Perhaps more than any other time of the year, we look for hope during these final days.
It’s natural that we should look for signs of hope during these final days of the year, perhaps more than at any other time.
From a spiritual perspective, this is a time of renewal. For Christians, it’s a celebration of the birth of Christ — and it would be hard to name a bigger symbol of hope than that for many of us. The theme of renewal, though, is part of the celebrations of other religions, who have their own traditions at this time of year.
There’s also the passing of the shortest day of the year, and the beginning of the slow crawl back to the long, balmy days of summer. That’s inspiration for hope in itself.
After a year filled with controversy in Penticton, there are a lot of small hopes: hope that city hall has seen the light and is on its way to a more engaged relationship with the community, hopes that green space in Skaha Lake Park and others will be protected and preserved for future generations, hope that Penticton will get back on the growth track and attract new people and businesses, hope that the Penticton Vees will hang on to first overall in the league all the way to the RBC Cup.
And there are signs of hope all around us. Despite the controversies, Penticton has had a prosperous year, with lots of construction and the employment prospects that brings. Work on the hospital expansion continues, another project with major employment potential.
There are some things we hope for year after year: peace on Earth and goodwill toward men. They’re goals the human race has never achieved, but we keep hoping.