Christian hope

Before taking my son back to his school in Connecticut, we spent a few days in New York City. Instead of just dragging Ben around to coffees and lunches with friends (endless rounds of 'You got so tall!!'), I wanted to give him a fun new experience of the city. So we got cheap tickets to "Hadestown," a Broadway musical. He'd never been to one, as it wasn't at all part of our usual life in the city before. I admit, normally I don't much like them. But this one was marvelous. It takes the story of Orpheus and Eurydice and places it in 1920s New Orleans, with great music and excellent choreography and stagecraft. But I also found it immensely moving. Although the old story is a tragedy -- Orpheus tries to rescue Eurydice from the underworld, only to lose her at the last minute -- "Hadestown" makes the bold claim that we should tell and retell the story anyway, holding on to the possibility of hope every time. Like the cycles of winter and summer, our world can move from darkness to light. And it is our job not to lose hope. 

Hope is the core of our Christian faith, of course, that death is not the final answer. Life is more powerful. We humans may not get it right ourselves to bring about light and redemption and healing. But we hold onto hope because we know that God can -- in us and through us (and despite us if need be). The musical, based in Greek mythology and American optimism, doesn't quite get to that...but I heard that echo myself anyway. God makes a way out of no way. We have such good news to live and to share!