the shadow of Faith and Love. No longer is it a “coming attraction” for a time in the future. Hope has sprung eternal in the Resurrection of the Son and now rides on the wings of the dawn!

Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Refrain:
Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
From the hymn: Christ Arose

He IS risen. Hallelujah!