Rationally Irrational: Hope in an Increasingly Despairing Universe

Christianity is the most rationally irrational belief system as God is the most predictably unpredictable Person in the universe.

Individuals who submit their lives to Christ are declared righteous not because of merit which we can never attain if left to ourselves.  This faith brings us peace with God.  It also gives us peace in the midst of life's difficulties because Jesus bridges us to God.  The afflictions that drag us down every day are the very same exercise machines that progressively hypertrophies the muscles of our souls.  We call these PATIENCE, ENDURANCE, CHARACTER and HOPE.

Often we are broken by life's disappointments -- personal failures, sins, unpaid bills, failing health, uncertainty of the future.  The list stretches to the ends of the universe like the Star Wars opening crawl and ending credits... Over and over we lose hope in hope itself.

But in Romans 5:5 God, whispers "hope does not disappoint" because he has poured out his love through His Holy Spirit.

How could I not lose hope?  How could I not but feel disappointed -- no, that's far too weak a word -- more accurate perhaps are FRUSTRATED and DISILLUSIONED.  It seems to be one of those meaningless and impractical pronouncements.

God promises the heavens and the earth to the righteous  but who is righteous?  If He waits for us to shape up and become squeaky clean then we just might as well give up.  NOW.  For "there is none righteous, no, not even one."  

So here's the "good" in the "good news", that when we were still helpless and ungodly, Christ died for our sins.

And this is where logic begins and where it ends:   a call to reason that you and I might consider dying for a righteous person, for someone who is good and deserving, but not for the likes of sinful me.

But here in this single passage the mystery of the Triune God is revealed in a single cooperative action -- to choose to suffer and die, not for a good and deserving person, but for someone who is in desperate need.

As I understand, remember and meditate on this rationally irrational truth, I shall continue abiding in Him who died so I can keep dreaming and hoping -- a day at a time, a step at a time, a mountain at a time.  For now this is enough to take me to tomorrow.