Advent Reflections: Hope
This Advent season, we are giving you the opportunity to learn with New Ventures leaders on the enduring themes of hope, joy, love, and peace. How is Jesus at work in different communities across Canada, sparking new dreams and a deeper embrace of God’s slowly incoming kingdom?
This week’s reflection is from Christina MacBean, a New Venture Apprentice in Muskoka, ON.
My name is Christina MacBean and I am a New Venture Apprentice. I’m also a professional visual artist and sometimes people call me Reverend.
I, my husband Mike and our two daughters live in rural Utterson which is in the northwestern part of Muskoka. We moved here just over a year ago because we are discerning Jesus’ invitation to serve families who have experienced significant crisis and trauma. By the grace of God, we were able to purchase a home on 11 acres where we live in the middle of a beautiful, vast mixed bush with a creek running through. As a family, we desire to make this a place of healing and hope.
Last year just before the snow came to stay, we decorated some of the trees close to our house with Christmas lights. One of my favourite trees (don’t tell the others) is a young Hemlock with full, drooping branches. It has a whimsical look and a lot of personality. The lights shining from under the heavy snow on this tree, against the very dark, almost sinister backdrop, is one of the most breathtaking scenes I’ve seen and has been beckoning me to paint it since.
As I reflected on the idea of hope while painting this particular landscape, I anticipated that I would have some profound insight to share about how hope is like a beautiful light brightening the darkest of nights.
But that’s not what the Holy Spirit whispered to me. Instead, I received a simple phrase: hope is tenacious. Put another way, hope is persistent or can be thought of as holding fast.
It took a while to work up the nerve to begin this painting. I didn’t know where or how to start⏤landscapes aren’t my usual gig and the darkness of the background was intimidating. But I had committed (mostly to myself) to reflect on hope through the painting of this image. In reflection, my very resistance to the challenge contradicted not only what I was being asked (or called) to do but also what I believe. The familiar words, “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see,” kept coming to mind.
Hold fast. Keep going.
As you can see, it’s not finished yet. My realization hasn’t melted away my trepidation completely, but little by little, I’m re-seeing the beauty of a painting being realized⏤one brush stroke at a time. You see, hope is not found in the finished painting. No, hope is the persistence. Hope is the tenacity to attempt what we cannot yet fully see.
Hold fast my friends. Keep going.
Encouraged by this reflection? Learn more about leaders who are dreaming of new things across Canada and find a New Venture to support this Christmas season.