A thrill of hope: Traveling
Traveling is my passion. It started back when I was a kid when our family took long driving trips. We would see as many sights and people as possible as we made our way to our destinations. “A Thrill of Hope” for me is planning and experiencing international venues where I can mingle with the people who live there, eat regional foods, and see interesting structures and natural vistas. I was able to sing karaoke in a grass hut in the Amazon jungle, walk among geysers in Iceland, climb to the top of the Andes to view Machu Picchu in Peru, and sadly walked the road that thousands of Jews took from the trains directly to the gas chambers at Auschwitz. There were thrills in all these places, though not all were pleasant ones.
As I prepare for this 2020 Christmas season, I consider the lyric, “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn!” This takes on a significant and poignant meaning for me this year. In my 61 years on this Earth, I have never experienced a year with so much weariness and fear. The good news is that Christians will be ready to rejoice at the news of the birth of Jesus Christ. It will be time to say farewell to the weary world of 2020 and scream out in our most raucous of voices to proclaim a “new and glorious morn” on Christmas day.
John Walston is a retired teacher. He lives in Davenport.
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Diane Nauman
Such a well written message, John, as we all anticipate ‘a new and glorious morn’–the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!