Every four years in this country we go through a significant election for a President of the country. It seems like these four years blend into each other and it becomes almost endless. How often have you thought “I can’t deal with this anymore” or “I’m so anxious that I become depressed” Certainly the twenty-four hour news cycle doesn’t help. We do get stressed! That feeling goes equally for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents! We just want it to end. We just want to get beyond our feeling of despair!

But despair is not the answer to any of these activities of our nation. Even if we feel that the recent years in the U.S. politics has been contentious or even violent. What can we do – where is there hope? But we are the public in a republic who, in the end, decides.

I think of the Disciples in a locked room after the crucifixion of Jesus – a very political act! They were cowering behind closed doors, they were in despair over what was happening. They were both fearful and hopeless. Doubting that God would bring any good results and hope after the terrible events on the cross at Calvary. But they found hope when the resurrection took place. Their mood changed, they began to risk their lives (and many were killed) for the hope of God’s intervention in their despair. Hope is of God, despair is of the human condition!

Saint Ignatius writes in his Spiritual Exercises that if we enter into the life of Christ and imagine ourselves being called by the Spirit of Christ, there is not despair but there is hope in making good decisions – God will always help us! We sometimes may want to punch somebody out for their critical words to us, but God’s voice tells us to make peace with that person.

Truthfully despair and fear are not from God. Hope is of God!

Choose hope and vote!