Gabe Swing

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
Jesus’ prayer
Hope! Hope is what I find in the words of this prayer. Jesus prayed for the Father’s will to “be done” on this “earth as it is in heaven.” I don’t imagine that Jesus’ prayers ever go unanswered. I certainly believe that every word that Jesus prayed God the Father heard. I also believe that when Jesus prays God the Father moves to accomplish it. Maybe it is my belief in the Holy Trinity leads me to this conclusion. Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Father uniquely cemented and intertwined together as ONE. What does it mean to be one? In Their “oneness” I believe that Jesus prays according to God’s intentions and God works to accomplish what Jesus desires. It has to work that way! That’s what makes them ONE.
So, HOPE is what I find in these simple words “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I am hopeful because I believe that Jesus and the Father have not given up on this world. Jesus believes that everything that God the Father wants to accomplish will indeed be done on this earth. Jesus prays that this world will be conformed to the reality of heaven. Heaven a place where the Father’s will is always accomplished. A place where evil does not rule, where tears are wiped away, where death does not separate, where peace is the norm, where justice is evident, where love is shared, where the brokenhearted are comforted, where the hungry feast, simply put- it is a place that God calls home. Jesus’ prayer leads me to believe that there is yet a ray of hope for this world.
I’ll admit as a believer in Christ it has always been easier to find hope in the next world. “A world of never ending happiness where you can always see the sun day or night.” Living in this dark place I know that you and I have experienced great brokenness, pain, and unjust suffering. The grim realities of life here are inescapable. We should not be surprised by this. Jesus was up front with us when He said, “In this world you will have trouble.” We have all experienced pain. Then if we dare we can choose to pull back the wide lens focus even further to see the greater world around us. There are millions of real people in this world that suffer in such a way that transforms our perspective. Our pains and suffering suddenly become petty or trivial in comparison. Real people are suffering tragically this day! This very moment! They will suffer from the hands of the unjust and the evil, from the harsh realities of life in extreme poverty, from preventable sickness, and malnutrition. This world seems to be drastically, irreparably broken and unraveling at the seams. There seems to be little hope around us. In those rare moments when I allow these pains to penetrate my thick comfortably affluent American skin, I’ll admit I am tempted to cut the cords of this life that hold me here, I want desperately to escape to the next promised world. A place sheltered from these groaning pains. A place where each and every tear will be wiped from drowning eyes. Face to face with the insurmountable influence of evil and the severity of harsh suffering what can we do? How can anyone have the hope that things will ever be better? My faith falters and withers away when exposed to the broken depravity in this world.
How then can anyone have hope? How can anyone find hope in these dire times? Especially when faith deserts me. When I feel dried and wearied. But Jesus told us not to give up. He told us to “take heart.” Where can we find hope to believe in? Hope can not be found in the smallness of my faith. If my faith was all that I had I would certainly be a lost soul to be pitied above all. If I look deep inside I do find hope dwelling there. A hope that is real. It wells up within me not from my faith, hope springs from the Faith of Jesus. The dark world will not be transformed through my weak belief, these mountains will not be moved to the sea on the merits of my “mustard seed” of faith- Oh, but they will be moved, indeed evil will be vanquished, the light will sear this vile darkness in spite of me and thank God, not dependent on me. These dreams will become reality! Why? Because Jesus has faith! Jesus prayed, Jesus believed, and as a result it will happen! This earth will be conformed and transformed to the Father’s heart desires.