The Other Side Of Hope

1 Corinthians 13:13 – And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (KJV)

1 Corinthians 13:13 – And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (NIV)

Located on the Trans Canada Highway in British Columbia's Fraser Valley, about an hour and a half from Vancouver, is a little community called "Hope".

The name is derived from the original "Fort Hope", so named by the Hudson's Bay Company, because its location between Fort Kamloops and Fort Langley was the realization of the hope that by cutting a trail through the mountains, the British brigades would not have to dip below the 49th parallel into what had recently become American territory. The actual townsite of Hope was established in 1858.

The Halkomelem Indian name for the site of Hope means "skinned rocks", meaning they are bare of moss.

And, although there is plenty of natural beauty on either side of Hope, as far as civilization goes, there is very little. This brought my husband to remark on a recent trip north as we were approaching the Hope turnoff, "We'd better gas up now. There's not much on the other side of Hope!"

We fuelled up, continued on, and, like a bolt of lightening bringing a little lesson, a small independent service station was offering gasoline several cents cheaper per litre on the other side of Hope.

I sensed an ironic similarity to what is written in the words of today's scripture verse. For in spiritual terms, when we trust in the Lord, no matter which version one chooses to read, there is always faith and love or charity "on the other side of hope".

Prayer: Teach us to trust in your words, Lord. Let us learn that where there is faith there is hope, and where there is hope, there is love, and where there is love, there is charity. May we always remember that there is much "on the other side of hope". In your name we pray. Amen.