Discovering Hope in the Needle Arts
1 Samuel 12:20 (Verse 32 of 145)
Samuel said to them, “Don’t be fearful. It’s true that you have done something very wrong. All the same, don’t turn your back on God. Worship and serve him heart and soul!
I don’t know about you, but I need hope like I need air. I’m no good at tuning out the world’s fear and worry—it invades my spirit like a gray, sunless day—which today happens to be where I live. And when I say hope, I know better than to believe in false hope—a wishful belief the future will turn out one way despite indications to the contrary. I mean hope that is grounded in something that transcends the present moment, transcends even my life experience.
In the above “Do not be afraid” verse, the prophet and priest Samuel is providing comfort to the people of Israel. Since their liberation from Egypt, God had been their king. But they wanted an earthly ruler like the surrounding tribes and kingdoms. I suspect, too, they wanted to make big, difficult, intractable problems someone else’s responsibility. God consented to their wishes, and Saul was chosen as Israel’s first king.
Samuel is a truth-sayer, reminding Israel that putting their trust in an earthly ruler was a mistake. God had shown God’s faithfulness to them again and again. Samuel lets Israel know they messed up, but at the same time he provides a hope that transcends the present moment—by reminding them of God’s continued faithfulness.
I believe that one of the ways we witness God’s faithfulness is when we respond to the Light inside us—the Light that urges us toward human connection and loving kindness. A Light that has the ability to transcend despair.
This week, I attended a fundraiser for an organization called Idaho Prison Arts Collective. It was called Hooked on Hope, and the purpose of the evening was to teach us novices how to crochet. Our teachers were two men who learned to crochet while they were in prison. One of the instructors, a man maybe in his thirties, shared that he tried to take advantage of every learning opportunity he could while in prison. In addition to Spanish and other classes, he corresponded with pen pals from around the globe. He learned to crochet from a fellow inmate and kitchen employee. Both men shared how learning to crochet expanded opportunities for friendship and connection in prison and how it provided opportunities for quiet meditation and stillness. My own experience has been that when I’m in stillness and prayer, hope comes in the form of God’s peace.
I share this because maybe like me you need a dose of lasting Hope this week. Hope that transcends our present moment, that transcends gray, sunless days, and transcends even the darkness of a prison. Hope doesn’t come from earthly rulers. It comes every time we respond to the Divine inside us, urging us to reach toward each other and toward life. I’m happy to say I got a dose of the medicine of lasting hope at this fundraiser. I even, eventually, got the hang of making a line of crochet knots.
Rosy Greer was the first pro football tackle to “knit” traveling to games. He was one of the first blacks in the game. Imagine his isolation and expectation. I had the privilege of playing against him.
Nice story, Susan! Everyone needs hope to keep persevering through life’s struggles, but also to enjoy moments of peace, solace, friendship and community. I’ve always liked the phrase, “hope floats,” which to me means it’s light, ethereal, above us and in us as long as we nourish it and keep it alive. Don’t let anyone grab your hope, disrespect it, demean it or stomp on it. Those persons are to be avoided. They are too small for you and want to hinder your growth!