Message: Echoes of Hope and Virtue (05/27/'24)

Message: Echoes of Hope and Virtue Dear Friends, I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share with you a reflection that has been on my mind lately, inspired by some timeless wisdom. No matter what you do, you are never caught up in your own contradictions unless you conscientiously separate between knowing and acting. In the space between thought and deed, integrity blossoms or withers. As it is written, "Protect the rights of all who are lost and helpless. Open your mouth...and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy (Proverbs 31:9)." To speak for the voiceless is to breathe life into justice, to cast light into the shadows where the forgotten dwell. To change the world, we must be good for those who cannot repay us. True virtue is found in the silent acts of kindness, the unseen sacrifices made for the sake of another's smile. No one is useless in the world who lightens the burdens of another. A soul's worth is measured in the weight it lifts from others, in the grace it offers without expectation. Life is useless if hope has vanished. Hope is the thread that stitches our hearts to the future, the ember that ignites our purpose. As Ecclesiastes 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?" Without hope, our toil is but a whisper in the wind, a fleeting echo lost to the abyss of time. I also felt moved to express these thoughts in a poem, which I hope resonates with you: "Echoes of Hope and Virtue" No matter what you do, You are never caught up in your own contradictions Unless you conscientiously separate Between knowing and acting. In the space between thought and deed, Integrity blossoms or withers. Protect the rights of all who are lost and helpless. Open your mouth and defend The rights of the afflicted and needy. To speak for the voiceless is to breathe life into justice, To cast light into the shadows where the forgotten dwell. To change the world, we must be good For those who cannot repay us. True virtue is found in silent acts of kindness, Unseen sacrifices made for another's smile. No one is useless in the world Who lightens the burdens of another. A soul's worth is measured in the weight it lifts from others, In the grace it offers without expectation. Life is useless if hope has vanished. Hope is the thread that stitches our hearts to the future, The ember that ignites our purpose. Life is useless, useless... Life is useless, all useless. You spend your life working, laboring, And what do you have to show for it? Without hope, our toil is but a whisper in the wind, A fleeting echo lost to the abyss of time. May these words offer you some comfort and inspiration. Warm regards, Pastor Steven G. Lee (May 27, 2024)