It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the world around us. The news cycle is relentless, and wherever we look – online, on air, in print – there’s no shortage of grim headlines. At times, hope can feel like a rare and endangered species.
And yet, somehow, we keep hoping.
Perhaps it’s part of what makes us human – that deep-seated impulse to believe in the possibility of something better. That was my takeaway from Stephen Webb’s review of Dog Trumpet’s latest album, and from the ever-wise words of Reg Mombassa: “If you didn’t have hope you’d be pretty miserable.”
We all find hope in different ways. For some, like Rev. Betty Stroud, it comes through faith and seeking stories that uplift the spirit. Others turn to the arts – to a moving play, a well-loved novel, an inspiring art exhibition (check out our Reviews section) or a surprising documentary about, say, a bull with cerebral palsy who stars in his own rural Victorian cooking show! Yes, really.
If that’s not a reason to smile, what is?
In a world too often marked by anger and destruction, the image of this determined creature – defying the odds and bringing people together – feels not just heartwarming, but quietly revolutionary.
Sometimes, hope doesn’t shout. It cooks.
