When we focus on survival, life becomes pretty straightforward. Food, water, shelter, health, and hopefully the warm embrace of a loved one. That's what we truly need.
If we are blessed to have all those, then I know you agree we have a lot to be grateful for this Christmas.
But what if a less evident, less material, and largely unrecognized factor is equally important to human survival? Based on my experience as a faith-based leader who's traveled to more than 50 countries, mobilizing churches to respond to wars and natural disasters, I believe there is.
That less evident factor is hope. If we truly understood its power, we'd package it up and stuff it into every survival kit the world over.
Hope was actually the focus of this past Sunday of Advent, on December 1, for Christians around the world, and it was a pivotal part of the Angel's announcement to the shepherds of the birth of Christ.
In Luke 2:9-12 we read, "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’"
In their day, shepherds were outcasts, poor, and downtrodden. Their lives were hard, and they had little to look forward to. But the fact that God chose to reveal the birth of Christ to them gave them hope. And this news spurred the shepherds to action.
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I've personally witnessed how hope empowers the human spirit to prevail. People can weather just about anything. As long as they have hope. Hope gives human beings the confident expectation that a better day is coming. It enables us to live victorious through life's tsunamis with our heads above the water, rather than under it.
For one very recent example, just consider Chimney Rock, North Carolina.
In September, Hurricane Helene's intense rains triggered catastrophic flooding in Chimney Rock and all throughout parts of Appalachia. Roads were washed out; homes and businesses were flooded. Residents in remote regions were literally cut off from civilization, and a staggering 126,000 homes sustained damage.
Flash forward to today, and when you make your way down Main street in Chimney Rock you'll still see that most of the businesses that are fortunate to be standing are still boarded up. Peek inside, however, and you'll see a flurry of activity.
The town's alive with a glorious orchestra of pounding nails. Fresh two-by-four framing has gone up, and pristine drywall has already replaced the damaged interiors.
As Chimney Rock Mayor Pete O'Leary recently said, "It's been constant construction, constant cleaning, constant traffic on the road with dump trucks and big vehicles. We were hit hard and we need a lot of assistance to get back on our feet, and we're very hopeful that assistance will be forthcoming."
Did you notice that he said "hopeful"? It's what all of us desperately need in times of adversity.
Our team at CityServe has been active in a five-state region hit by the storm, with a special focus on western North Carolina and Chimney Rock. We've mobilized chainsaw crews to clear out debris and set up aid stations to distribute food and water. We also helped coordinate the delivery of special cargo that Ivanka Trump brought to North Carolina: 300 StarLink devices requested by President-elect Trump and provided by Elon Musk. They were distributed to first responders who used them to reconnect with residents who'd lost communications.
But I'd submit that Ivanka's arrival, and the arrival of many other philanthropists and charitable organizations, brought something that -- while less tangible -- may have been even more important. They brought hope. Residents of North Carolina's wild and beautiful hill country knew they'd not been forgotten; that helped sustain their hope.
To be clear, much work remains and countless repairs are still needed. Mayor O'Leary estimates Chimney Rock's Main Street will not reopen until sometime this spring.
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But here's what I can tell you: In the face of heartbreak and devastation, Chimney Rock will ultimately emerge bigger and better than ever. How can I be so sure?
Because while it's true many there have lost loved ones, their homes and businesses, their hope is alive and well. If you think Helene can keep them from celebrating the Holidays this year, think again.
Want to take stock this Christmas of all our blessed nation has to be grateful for? I'd say start with the resilient residents of Chimney Rock. Their hopeful spirit in the wake of a devastating flood stands as a shining example for all of us. With the help of friends and neighbors, they're piecing their community back together one nail, one dry-wall section, one plywood slab at a time.
For the shepherds at the very first Christmas, the Lord made it a point to reveal himself to those who needed good news the most. So, as Americans help those who need it most right now, we're learning an important lesson about hope this Christmas. We're learning that no matter the hurdles, hope is always possible.
May the people of Chimney Rock be a lesson to us all. Their endurance shows us that as long as the beacon of hope shines bright, nothing can stop a people blessed by Providence with a spirit to endure.
