What does it mean to have a living hope? There are many ways to explain this. We are aware, plants are alive, people are alive, and there are many living organisms that surround us daily.

The eight characteristics of living organisms are: cells, nutrition, movement, growth, reproduction, excretion, response to stimuli, and respiration.

When I think of living hope, I think of a river where water is flowing in, and flowing out. The river is teeming with life.

Inside this river of water there are living cells and living beings. There is nutrition for the living cells/living beings to grow. If the living cells/living beings are eating and growing, there is also the process of excretion. At the same time there is a response to light, sound and temperature. There is movement where the living cells/living beings inside the river will be reproducing. This reproduction as due to receiving all it needs to thrive.

For Jesus Christ to be our Living Hope we need to consider this list of things above. We need to make sure each of these are manifested in our lives. If not, Jesus is our Hope, but he is not our Living Hope.

The most vital aspect of this analogy is respiration. Without respiration the cells/living beings can’t exist. This is really beautiful when you realize the profound truth found in Genesis 1:1-2. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and it was without form or void”. In vs two what took place, God breathed and said, “Let there be light”, and there was light. Each time he breathed out the words, “Let there be”, it come into existence. For it to come into existence God had to be living. His breath had to be living. His Words had to be living. He is life itself.

We are called to radiate this life by breathing out faith, hope and love. God instructs us to live with these virtues, not to let them grow stagnant. Our faith must be active, our hope evident, and our love abundant. This living hope is rooted firmly in Jesus Christ, and it should radiate so that others see Him in us. While we find joy in things like celebrations, sports, and holidays, our ultimate hope is anchored in Christ.

Jesus Christ is our hope. With Jesus, our hope is dormant without faith, hope and charity (love). Jesus Christ leaving a perfect example of this lay in the earth for three days. When he came forth, hope arose. Before the resurrection, the followers of Christ’s hope had diminished. They had no reason to share their faith, as their Savior was dead. When hope arose the followers of Christ were ignited with a steadfast hope. A hope that sent a ripple effect setting their faith ablaze once more.

Just as the river of life flows with faith, hope and charity(love). These are feeding and sustaining our spirit, giving us the ability to excrete the things that would hinder us. They also give us the ability to reproduce hope for the world to see our faith.  A faith that is anchored in a God that is still alive and moving deep within our hearts and soul. 

The scripture flows with faith, hope and charity. Unless we nourish ourselves with the right spiritual food, we cannot genuinely claim to have a living hope.

I Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

I Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

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