Today's Lenten Meditation : We Shall Overcome

I ended the Christ Church worship on Sunday, January 18, on a day dedicated to honoring Martin Luther King, in tears as the congregation rang out with the chorus of We Shall Overcome:

“We shall live in peace”

“We are not afraid”

“Deep in my heart, I do believe”

I cried because of the state of the world.

I cried because of the hatred and polarization in our cities, our nation, and our world.

I cried because I am afraid, because we are not living in peace, and because we have not overcome.

I cried because the suffering has been too great.

As I listened to the last two verses of the song, this great song of resilience and hope, I heard the Lord say,

“Your hope is in me.”

Yes! Our hope is in the Lord.

The scriptures came back to me… hope does not disappoint from Romans 5:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus.

And hope does not disappoint……

We have peace.  The cries of a tarnished humanity amid the weapons of the wicked of the wicked seem to have triumphed. As my husband reminded me as we left church that Sunday, “We know how it ends.”

We know how the story ends, that is, we know that Jesus has paid it all, and has overcome death, hell, and the grave. Yes, indeed, we do know. 

When I lean in, all the way in, to seek God’s face, and learn more about His will, I am always, always, always encouraged.