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As long as heaven and earth are in a relationship of trust and openness, there is every possibility of flourishing and life for all of us and our world.

For most students a year of study is ending. Once exams are over we'll see four months of work, time off, and maybe even some travel.

At the same time, there are plenty of reasons to feel that beyond the summer, the future will continue to be tough. The spectre of climate change is growing. Our economy appears to be in the hands of forces beyond our control that are not necessarily friendly. While the tone of Canadian politics seems to have taken a turn for the better, what we hear from our neighbours to the south is not always comforting. Jobs are hard to come by, and it seems that students have to spend more and more money and time in the class room before they are eligible for jobs that pay a reasonable wage.

On the international scene there are many worries about violence inspired by Islam, large scale corruption, the tide of refugees fleeing the Middle East and the possibility of nuclear terror attacks.

It's enough to make one want to stay in bed as much as possible, hoping to wake up when it's all blown over. Or we just get as many tickets to concerts and comedy festivals as we can, living for the moment before tomorrow comes crashing down on us.

Is there much hope for the long term future?  I think there is.  I find a lot of hope in the Christian scriptures, which are also largely Jewish scriptures.

Foundational to hope is the realization that the world is a creation of a loving and holy God. This emerges in the opening pages of the scriptures. There we find a God who establishes an orderly world that welcomes human stewardship and decision. In those opening pages humans are blessed with the opportunity to create societies, cities, villages and all kinds of entities that will allow them, or us, to grow in number and to flourish throughout the planet.

As long as heaven and earth are in a relationship of trust and openness, there is every possibility of flourishing and life for all of us and our world.

Unfortunately, as the scriptural story unfolds, humans from the beginning have undermined that relationship. This has brought us to the situation in which we find ourselves. We see great uncertainty and suffering, most of it caused by humans.

At the same time, we still see a great deal of good done by humans of all cultures and backgrounds; our world is a crazy patch work of good and evil, the noble and the degrading.

Can we continue to be hopeful because of the good that people continue to do no matter who they are or where they live? Yes, that would be part of it. 

However we can also draw hope from the fact that God isn't taking the current situation lying down. All over the planet, people celebrate God's gracious actions to bring hope. The birth of Christ, his death, and his rising from the dead are the key to this second source of hope, God's action in our world.

Several decades ago, modern people used to say that belief in God was doomed to die. If they had frozen themselves in the 1970s and were to wake up today, they would be surprised. The Catholic Church around the world continues to thrive. Here in Canada on our native reserves many, perhaps even a majority remain attached to the Catholic faith. Canadians of all immigrant backgrounds find themselves attracted to churches and joining. In the Toronto neighbourhood in which I have family there are thriving churches of all kinds:  United, Baptist, Anglican and Catholic, all within walking distance of each other. 

What's hopeful about that? Many will know because they are involved in their churches. Prayers. Caring people. A student in London once told me why she remained with a small church in the city that consisted of mainly older members. "They are very caring and loving," she said. The knowledge that beyond death there is life. The command of Jesus Christ to love others, especially the unlovable. 

Related to Jesus' command to love others, there is the call to put aside violence, war, economic exploitation and environmental carelessness. We are to work for justice, reconciliation, truth and peace in our troubled world.

So, if you haven't been in a church lately, I would recommend checking one or more out this summer. Find one in which you feel comfortable and see where it takes you.  Some of the people will disappoint you. That's ok. You and I will disappoint some of them too.

But the point is to journey through life as a member of the community of the people of God. It is, among other things, a community of hope.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.