Listen

Instantly, the skin disease left him, and he was clean. Sternly, Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t say anything to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice for your cleansing that Moses commanded. This will be a testimony to them.” Instead, he went out and started talking freely and spreading the news so that Jesus wasn’t able to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, but people came to him from everywhere.

Mark 1:42-45

Think

Good news is so hard to keep bottled up. When you have good news it is as if something is burning inside of you, and the only joyful relief is to let someone know. Hope is the good news that we have — a hope that lets us and the rest of the world know that things can be better.

Fortunately, Jesus is not asking us to be silent about this hope. People need to hear and see that indeed the good news of hope is alive in us and in the work God does through us. Sometimes we ourselves need to be reminded about this good news, that hope is alive. When we are reminded, we are called to live out that hope where we are with acts of love and compassion towards one another. This active hope is what will make the world a better place. Imagine the difference it could make in your own community, school, and family.

James Blay

Pray

Dear God, help me today to spread this good news that hope is alive. Hope is alive not just in the words that I say, but also in the things that I do. Give me the courage to act out hope. Amen.

Go

With hope as your guide, guiding your thoughts, words, and deeds, go out into the world and bring hope to all whom you encounter.