Hopeless…

Then Herod secretly called the magi and carefully determined from them the time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” Matthew 2:7-8 LSB

I have coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing. Guy de Maupassant

As we consider “hope” during the second week of December, my focus returns to Biblical figures and themes connected to Christmas. The Biblical connotation of hope implies a confident expectation of an assured outcome. Reflecting on Herod the Great, I realized he truly lacked any sense of hope as evidenced by his violent reign where he governed with tyranny and fear.  Driven by paranoia, he infamously killed those close to him as well as any other perceived threats.  While hope inspires positivity, Herod was consumed by anxiety and fear of losing the throne. If you find Herod’s words about the babe in scripture puzzling, consider his obsession with power. Could worship of a baby be his real goal or was deceit just one of many tactics he used to try to cling to his kingship.

 Violent crimes in the past as well as present are often driven by fear and hopelessness. Instead of believing that things will get better with positive actions, groups may act out of the belief that destroying others who differ from them will eliminate threats. Likewise, individuals in desperate situations may resort to impulsive negative behavior when they see no other way forward. Without hope, the world is a dark empty place.

 We all have tough times that seem to consume our waking thoughts and give us sleepless nights.  Holding onto hope and letting God handle the worry allows us to move forward as best we can, showing wisdom and grace to ourselves and those around us.