Lindy Thompson

The days are surely coming,
says the Lord,
when I will fulfill the promise I made
to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 
In those days and at that time
I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David,
and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 
In those days
Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this is the name by which it will be called:
“The Lord is our righteousness.”

– Jeremiah 33: 14-16

if God says the days are surely coming
then they are
even if I don’t see the signs
and even if in fact it has recently started to look like
someone put on the brakes
and is wildly veering us backwards
not noticing whom they are running over

but that’s not God
that’s a mere mortal
like me
like you
who has been sold a bill goods
(haven’t we all)
and is acting accordingly

if
by speaking truth
we can affect the future with our actions
and our words
(like a prophet)
then we need to speak Hope into the world
at every opportunity

bring hope with us into the shopping centers
give hope to the overworked cashier
breathe hope over our overextended children
offer hope to our aging parents
smile hope to our unfriendly neighbors
hug hope into our struggling friends
carry hope into our worship spaces
whisper hope to ourselves at night in the dark

because the days are surely coming
God said so
and hope will light the way