They traveled thousands of miles.
They left home and family.
They risked their lives.
Why?
Hope.
Hope for a better life. Hope for a life without fear of violence. Hope for safety for their children.
Hope.
The hope that many of these migrants have in a better life, a safer life, drove them to risk everything, sacrifice everything. This hope drove them to walk thousands of miles only taking a small backpack and the clothes on their back. They slept on the roadsides, in small tents, in warehouses filled with other migrants, on a flooded baseball field. All for hope.
I may not agree with the politics of the migrant caravan and though their hope may be based on false promises and lies of what the U.S would offer them. I am blown away by their willingness to risk their lives on hope.
This should cause us to pause and ask, “Does my hope in Jesus cause me to risk my life, make sacrifices, and “walk” thousands of miles for Him?” Over 2,000 years ago God Himself, risked it all and came in the form of a human being, a child, just like you and I. The willingness of God to come as he came, to risk what he risked, gives us all hope.
One of Jesus’ name is Emmanuel – God is with us. By Jesus coming, he revealed to us that He is with us.
With us in our struggles.
With us in our joys.
With us in our darkest hour
With us on our best days.
With us on our worst days.
With us when it feels like all is lost.
Jesus gives us hope that this isn’t all there is to life. Hope that God has other plans. Hope that there is light at the end of the dark tunnel. Hope that in the end, everything will be made right, no more death, no more tears, no more sickness, no more disease. Hope, that we can travel “thousands” of miles, knowing that He is with us and everything will be ok.
Phil Steiner 