As 2023 comes to a close, people are concerned about the state of the world, and rightly so. We hear of so much war and strife, so much sickness and death. In times such as these, we are tempted to ask the question: Where is the hope?
With Christmas approaching, the team at ONE asked the same question. However, we also believe the answer to this question can be found in the pages of our December edition.
Here, Konstantin Chernichkin tells us how hope comes through those who follow God’s call to provide assistance on the front line in Ukraine — “bright individuals who shine like beams of light in these dark times — in “A Letter from a War Photographer.”
Hope arises from those committed to bearing witness to the Gospel in the land where Jesus was born, despite decades of war and terror, as Joseph Hazboun writes in “A Letter From the Holy Land.”
Hope dawns when abuse and trafficking survivors are offered safe spaces to heal and grow, as Magdy Samaan recounts from Egypt in “Breaking the Silence.”
Hope is restored among those welcomed by the church in Armenia, after being run out of their historic lands in Nagorno-Karabakh, as Gohar Abrahamyan reports in “No Turning Back.”
Hope persists in Syria through the witness of religious men and women dedicated to the needs of others despite years of civil war and natural disasters, as Arzé Khodr reports in “Firmly Planted.”
But mostly, hope comes in the form of a baby, born in Bethlehem, the Christ Child, whom we celebrate at Christmas, as Msgr. Peter Vaccari reminds us in “The Last Word.” Our hope in is Jesus.
We at ONE feel blessed to bring you stories of hope — of the Body of Christ at work in our midst — that shine like “beams of light in these dark times.”
These are the stories from CNEWA’s world. May they inspire you and others to moments of prayer, broader perspective and purposeful action.
This Christmas may God grant us an abundance of the gift of hope to share with our family, our friends and our world.
Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at ONE!