Joy in the life of a Christian.

A columnist in the Peace Weekly writes about  hope in the Lord.  He mentions how he had cold hands and feet even before the beginning of winter last year, and went to the hospital where he was told that he had poor circulation. They gave him some medicine but it was no help. Spring was  coming and all would return to normal. Hope gave him strength and in fact he felt that his feet and hands were not as cold. Hope, he marveled, was curative in itself.

Hope is not always certain like spring following winter. Many of our dreams we change from the unrealistic to a dream which gives us hope. When  we hope for something to happen that may seem impossible, the impossible often happens.

Yang Gyecho (1873-1929) a Chinese thinker spoke of hope as strength. Those who hope always expect a better future, and go in search of this future.

Last year when Pope Francis visited Korea the columnist remembers  his words: "Hope is God's greatest gift to us." There are those that use the gift, but many who don't, which is a great sadness. 

Life after death is our last hope. Many are those who do not have this hope but Catholics do, it is our greatest hope. One of our well known sister poets was on a talk show with a Protestant minister, which the columnist had seen on the internet.
Sister is quoted as saying that life is not a goal but a place of pilgrimage. Many of our saints have written on the subject, telling us earth is our temporary abode. Our home is to be with God.

There will be a big difference in those who make this world their end, and those who see this world as a place of pilgrimage. Christians see their stay in this world different from those with only this world in mind.

Christians believe that God is with them during their life, and drawing us to himself, and hope to be with him for all eternity. Christians' hope in this reality should be like the certainty that spring will follow winter.

Even those who have no belief and see it all as childishness, have to admit this hope, as strong as the hope of spring following winter, will give  great joy to life. The great tragedy is we don't see much of a difference in the joy that Christians have and those who don't believe.