I am concerned about the way we have confused denial and hope. Denial tries to paint a rosy picture by ignoring the tough and the hard stuff. Hope stares despair in the face, and chooses to believe anyway.

It isn& #39;t living in fear to acknowledge the tremendous loss of life we have experienced due to Covid-19. To ignore this profound loss isn& #39;t hope, it is denial.

It isn& #39;t living in fear to acknowledge strained relationships, broken systems, injustices in need to repairing. To ignore these things isn& #39;t hope, it is denial.

If we are truly to be a people of hope, we must find the courage to stare our most profound fears in the face and believe we can overcome them anyway.

I believe in a hope that shines bright enough that no darkness can overcome it. I believe in a hope that triumphs over despair rather than minimizing it. The good news is not that the bad news has been glossed over, but that it has been triumphed over.