For many, Christmas is a time of great joy and hope, but once the wrapping paper is thrown out and the newness of the gifts have faded a bit, the bleak reality of January hits. It’s back to work or, even worse, not. It’s the pressure of school or paying bills or … The list can overwhelm. For some, the status of our world feels hopeless. For those who are hopeful, the temptation is to place our hope in someone or something that will eventually fail us. We’ve all experienced that kind of let down before. But there is a hope grounded more deeply than ourselves and is as sure as tomorrow’s sunrise. The Apostle Paul writes a difficult letter to the church in Corinth (the second of his preserved letters to Corinth). Life is hard when you follow Jesus – for them, for Paul, for us. But because of Jesus, we have hope and can navigate and serve with hope in a world desperately searching for it.