Comment by Harborough churches: In the midst of so much uncertainty we can have a hope that is certain

Viewpoint by Phil Walter, Pastor of Harborough Community Church in Bath Street

Wishing folk a Happy New Year this year had a certain hollowness to it. Being in the centre of a pandemic where rates are rising can leave us with a feeling of hopelessness.

The definition of “hope” is “to want something to happen or to be true and usually have a good reason to think that it might”. (Cambridge Dictionary). I guess that “hope” is a word that has been used a lot since the start of 2021. We hope for the Coronavirus to be defeated through mass vaccination, we hope we will be able to book a holiday this year and that it will happen, we hope to see our families and hug them once again and so on, whatever your hope might be for 2021.

The problem with hope is that it is uncertain, and no sooner have we hoped for better things than those hopes are dashed, through a change in circumstance. It is a wonderful feeling when our hopes come true! We of course as a nation hope for better times this year but realistically until it happens we live in uncertainty. Hope and faith are firmly linked and often our hope is not matched by faith in the outcome.

So, what do you hope for this year? I think we have learned a great deal from these last nine months and there are many stories of care and love being outpoured to the needy and lonely.

Local to where I live a homeless man has been given a place to live with a months’ paid up rent, as a number of folk have clubbed together to support him. Community, having time for people, acts of kindness and much more have been a legacy that we do not want to lose when normality returns – I hope that is the case!

As a Christian I have known this year the truth of the Bible when it speaks of faith being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. In the midst of so much uncertainty we can have a hope that is certain. That hope is to be found through faith in Jesus the Son of God, who just recently at Christmas we celebrated his coming to earth as a baby.

As churches in Harborough, we have had time this past year to reflect on what our faith means and the certain hope we have in God. We have seen the loss, the fear, the uncertainty, the loneliness and sadness that Coronavirus has wrought in our community. With you we share these things, and hope that soon we will all see better times, but we also want to share with you the sure hope we have in God which stretches into eternity.

Please feel free to contact churches in Harborough through their websites as we would appreciate the opportunity to share with you what the Bible describes as “Good News”.

May 2021 be a year for each of us of finding sure and certain hope.

Phil Walter is Pastor of Harborough Community Church in Bath Street.