Deep Breaths Building from Hope When what we’ve tried no longer works, why is it so hard to let go? Like a snow globe, we shake and stir, hoping for something new, only to find the same scene waiting. This is a moment that calls for courage and imagination. But instead of reaching forward, we often settle for what feels safe and familiar. At a coalition meeting, Rev. Traci Blackmon asked us to imagine the world we want to build—and to work from that space, not just toward it. That invitation stirred something in me. What if we lived from the imagination God has already given us, shaping our lives and choices with hope as our starting point? Hope is not passive. It moves us out of silos and beyond ego. It teaches us to connect instead of compete, to walk with family, neighbors, and colleagues rather than push one another away. This is why those who thrive on control seek to divide us. Division weakens our empathy. Without empathy, we can ignore violence when it doesn’t touch us directly. Divided, we cannot build beloved community or see the systems designed to destroy while lies flourish unchecked. But if we root ourselves in Spirit and love, we will be compelled to walk and work together. We will keep moving in cycles of hope and rest until the world is reshaped into places of healing and joy for all. Howard Thurman once warned that fear breeds deception, and deception breeds hate. That cycle is real—but it is not inevitable. We can turn instead toward love and hope. God is calling us to build from the hope already alive in our hearts. That hope is our compass. It can propel us toward the world we dream of—and together, we can make it real. — Rev. Moya Harris, Senior Program Director, Sojourners
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