Christian Hope is rooted in God - in His activity and presence in our world. It is knowing that God has not forsaken His world, that He still loves the world as much as He first created it and later sent His Son to die for it. Rev Abel Hendricks, twice president of the Methodist Church in South Africa, widely known for his won for Christian justice and liberation of all people, and last year's recipient of the World Methodist Peace Award, said in his recent lecture on "One Hope':

"Christian hope is rooted in God's activity and presence in the world.
It is eschatological..... it is an outgrowth of Christian faith.....
..... it is God's offer to man and it makes life worthwhile.
It is making an appointment with the future that is wrapped up
in the past and unveiling itself in the present."

This Hope is not something we can seize upon on our own; it is not something we can earn or buy or even pray that we possess it. You cannot demand hope of God or other people; Hope can only be given – God can only give you hope and you can only give hope to others. When those close to us (be they family members, neighbours, or Church members) do not have much hope, the reason may be because we have failed to give them any. It calls for an investment of ourselves in the lives and struggles of others.​

Hope is the thing we give each other in life, one of those precious elements that can only be given away and not taken from. As we enter the new year,

May God continue to grant us hope,
may Paya Lebar Methodist Church be a symbol of hope to the community, and
may we individually give hope to the lives we touch daily.

Grace & Peace,

REV DR KANG HO SOON
Pastor