Pastor Ronell on “Hope” in 2024

Pastor Ronell on “Hope” in 2024

 “Hope is like an anchor that one throws out of his/her reality, into a reality that does not yet exist. This anchoring into the future, the very ability to do so, creates a place of freedom in the heart of the person who has the courage to hope.” (David Grossman).

These past days I constantly pondered the word “hope”.  With the turn of the 20th century I was filled with expectation: “now” the world has a chance to shake off the old habits and start anew. Like writing on a clean sheet of paper, we can all “try our best”. How quickly we’ve proved that we are “creatures of old habits.” Then came Covid19, and a new concept was born: “the new normal.” We cannot continue as we did pre-Covid. Everything has changed. And how quickly did we not change back into our “old selves.” With shock we reacted to the Russia-Ukraine war. With even greater shock we reacted to HAMAS’ autrocity on 7 October; followed by the horrific demolishing of Gaza. What is happening in the world! What is to become of us!

Can one start a Pastoral Note with such a disharmonic sound? Even worse, can the “Year of Our Lord, Twenty Twenty Three” end so negatively? With what hope does one enter a new year, if all seems hopeless?  This is exactly why I am contemplating the quote of David Grossman:  “Hoffnung schafft im Herzen einen Ort der Freiheit“.  The very ability to throw an anchor from this reality into the unknown future, creates a place of freedom in the heart of the person who has the courage to hope.

Oh, and how I pray that for myself, and for you, and for every member of our Southern Cape Ev.Lutheran community: to have the courage to hope. I pray that for the youth of South Africa: to have the courage to hope; and therefore, the courage to be. And, I pray that for the parents of the youth; and for the grandparents, and aunts and uncles: May we all enter 2024 with the courage to hope, and dream, and live joyously, as this is indeed “The Year of Our Lord.”