“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” — 1 Peter 1:3
From the perspective of one who has, in the not too distant future, the expectation of embarking on his 9th decade, it’s encouraging to know Christian hope is not a vague dream of escape or a distant promise of relief. It is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which declares that God’s plan is to renew all creation and to invite His people into that renewal even now. Because Christ is risen, life is not meaningless, and the work of God’s people is not wasted. This hope reshapes how the church sees the present: suffering is faced with courage, beauty is celebrated with joy, and faithfulness becomes a sign of the new creation breaking into the world today.
The resurrection is not simply a past miracle to be admired—it is the foundation of Christian life and mission. It proclaims that death is not the end and that God’s kingdom is advancing toward renewal. The risen Christ is the beginning of God’s new kingdom, and His people are called to live as citizens of that kingdom even now. Faith is not about retreating from the world but engaging it with confidence that God’s purposes are unfolding. Resurrection is proof of life after death, but even more, it is the promise of life before death—life infused with hope, courage, and meaning.
If God intends to renew heaven and earth, then the work of His people matters profoundly. Acts of justice, mercy, and beauty are not wasted efforts; they are glimpses of the kingdom breaking into the present. Every act of forgiveness, every moment of care for the poor, every effort to steward creation well is participation in God’s future. Hope is not passive—it calls the church to action. God’s people are not waiting to be rescued from the world; they are called to embody resurrection life here and now, empowered by the Spirit to be signs of the new creation in a world often marked by despair.
To live as people made alive by the resurrection is to carry hope into hopeless places. It is to resist cynicism and despair, trusting that God is making all things new. It is to live generously, knowing that love is never wasted. It is to celebrate beauty, art, and creativity as glimpses of the renewed creation. Resurrection people are marked by joy even in hardship, courage even in uncertainty, and love even in division. Their lives bear witness to the reality that Christ is risen and His kingdom is coming.
So for someone in the 9th decade or the 1st decade, resurrection hope is not a distant dream—it is a present reality shaping how God’s people live today. Every act of faithfulness is gathered into His eternal kingdom, where nothing is wasted and everything is made new. The apostle Paul captures this truth with a challenge: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58.
