November 2016, as the votes were being counted and the states assigned a color I could see and (almost) feel the weight of a nation split in two. The great political divide. The race where a win could not truly be a victory with so much hatred for the opposing party being slung in both directions. The reality that, whether more red or blue in the end, nearly half the country would oppose every decision made in the days ahead.

While some cried and others celebrated over the results, the displaced hope with which millions of the American people so desperately cling was the obvious tragedy of the night. So much hope was placed in two individuals, two political parties; the beliefs similar, although opposite in direction, that one would save while the other would completely destroy.

When hope clings to an imperfect entity, such as a person or political party, it has no chance of remaining steady and sure. It can’t and it won’t because we were not meant to put our faith and hope in the things of this world, nor are we meant to be an anchor of hope for others. We are all sinners and flawed, all capable of failing and allowing entitlement to guide our better judgement.

We will find ourselves in grave danger if ever we think ourselves above that which we despise; it is by grace alone that we are merely stumbling and not completely submerged in the folly of this world.

So, why do we cling to people and things? I think it’s because we recognize our own frailty. We are wired for worship, and, unfortunately, we often tether ourselves to material goods, status or even people in hopes of filling this void. But, as seen this year alone from the entertainment industry to the church, status can change and people can fall from the good graces of society in an instant.

Hebrews 6:13-20 teaches us that God is unchanging in his promises and incapable of lying. His perfect nature provides unfailing hope, the kind of hope that firmly anchors a weary soul. And I will never pretend to understand or be able to explain away all that happens in our world, but I find hope in knowing that this world is not my ultimate home, that what lies ahead is far greater than anything we will leave behind.

This hope calls for action, compels prayer for our leaders, this nation, our world.

(If) My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB

This is the hope our nation needs, the hope of the one true God. The only one who can forgive sins and heal the broken. Hope is not found in a person or party or fame or success; it is found in the Creator.

Imagine if we were serious about pleading on behalf of our president, leaders and officials. What if we spent less time reading and spreading hate and more time on our knees? Rather than exposing, for political gain, the very ones needing help, what if we used our voices and our hands to actually serve and honor one another? What if our beliefs were evident by our words and actions, rather than by the vehement of our words over that which we disagree?

What if the Church became the beacon of light and love that it was always intended to be? What a breath of fresh air it would be if we would stop trying to make everything political and actually just started focusing on Jesus and loving his people.

The thing about true hope is that it doesn’t require everything to happen the way we desire. Hope is that which stands firm in the midst of chaos and trials. It is not shaken by past, present or future happenings. It is rooted in that which is much deeper, purer, truer–this hope is fixed on that which is eternal.

John 16:33 promises us that we will have trouble in this world, it also promises that the Lord is the ultimate victor. Those of us who know Jesus have a reason to hope and we have a mission to share this hope with a lost world.

Our nation needs to see our hope lived out in love. It is my prayer that we will learn to listen more and work together better in 2018.

For surely the hope this nation needs does not stand a chance if it cannot be found in the very ones claiming to know it.