It’s been more than a month since Russia laid siege to Ukraine. Their brutal and unrelenting attacks have crumbled historic buildings, laid waste to fertile ground, and devastated families, particularly in Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions. Seventy percent of the entrepreneurs HOPE Ukraine serves live and work in these regions. We’ve spent the last...
An open letter to pastors during ridiculously difficult days
Dear pastors, Let’s just state it: The past few years in ministry have not been what you thought you were signing up for. My guess is that you didn’t pursue a career serving in the Church because your passion for epidemiology didn’t pan out. I’m sure you anticipated conflict, but I doubt you predicted...
A bleak midwinter and the hope of Christmas
Over a century ago, British poet Christina Rossetti wrote the Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter.” While she undoubtedly understood that Bethlehem wasn’t blanketed with snow when Jesus was born, she knew that He came when hope felt lost. The bleak and hopeless atmosphere of the darkest days of winter was a fitting analogy....