Our Only Hope

I long for you to rescue me! Your word is my only hope. I am worn out from waiting for you to keep your word. When will you have mercy? – Psalm 119:81-82 (CEV) 

The fictitious Gotham City seems like heaven compared to the real-life disaster we humanfolk continue to make of God’s vast creations. News of devastation arrives from every land in every hour of every day.  

Like many who are in serving vocations, I’m regularly tempted to throw on a superhero cape and swoop out to participate in salvific acts to aid my miniscule portion of a world facing destruction. This psalmist is ever more relatable as, one little saving effort or prayer after another, I find that my aging body and waning compassion are deeply fatigued. I, too, am worn out and long for God to rescue us from ourselves. 

When waiting for things to get better begins to feel like accepting death, it’s easy to miss the Tiny Hope whose arrival we anticipate in this Advent season. We sometimes forget about the dangerous circumstances and chaotic surroundings that greeted him as he entered the world.  

Not only did this helpless baby survive sure destruction, much like most superhero origin stories, he transformed that pain into a lifelong dedication to reanimating hope and possibility for a hurting people. 

Unlike the egocentric necessity for our superheroes’ successes, Christ’s powers require collaboration. From the motley crew who visited him shortly after his birth to the twelve+ disciples who accompanied him during his ministry on earth, the hope he embodied was activated in and through community.  

And so we pray… 

Prayer
Rescue us from our frustrations and despair. Remind us that we are the ones you’re waiting for. Amen.

About the Author
Phiwa Langeni creatively invites others into transformational liminal spaces between what has been and what is yet to be. They currently serve as the Associate Conference Minister for Equipping Leaders in the Southern California Nevada Conference UCC.