Optimistic, Rebellious, Confident Hope

Today is May Day. In ancient Rome the festival of Floralia, honoured Flora, the goddess of flowers and fertility. Celtic Britain celebrated Beltane, a fire festival midway between spring equinox and summer solstice.

In medieval Europe, dancing and rituals encouraged fertility and a good harvest. From the late 19^th century May Day parades remembered past workers’ struggles on ‘International Workers Day’. As a child I remember crowning the May Queen, dancing round the school maypole…

May Day, traditionally the start of summer, brings together pagan customs, seasonal celebrations, and workers’ rights in a day of optimistic hope.

Yesterday King Charles held a reception at Buckingham Palace. Celebrating community initiatives raising cancer awareness he said:

‘Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones. But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.’

He quoted the inspirational late Dame Deborah James, who battled with cancer: ‘Find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope.’

Yesterday I was chatting to Tom who’d visited the George Muller museum in Bristol. In the mid-19^th century Muller opened homes for Bristol’s orphans…

Sometimes at mealtime there was no food. Muller would pray; food would arrive. He would never ask for money; he never was in debt. In 1849 he built his first orphanage for 300 children… four more homes caring for over 2,000 children were built.

Muller provided hope to many hope-less children; his dependence on God for everything came from confident hope in his God.

This morning I read Psalm 33. It ends:

We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our hope is in you alone.

Optimistic… rebellious… confident hope.