LWF Council adviser Ms Laura Saravia is coordinator of humanitarian aid, response to climate change and youth and gender projects in the Salvadoran Lutheran Church. Photo: Private
Salvadoran Lutheran Church youth leader Laura Saravia reflects on sustaining faith and hope
Hope is one of the three theological virtues along with faith and love, according to Christian theology. It is a gift from God that allows us to trust in God’s promises and to hope with certainty.
We often ask ourselves: what is our hope? We live in a world full of fear and uncertainty, surrounded by a climate crisis which, day after day, discourages and worries us. Now we are also facing a migration crisis, where thousands of brothers and sisters leave their homeland with only one desire: to seek a dignified life and better opportunities.
We observe with pain how human rights are violated, how injustice spreads and suffering multiplies. We raise our voices with clamor and courage, we fight for a more just world, and in the midst of it all, there is something that sustains us, drives us and keeps us standing: hope.
The Salvadoran Lutheran Church has gone through difficult times. First, during the civil war (1979-1992), our pastors and our bishop were persecuted for bringing the gospel to the most vulnerable communities. However, in the midst of that adversity, God’s grace was manifested. I wonder what was in the hearts of our people at that time, and without a doubt, the answer is hope.
Later, our church made a momentous decision to include women in pastoral service. Throughout this process, we saw God's hand at work. Today, we have ordained women and in January this year, we celebrated a significant event in our history: the installation of Bishop Guadalupe Cortés as the first woman to head the church.
Strengthening youth leadership
Our youth have also faced times of hopelessness, violence and crime. Recently, many of our young people suffered political persecution following the renewed state of emergency in the country, which forced some of them to migrate in search of safety. In those difficult times, the work of our church faced a great challenge: to strengthen hope from the love of God.
In God we find strength. Personally, my faith and hope has been strengthened because of my profound encounter with God. My greatest inspiration has come from our pastoral leaders, whose message has always been about hope, a living hope. The work that our church does with our faith communities encourages us to continue strengthening our leadership, especially the youth, opening up paths toward hope and opportunities.
Hope is a strong assurance, reminding us that we are not alone. God continues to work even in the most difficult moments.
Ms. Laura Saravia, Salvadoran Lutheran Church
Our youth is full of joy, their gifts and talents are put at the service of our church. Their spirit encourages us to continue strengthening our ministries. Indeed, young people are the promise that we find in hope.
Hope is a strong assurance, reminding us that we are not alone. God continues to work even in the most difficult moments, as stated in Romans 5:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Despite crises, challenges and pain, we cling to the promise of a better future. Hope leads us to believe in restoration, in justice and in the love of God, who never abandons us.
I invite you to reflect on: What gives you hope?
My prayer is that you will find inspiration guided by God’s promise.
This post is part of the monthly LWF Youth theological series called “Global Faith Unfiltered.” It features reflections from young theologians on the most pressing issues and topics across their communities, from a perspective of the priorities highlighted at the 2023 LWF Assembly.
