May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~Romans 15:13 (NRSV)
Recently I read the story of a woman biologist, Sarah Dykman, who made the 10,000-mile butterfly migration trek on her bike from Mexico to Canada and back. Monarchs are known for their impressive migrations. After spending the winter months in Mexico, they make the long trip north to southern Canada.
Most of Dykman's days were unplanned. She had a goal of traveling 60 miles a day and searched for traces of the butterflies and milkweed along the roadside. She rarely saw milkweed, their food source, and saw an average of 2.5 butterflies per day. She also did presentations along the way to become the voice of the monarch and fight for their future since much of their habitat has been destroyed.
Journeying with the monarchs, she learned many lessons. The monarchs taught her that we are all connected. If a milkweed plant is removed, ripples are felt by all of us. Another observation was that the monarchs are not Canadian, American, or Mexican. They need all North Americans to share their home with them. They also taught her that our collective action is built on lots of little actions. All the millions of monarchs together are an amazing sight. Many small gardens together can build a solution of saving the butterflies. Dykman's inspiration to make this difficult bicycle journey demonstrates wild hope of making a difference in the world. She did not just wish for or wait for something to happen. Her hope for the monarchs propelled her into action.
The advent story describes many characters who responded with wild hope - hope and longing to see the Messiah, a Light to the world. Mary said "yes" to bearing the Christ child, a wild request from an angel. Joseph said "yes" to becoming the spouse of Mary, even though she was already pregnant. Their commitment to this wild hope was almost unbelievable and not an easy task. With hope, they persisted on the journey toward Bethlehem, knowing they carried the Light that would transform the world.
Hope nonetheless.
Hope despite.
Hope regardless.
Hope still.
Hope where we had ceased to hope.
Hope amid what threatens hope.
Hope with those who feed our hope.
Hope beyond what we had hoped.
Hope that draws us past our limits.
Hope that defies expectations.
Hope that questions what we have known.
Hope that makes a way where there is none.
Hope that takes us past our fear.
Hope that calls us into life.
Hope that holds us beyond death.
Hope that blesses those to come.
~Jan Richardson
Song: Benedictus by Porter's Gate
Reflection
How has hope propelled you into action? How would you describe this hope?
What is your hope for this advent season?
DiLonardo M.J. (May 13, 2021). "Treehugger: Sustainability for all".
Dykman, S. (2023). Bicycling with Butterflies. Hachette Book Group
Richardson, J. (2017) Walking the Way of Hope.
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