Why I have Hope in 2020

 You know what I like? Good people. 

Good people are whats up! 

Good people just make things better don't they? 

If there were more good people everything would be ok, wouldn't it?

In the beginning, as it happens, God creates. God creates many many good things. But the thing God creates that is "very good" ... well you know. Check the mirror. 

That's you. 

That's us. 

That's humanity. 

"Let Us make humankind in our own image," it goes. 

The Triune, perfect, loving, creative, holy God says let's make this one like Us!

Reflections, image bearers, loving living parts of creation that look most like their Divine Creator. 

This is the reason I have hope in the year 2020. 

Let's face it 2020's got problems. 

2020 walked into class and took our lunch money. 

Like 5 times. 

2020 has been a bully.

Today I would say that there are more divisions than seemingly ever before. Somehow as technology has given unprecendeted ability for humanity to gain oneness... our expanding knowledge feels as if it's just giving us depression and further isolation. 

Ofcoure much of this is due to media. The depressing stuff sells tickets and the "good news" doesn't, right?

Yet still, politically and pandemicly, the world feels more divided than ever. 

After years of living into community with those around me i've never seen so many folks depressed, anxious, and in need of a hug that they just can't have. 

People are afraid. People are scared. 

And fear always, without fail, brings out the worst in humanity. 

When all our decisions come out of a place of fear... it never ever goes well. 

Frankly, we just don't trust... the Others. 

You know, those people. The Others. You know who I'm talking about. 

The people who believe... that. Who somehow, though I'll never wrap my mind around it, believe that that thing is good. Vote for that person. Is a part of that party. Adheres to those beliefs. 

I thought that person was more level headed... turns out they're with them. 

Let me ask you, have you ever seen an Other up close? I mean like real close? Like nose-hairs blowin' in the wind close? 

You know what's funny? If you stop and spend enough time with an Other something odd begins to happen. 

You realize that you both like the Golden Girls. 

You both are a little far-sighted.

They eat pizza too. 

Their heart beats like yours does.

But even more than all that - they're also reflective of that Divine Creator. 

They're also created in the Image of God. 

But not really "also" ... but more like the two of you - together - are a reflection of the Divine. 

Humanity. The collective. The whole reflects the Whole. 

We - are created in the image of the holy "Our Image" of Genesis 1. 

God is Collective. So are we.

God is One. So are we. 

This is our starting place as humanity. As Divine Image bearers... good people. 

You are good. 

We could spend our entire life just marinating on that one... Just the realizaion... that you are good. At your core that is who you were created to be. 

Our story doesn't begin with a fall. Our story doesn't begin with sin. Our story doesn't begin with wretchedness. 

But yet again, wretchedness sells. And we've most definetely bought and sold that T-shirt. 

The gospel always begins with the Good. That's literally what it is. Good News. 

Jesus has always been in the business of reminding, reconciling, returning, resurrecting us into who we are created to be. 

The reason I have hope in 2020 is because I believe people are good. 

We spend far too much effort trying to name people as bad. Trying to label and name them as "Others" 

There's no such thing as Others. Only Othering. And Othering is what sin does. 

Togethering is what the kingdom of God does.

The longer that we choose to allow fear to drive us to school... the longer we're going to get stuffed into the locker of life. 

The longer we choose to see folks as "those people" rather than seeing our fellow Divine Image bearers... the longer we will be participating in the breaking of the world rather than the mending.

The reasons people live and vote the way that they do is because they believe something about it reflects something good. Trust that. No one is choosing their live's values because they think they're aweful! 

If you're voting for something, someone, some policy, or structure is because you believe that there's something good in it. 

So maybe, let's start there. 

Let's be more curious. 

Maturity asks questions and grows even more.

Immaturity locks down and decays.

Ask more questions. 

I wonder why she believes that?

I wonder what is in there that they're fighting so hard far?

Is it possible that there's something I've missed here? 

Is it possible that there's something I don't know?

Could there be more to what they're saying?

And regardless of any questions asked, if the posture is love for your neighbor, you can't go wrong. 

Because that's how good people behave. In Love. 

And I believe we live in a world with billions of good people, we've just got to remind each other of that sometimes.

Ofcourse though, my hope isn't simply because God's people are good... 

Because God's reflections are good...

We have true real solid hope, because the One we are reflecting is Good.

How's that go?

God is good...