MESSAGE FROM PETE
December 2007

FROM THE METROPOLIS YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRIES OFFICE

Generation Hope

By Pete Sotiras, Director

My brother and I get along really well.  We have many of the same interests and enjoy each other’s company—which is surprising since he’s an Oakland Raiders fan and I’m a San Francisco Forty Niners fan, two pro football teams that have a huge rivalry.  Sometimes (okay, many times), I like to tease my little bro when he starts getting frustrated at the Raiders, wondering if they’ll ever return to the SuperBowl again—they haven’t been since 1984, before he was born!  As the wise older brother, I can’t help but offer my wisdom and usually tell him not to lose hope, reminding him that the Isrealites wandered in the wilderness for forty years before God led them out, so the next Super Bowl might not be until 2024!  Needless to say, I don’t think he appreciated my advice!  Even though I was half-joking, having hope is what sustains many fans during tough times.  Not every year will be a Super Bowl season, but true fans hang on, not giving up, sticking with their team through thick and thin.   

In life, hope is obviously more crucial than it is in sports.  Hope is what sustains us and keeps us going every day.  That’s what Christmas is all about.  Before Christ was born, God’s people awaited a Messiah for centuries, hoping for someone who would free them from bondage and oppression, someone who could be their King and grant them victory from their enemies.  The Messiah was someone who would stand up for those who had no protection, who had no comfort.  Many of God’s people never lost hope, even though they never lived to see the Christ child.   The Incarnation of Christ, when Christ became human, was the answer to the prayers of all the countless of saints who lived before Jesus.  God did not disappoint—He delivered.  Christ, the Messiah, was the champion of the poor in spirit, the peacemakers, those who were ostracized and oppressed. 

We as Orthodox Christians can relate to the saints who awaited the Messiah.  Many of us and those in our society are also in bondage and oppressed.  We may need to be freed from the bondage and oppression of guilt, jealousy, anger, frustration, despair, greed and/or hate.  It’s easy to let our emotions control us—when we do, we are in bondage.  We are not in control and we need someone who will grant us victory against the spiritual enemies that try and bring us down.  We sometimes lose hope, wondering where our help will come from.  Christmas is a reminder, a celebration, that our cry has been heard, that a Champion has entered our lives, a King, who will grant us victory over the forces that try to oppress us.  Sometimes, we have to be patient, knowing that changing ourselves takes time, but we must never lose hope, for God will deliver.  When we allow Christ to enter our lives, just like He entered the world 2,000 years ago, He answers our hopes and gives us the strength and courage to overcome our own challenges and to be free.    

[Youth and their families can contact Pete at: sfyouth@sanfran.goarch.org.  You can also view and download this article from the Metropolis Youth webpage at: http://www.youth.sanfran.goarch.org/]