Always Hope

An e-mail from one of my former students in Rwanda describes a situation that is not necessarily front page news in the USA.  Because Rwanda has been accused of aligning with the rebels in north eastern Congo, the United States and several European countries have cut back on their aid and now the effect is being keenly felt with people dying of starvation and banks cutting off credit.  What I saw this summer as a prospering, vibrant country is not beginning a downslide.  Where and when it will end remains to be seen.  This young father of two has asked for our prayers for Rwanda and its people.
In contrast to this, the class reunion of 2007 was filled with Central alumni who are working, or still in school pursuing medical or masters' degrees.  Taking what they learned about service to the least favored,some have been engaged in service trips to the Third World while in college, and are organizing such trips among their colleagues where they work.  How satisfying is that? The gathering was charged with youthful energy, optimism and generosity.  While things on one hand seem bleak, then comes something like this to remind us that there is always hope.  The Holy Spirit is at work; Jesus has conquered all evil and death. What we see as "bad" is often a call for us to turn our eyes on Jesus for the solution and to pull ourselves back from where we have wandered spiritually to the "golden road" of Faith, Hope and Love.
Bro. Rene