“When my husband and I found out roughly six months ago that we were pregnant, with all that was going on in the world, we seriously wondered what kind of world we were bringing a child into.”
These were the musings I heard from a young priest as she preached to 120 high school students. The theme of the conference, and subsequently the text of her sermon, came from Jeremiah 31:17, “There is hope for your future.” She shared that although the faithful who were in exile found themselves in challenging times, they needed to continue to live in a place of hope for the future.
Over the next four days, these young people imagined the future they hope for, explored their gifts, determined possible roadblocks, and strategized potential partners. “The blessing of being here is that we really work on being our best selves which, when we go home, will mean we will bring a better self to our world,” another speaker suggested to the group.
I must confess, considering all of the monumental challenges and endless tragedies that presently beset our world, it can be very difficult to maintain a hopeful perspective for the future. And yet, after spending just a few days with this group of young Episcopalians, I am actually quite hopeful for both our Church and for the world. In fact, it is hard to imagine a better way to usher in the new year!
As we begin this new year, may you find a circle of others to partner with, and may you together gain clarity on how your collective gifts can bring hope for the future.