Scripture: Romans 5:5
And hope does not put us to shame, sovaldi because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, discount who has been given to us.

Thought for the Day: A new year always brings renewed hope. At least, I hope it does! I like the idea that the world is entering a new cycle, a rebirth of sorts. I see glimmers of change around the world, a change that promotes peace and goodwill to all, rather than fear and mistrust.

I hope people of all faiths will begin to trust God more than ever—trust that the Spirit is indeed working through all of us to bring about a new human existence. We have so much potential, yet we continue to be sidetracked by minutiae. Our religions continue to try to scare us into belief (or more specifically, scare the hell literally out of us), rather than helping us realize God’s love is with us and in us, working through us all the time.

We shouldn’t feel ashamed because we’re hopeful. We should proclaim our hope loudly to the world. We should be infectious, spreading love, compassion and understanding, and hoping it catches in the people we meet, so that they too will continue to spread love, and so on, and so on.

Prayer: Help me realize the love you pour into me, my most affectionate God, so I become a hopeful voice in a fearful world. Amen.