Audacity of Hope

I attended a conference last week, run by the Trinity Institute in New York. I of course did not go to New York, but to the Webcast in Winnipeg! It was so great to head home for a week... the conference was called "God's Unfinished Future: Why it Matters Now" and talked about eschatology - a big word meaning the end times... the speakers took the Book of Revelations, and current discussions on the "Left Behind" series (a rather dismal approach to Revelations) and talked about how the end of times is NOT a time of a chosen, raptured few and suffering, burning unworthy people, but rtather of hope... that the message is not one of a far-off heaven as a destination but rather of the kingdom of God being an on-going journey made accessible to everyone in the here and now. The speakers at this were amazing, one of my favourites (Jurgen Moltmann) used the phrase "revitalising the audacity of hope" which just helped to fire me on... why are we so afraid of the unknown? Why are we comfortable in accepting a less-than-ideal outcome? Why NOT hope? Yes, we might fail, but that doesn't mean we can't hope... not in a utopian, overly-optimistic way, but in a realistic positive manner, acknowledging potential difficulties but still trying to attain the best.
Sigh - I hope I can remain audacious!
The rest of my time in the 'Peg was delightful - I got to see a lot of great friends, play with my perfect godson a lot, and just relax... I also got to go to my spiritual home, St. John's Cathedral, which is really a place I love. It's where my heart feels at home. I was honoured to be asked to preach on Sunday morning, and it really felt as though I had only been gone for a week, not 6 months. I was delighted to be asked by my friend the Dean to celebrate the early service's Eucharist, in the chapel where I celebrated my first Eucharist last summer. It was great - it was a true sense of family. It was hopeful for me - I really love being in that community, and I can only hope that everyone has some spiritual place where they can feel as comfortable, and know that they can love and be loved.