Yesterday, I found myself walking behind someone wearing a T-shirt that caught my eye. Printed on the back were these words: “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

It’s an inspirational quote that I believe is often attributed to Christopher Reeve—the actor best known for playing Superman—who became a passionate disability advocate after a spinal cord injury changed his life forever. The words made me stop and think. I’ll be honest: there are times when I find it difficult to remain hopeful.

We’ve just commemorated the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a time to remember the end of war in Europe. And yet, we continue to hear daily reports of violent conflict across the globe. It makes me ask the hard question: did we really learn anything from the past?

Even the sunshine and warm weather I’m enjoying as I write this carries a shadow. While lovely, it’s likely another symptom of a world warming too fast—a direct result of how we’ve treated our planet. Then there’s the growing mental health crisis among our young people, with anxiety and depression becoming heartbreakingly common.

These are just a few things that can weigh heavily, nudging me toward despair. It can feel like the world is heading in the wrong direction on many fronts.

But in those moments, I find myself returning to the story I’ve chosen to put my faith in—the story of a God who took on death, endured the cross, and rose again. I believe the resurrection of Jesus is more than just a powerful event in history; it’s a statement that death, pain, grief, and loss never get the final word. In God, there is always a possibility of new life.

Every morning after getting up I begin with prayer, and my prayer app today included the following which struck a chord: “May we live as those who believe in the triumph of the cross.”

And so, I come back to the words on that T-shirt. When we’re faced with the harsh realities of life—whether personal or global—it’s easy to let despair win. But I believe in a God who offers another way. A God who says there is always hope.

What matters most is that word “choose.” Hope is not something we always feel. It’s something we decide. I’ve learned that when I choose to live as someone who believes in resurrection, in renewal, in the promise of something better—my outlook changes. I begin to see light in the darkness. I find the courage to try, to dream, to act.

And sometimes, just sometimes, that choice inspires others to do the same.

Revd Hannah Jeffery, Rector of Desborough, Dingely, Braybrooke and Brampton Ash