Pastor Marvin Arnpriester
Pastor Marvin Arnpriester
I recently watched The Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorite movies. It is the story about a banker named Andy Dufresne who is accused of double murder in the 1940s. He is convicted and begins a life sentence at the fictional Shawshank Prison. He befriends an older inmate named Red. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates for his upstanding moral code and his quiet, indomitable spirit.
The movie is a study into the character of individuals and how they survive. It always challenges me to reflect on my own character and how I am living my life.
In a conversation with his friend Red, Andy says, “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
We live in times of fear about the present world situation, and we fear for the future. Some folk wish things could go back to a time in life when they felt more secure and unafraid. Some folks are fearful of the change occurring today, because they don’t know what the future has in store for them. Of course, the list is long of the fears which haunt and trouble, holding us prisoner.
As people of faith, we claim a hope in a God Who makes all things new. We live with a hope that is sure the last word in this world is not fear, but faith. Faith in One Who promised that He would never leave nor forsake us, no matter what. Hope gives us strength and courage to live in the midst of a changing world with assurance that we are never out of God’s love and care.
Hope is a good thing. Never let it go!