Can we start a hope epidemic — an outbreak of hope! Yes! Hope epidemics have happened many times in human history as ordinary people have gotten infected with the power and presence of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ! Our sad, lonely, depressed culture desperately needs a hope-pidemic!

Too often church is like an orchestra sitting in straight rows with their musical instruments packed away in boxes while passively listening to a conductor give a long, dull lecture. You can’t catch hope when you’re sitting in a crowd of bored people.

However, when orchestra members unpack their instruments and each one begins to enthusiastically play his/her part of an uplifting piece of music as he/she follows an inspiring conductor; hope breaks out and spreads contagiously among them and among others who are present in the room. The living, resurrected Jesus is the world’s most inspiring Conductor and when a group of people sets aside passivity and religious traditions and begins to actively listen to and obey the living Jesus, there is always an outbreak of supernatural hope!

That’s the ultimate hope promotion! “Hope promotion involves helping people develop a positive future orientation, a way of seeing beyond the immediate present to a time that could be better than right now.” –Elana Premack Sandler

Passionate love for Christ can’t be taught through sermons; it can only be caught through being exposed to others who are burning for Jesus. Start a Jesus epidemic — expose yourself to everyday people who openly share their excitement about the living, resurrected Jesus every Sunday morning at 10:45 at The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN 37207