Filed under: Hope, Inspiration, Love | Tags: christianity, Church, Homeless, Hope, Hope08, Hungry, Prison, Sick, Stranger
What do you hope in? For many of us its the usual things, happiness, health and peace in this life. But what about those less fortunate? the hungry? the homeless? what hope do they have when those simple pleasures can seem so unobtainable?
Hope 2008 is an initiative of the churches of Britain and Ireland which is helping to demonstrate Christian faith in action and to explain the meaning of that faith in villages, towns and cities throughout the UK. On their site they suggest five different ways in which to offer people hope.
- Hungry
Hard to imagine that in wealthy countries like the UK and Ireland that there could be people going hungry. But there are. The reasons are complex. But does it matter how they ended up hungry? Let’s just “be the hope” to them! Oasis is doing just that. Why not join them?
- Stranger
A stranger is a friend we haven’t met yet! One way to “be the hope” is to befriend someone that others don’t care about. For example, The Marylebone Project gives homeless women a shared community and sense of belonging and helps them into independent living.
- Naked
Vulnerable people are often exploited by deceitful and violent people. Stop The Traffik is a global movement working to combat the fastest growing global crime, people trafficking. Visit their website to find out about the issues, and how you can “be the hope” to those affected.
- Sick
We may not be nurses or doctors but we can still help people who are sick. Only 2% of people have basic life saving skills; if more people did then more lives could be saved. St John Ambulance helped with this film and need volunteers. Click HERE to find out more.
- Prison
Hope in prison? How can we can “be the hope” for people in prison? One way may be Restorative Justice - click HERE to find out more or read about it on the Prison Fellowship website (PF helped in the making of the film).
If you want more information on how to give hope to others, why not send off for your free copy of recipes for hope.
Having spent my entire day laboriously referencing an incredibly painful essay on Investigative Journalism, my mind is for want of a better word, mashed. At this time of year when the end of term looms threateningly close, all thoughts of God’s peace and faithfulness fly quickly out my window. For some reason, when it comes to “school work” I am totally incapable of trusting that God has it in hand, admittedly this may be in part because my inherently lazy nature knows that I’ve been ignoring any opportunity in which God might have told me to get my arse in gear and start my flipping essay. With various deadlines creeping up on me, my mind becomes a cocktail of anxiety and regret and I barely stop to think of asking God for help.