From Belief to Doubt to Belief
The human condition tells us, and Jesus highlights it in the scriptures, that we are going to have belief and we're going to have doubt. But He says if you will cling to me and to my works and to my words, you will have a belief that can be unshaken.
Something to Hope For
When Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 to “always be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have inside us,” the way people see that we have that hope is through that participatory hope, when we roll up our sleeves and when we get engaged in the community around us, sharing the gospel in both word and deed. Then people will start to ask us questions and we can give an answer for the hope.
A Blessedness That Lasts
“Furthermore, [the Beatitudes] provide ultimate hope that even the deplorable in society are no further away from the Kingdom of God than the supposed righteous, because they single out God’s children, proving that His blessing is truly available in circumstances that are beyond all human hope.”