Integrity and Hope: The Essence of True Virtue (05/27/'24) -Statement

Integrity and Hope: The Essence of True Virtue In the journey of life, we often find ourselves entangled in contradictions. However, we remain free from this web when we conscientiously separate knowing from acting. It is in the space between thought and deed that integrity either blossoms or withers. As Proverbs 31:9 urges us, "Protect the rights of all who are lost and helpless. Open your mouth and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy." Speaking for the voiceless breathes life into justice and casts light into the shadows where the forgotten dwell. To change the world, we must extend goodness to those who cannot repay us. True virtue is discovered in silent acts of kindness and unseen sacrifices made for the sake of another's smile. No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. A soul's worth is measured by the weight it lifts from others and the grace it offers without expectation. Life loses its meaning if hope is lost. Hope is the thread that stitches our hearts to the future, the ember that ignites our purpose. Without hope, our efforts become whispers in the wind, fleeting echoes lost to the abyss of time, as Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 reminds us: "Life is useless, useless... Life is useless, all useless. You spend your life working, laboring, and what do you have to show for it?" Let us strive to be the light that offers hope and the hands that lift the burdens of others, finding purpose in our actions and integrity in our intentions. Pastor Steven G. Lee (May 27, 2024)