Peter J. Leithart - God of Hope

I began this book during the COVID-19 pandemic. As I finish, the world watches in horror as Russia invades, occupies, and devastates Ukraine. For the past two years, the world has lurched into a new crisis every other week. We’ve had precious little time to catch our global breath.

The church hasn’t been what Edwin Friedman calls a “non-anxious presence.” Threatened by a virus, we retreated to virtual worship. We attached themselves to messianic movements and personalities, whether of the Left or the Right. The frenzied panic of social media has seeped into our souls.

We’re unsteady because we aren’t rooted in genuine, biblically-saturated hope. A hopeless people lacks imagination, courage, vision, and the energy to act. A hopeless church cannot carry on the mission of Jesus. A church without hope cannot shine in darkness, nor lead in the midst of chaos.

Where do we find hope? Anyone looking for hope in the headlines is going to be disappointed. To face the present and future, to believe we have a future, we need richer sources. We need to tap into the depths of the God Paul calls “the God of hope” (Rom 15:13).

Seeking hope in God isn’t a retreat from the devastation. Christ is our hope, so the hope of God comes to us cruciform. As Christ our hope lives in and among us, His Spirit impels us to take up the cross and follow Him into the wilderness.