I was thinking recently about my first airplane trip, particularly the return flight to Dallas from Oakland where I had been for a seminarian’s conference. I was totally unprepared when the pilot came on the intercom with a very calm voice and said, “We are now approaching Dallas. There is a storm below so we will be circling the city until we are cleared for landing.” Wait! What? We can’t land? I became petrified. But before my despair could set in, the pilot’s same calm voice continued, “But welcome to Dallas—the home of America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys, the State Fair of Texas, the Cotton Bowl, the Historic West End District, and the city of Enterprise, education,” and he went on and on. Immediately, my budding fear was absorbed by everything that intrigued me about this great city where I was attending seminary. The fast track to despair was halted by the hope, optimism, and confidence radiated by the pilot.
This is the kind of hope and optimism God communicated to the exiled children of Israel in Jeremiah 29:11: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” They were literally in exile, circulating in a land far from home. But their God encouraged them to live their lives to their fullest while pointing them to a future with hope in God’s divine plan for them. It is a fascinating outpouring of positivity and forward-thinking beyond the current circumstances.
This hopeful optimism I feel today among leaders and members of our churches. After a long and difficult season, we are living in the embodiment of our greatest hopes to be following the example and image of Christ, representing God’s wonderful and amazing grace, that is unearned yet freely given to all. We are vacillating around so many challenges, leaving us perplexed. But we do not lose heart. As Dr. Paul W. Cilcote says in his book Multiplying Love: A Vision of United Methodist Life Together, despite succumbing to challenges, “We choose to remember who we are. We choose to rediscover the practices that create healthy, vital Christians and communities. We aim to commit ourselves anew to love. We open our hearts to the love that God longs to pour into us…. We open our arms to all and embrace the gifts of all and all means all. Together and united, we cultivate a vision for the ever-refreshing United Methodist Church and trust that God will give us a future with hope.”
I remember when we were finally cleared to land, I endured for the first time the bumpy ride through storm clouds with zero visibility. But I was not lost in fear of the clouds. I was eager to see the beautiful city beyond. After only a couple of minutes, there it was–the beautiful city of Dallas on a refreshing rainy day. The pilot’s optimism had won my aspirations and my heart. May we even more so, put our trust in God’s glorious promise of a future with hope for our lives and ministry through Christ.
Grace and peace,
Marcus