Standing at the front of the church, a young couple takes their vows and soon the recessional music signals their new journey as wife and husband has begun. I can recall a mix of joy and anxiety in that moment. We knew of what led us to the altar. But we didn’t know what we were taking out into the world that day. Then the feeling of hope emerged, for that was and all that was yet to be. Hope is as important as love in a marriage.
As the calendar turns to a new year, I find myself reflecting on what has carried us through 2024. And what lies ahead for us in 2025. For many of us, the past year has been a mix of joy and challenge, of moments that stretched us and others that brought us closer to what matters most. In all of it, one thing has remained constant: hope.
Just as in a marriage, hope is what kept us going when the path wasn’t clear. It’s what lifted us when we were weary and gave us courage to take the next step. In a marriage, hope is what keeps us going through better and worse, sickness and health. At Christmas, this same hope is illuminated through the birth of Christ—a moment of light breaking through the darkness, a promise that we are never alone.
But hope isn’t confined to the holiday season. It’s what carries us forward into the uncertainties of anything new, most of all the new year. Hope is there helping us meet each challenge with faith and resilience.
Finding Hope in the Everyday
For me, hope often reveals itself in the beauty of creation—whether in art, poetry, or music. A painting’s light, the cadence of a poem, or the harmonies of a song remind me of the grace that runs through every season of life. Christmas, to me, feels like one of those works of art: a masterpiece of humility and joy, painted with love and renewal. It is about the majestic and the mundane. The eternal and the personal.
This hope isn’t just something I read about or observe—it’s something I see daily in the work we do at United Church Homes. It’s in the resilience of the older adults we serve, in the quiet faith of a caregiver offering comfort, or in the unexpected kindness of a neighbor helping another. These moments remind me that hope isn’t fleeting—it’s a steady energy, a guiding presence, grounding us in love even as life changes around us.
The Light We Carry Forward
Christmas comes during the shortest days of the year when the nights seem to stretch endlessly. It’s a symbolic reminder that Christ’s light shines brightest even in our darkest moments. As we step into the new year, that light doesn’t fade—it goes with us, illuminating our way and inspiring us to extend grace, compassion, and kindness to others. The twelve days of Christmas yield to Epiphany, the season of illumination and revelation when the gift of the child is revealed by his powerful life and grace.
We see this light in our communities. It’s in the hands of team members who care for others, in residents who support one another and in families who choose hope even when facing difficulties. This light creates a foundation for abundant living, reminding us that every life is valuable, every voice deserves to be heard, and every day holds the potential for renewal.
A Message for 2025
The new year will undoubtedly bring its share of unknowns. Aging, change and the fast-paced world around us can leave us feeling unsteady. But the hope of Christ is enough—it’s enduring, unshakable, and transformative.
Hope is what allows us to step into uncertainty with confidence, to care for others with an open heart, and to believe that better days are ahead. This hope drives our mission: to nurture the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—and to create communities where love and faith thrive.
Like that young couple learned long ago, we know more about hope with each passing day. So as we welcome 2025, I pray that you carry the hope of Christmas with you into every corner of the year ahead. May it give you strength in times of struggle, peace in moments of uncertainty and joy in unexpected places.
After all hope is the foundation for all we do. And it is power. Enough to light our way, inspire our actions and guide us into a future filled with grace.
As we enter this new year, let us hold this truth in our hearts: Hope is enough.
For Reflection (either individually or with a group)
Read the blog. Read it a second time, maybe reading it aloud or asking someone else to read it aloud so you can hear it with different intonation and emphases. Invite the Divine to open your heart to allow the light of new understanding to pierce the shadows of embedded assumptions, stereotypes, and ways of thinking so that you may live more abundantly. Then spend some time with the following questions together with anything or anyone who helps you reflect more deeply.
- When in your life have you been filled with the highest level of hope for your future? Why do you think that is/was true?
- What or who helps to refill your reservoir of hope?
- How does your faith help you to share hope in the world?
Download a pdf including the Reflection Questions to share and discuss with friends, family, or members of your faith community small group.
