How a Living Hope Affects Their Lives
MANY people consider the present world conditions to be hopeless. Granted, there seems to be little promise of a radical change for the better. However, despite this fact, hundreds of thousands of persons look confidently to a bright future. Why?
This is because they have accepted the promises that Jehovah God has made in his Word the Bible. They look forward to the time when he will act to remove all crime, violence, oppression and injustice. (Dan. 2:44; 2 Pet. 3:13) But this is not all. Regarding what the Most High has in store for humankind, Revelation 21:4 says: “He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” By means of a resurrection, even the dead will be able to share in these blessings. (John 5:28, 29) What a grand hope this is! And, because it originates with God, it is certain of fulfillment.
To help others to appreciate the grand hope set forth in the Scriptures and to strengthen it in themselves, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been holding a series of “Living Hope” conventions, scheduled to be completed early in 1980. The conventions continue to provide abundant evidence that a Bible-based hope has tremendous power.
Even outside observers have noted the good effect of this hope. For example, in the Netherlands, a high-ranking policeman, though off duty on Sunday, wanted to be on the convention grounds to help to direct traffic. He had so much enjoyed the orderliness and fine spirit of the Witnesses that he volunteered his services on his day off.
A Challenge
How a people whose hope unites them in genuine brotherhood can deal with unexpected obstacles was demonstrated in connection with the “Living Hope” convention in Hollywood, Florida. About two weeks before the gathering was to begin at the Sportatorium, a Witness, while making home visits, met a man who did maintenance work there. He expressed wonderment as to how it would be possible for Jehovah’s Witnesses to begin their convention on Thursday morning, July 5, since a rock concert had been scheduled for the night before and would continue until 11 p.m. Immediately the Witness alerted those in charge of preparations.
This posed a real problem. How could hundreds of Witnesses enjoy the program if they had to spend the night in readying the convention site?
In a marvelous demonstration of brotherly love, the Spanish-speaking Witnesses, who were to have their convention at the same place but not until the following week, responded. Upward of 1,000 volunteers eagerly cooperated, starting work at 2:30 a.m. on July 5. They moved huge piles of debris, swept up litter and washed all 14,000 seats. When the floor-washing machine broke down, they mopped the entire area by hand. At 5 a.m. the place was spotless, and platform construction could begin. The last loudspeaker was connected just seven minutes before the opening session.
After the second convention, the one in Spanish, was over, an official for the Sportatorium management was moved to say: “It was really upbuilding to see how all of you smiled, and how you greeted one another in such a warm, loving way. Only kind words could be heard during the time of your two conventions—no fights for seats or places, only orderly lines. This place has never been so clean and tidy.”
Truly, the love and unity that come from sharing a common hope made it possible to meet a big challenge successfully.
Efforts to Attend
Often an individual’s attending an assembly presents a personal challenge. Yet thousands of Witnesses proved that they were willing to meet it. Why? It can be attributed to their Bible-based hope, a desire to keep that hope strong and their concern for the spiritual welfare of others.
Take the case of Anita, whose husband is not a Witness. To maintain a normal family life for her mate, she, with her three children, arranged to spend only two days at the first convention in Corvallis, Oregon, and then another two days at the second convention in the same city. By driving over 200 miles (320 km) round trip every day, she was able to care for the needs of her husband and family in the evening. Not only did this arrangement enable her to benefit from the entire convention program, but she had the joy of aiding other Witnesses in like circumstances to attend with her.
Regarding her own efforts to be present at the “Living Hope” convention, one delegate said: “I was determined to attend this assembly. Being without a husband and low on money, I decided to be resourceful. I bought a 15-foot (4.6-m) travel trailer from a fellow Witness and financed it through the bank, where I am employed. Since I was to travel a long way, I took a course in auto mechanics. With that knowledge, I tuned up the car and installed new brakes. Another Witness and her children joined me. With our four children and trusting in Jehovah all the way, we successfully completed our trip of 500 miles (800 km) over high mountains.”
Not Discouraged by Tragedy
In a number of cases, Witnesses faced very discouraging circumstances that put their Bible-based hope to a test. For example, about a month before the first convention in Puyallup, Washington, a Witness lost her husband in death, leaving her a young widow with three small children and one older son. On Thursday morning, the day the convention started, the house caught fire, destroying all their clothes. With only their bathrobes, the family escaped the fire. Fellow Witnesses quickly responded to the needs of this mother and her children, providing ample clothing, so that they were able to attend the sessions on Friday.
Regarding her desire to be present for the start of the convention, she commented: “I wanted to be there to let the brothers and sisters know that I’m still alive. However, I just couldn’t make it. I am thankful to Jehovah for having been able to attend from Friday onward. I really benefited. It was almost as if Jehovah God said, ‘Sit down, I have something to tell you.’ That’s exactly what I did. I listened, and it was most encouraging.”
When the Unexpected Happens
Similarly, other Witnesses came to appreciate more fully the wisdom of committing their cares to Jehovah God. For example, in connection with the convention at Woodburn, Oregon, food supplies began to run short by the second day of the gathering. Therefore, Witnesses in charge of getting provisions assembled that evening and arranged to contact suppliers in Portland. All were encouraged to pray about the problem. But efforts to obtain food proved to be in vain.
Meanwhile, however, a Witness arrived unexpectedly at the assembly hall. He had taken a wrong exit from the freeway and found himself about 12 miles (19 km) off course. It so happened that he had recently begun to work for a food wholesaler in Vancouver, Washington. In view of his being in the vicinity of the assembly hall, he decided to check whether there was any need for supplies. Learning about the problem, he contacted his company and found that it had on hand a good stock of the major items needed and at a price comparable to or better than what had been paid previously. The question was: Just what caused this Witness to take the wrong exit at the right time?
Aid for the Program from a Variety of Sources
As the Witnesses listened to the discourses and observed the Bible dramas at the conventions, few realized that sometimes what they heard and saw had been made possible through aid from a variety of sources.
Because of flooding in Texas, many Witnesses encountered problems in getting to the convention at Houston. On account of the situation, the part of one of the speakers was canceled in the morning and rescheduled for two o’clock in the afternoon. To get to the convention, he and his son waded through water up to four and a half feet (1.4 m) deep, the father carrying a change of clothing in a plastic bag. A car that was scheduled to pick them up did not arrive. So they hitchhiked. One automobile took them part way. Then another ride was procured. The driver was a ham radio operator and therefore had something in common with the speaker’s son. Hence, the driver took both of them directly to the convention site.
One of the dramas at the “Living Hope” convention depicted life in Egypt during the time of Moses and included a scene of Moses at the burning bush. The couple responsible for procuring the needed props were amazed to find how help came from inside and outside the congregation. For the burning bush it was decided to use aluminum polycarbonate moved by air, with a light shining on it. One Witness donated a furnace fan; another provided the bush, and still another lent two 1,000-watt photo flood lamps. Merchants in the area supplied ideas and help in making the best use of the available props.
The wife who was to get the jewelry for the drama told what happened: “In our congregation there wasn’t enough fancy jewelry for one Egyptian, let alone all of them. I mentioned our drama to an old lady at a little grocery store. Surprisingly, she knew a woman who had much costume jewelry. The owner of this jewelry contacted me and brought over $350 [U.S.] worth of costume and real jewelry and also demonstrated how it could be used to best advantage.”
Effect of the Program
Up to now 1,342,117 have attended the series of “Living Hope” conventions world wide. Again and again expressions were made on how encouraging the program was. One elder, with many years of experience, commented: “The program reached not only the mind but also the heart. Everyone was very much impressed by it.”
Another elder stated: “This program is very personal. It deals with the individual, with his need to improve not only his relationship with God and with the brothers, but also with his own self, the inner man.”
Regarding the drama entitled “The Need of the Fatherless Boy,” one Witness said: “This drama was filled with vital points—elevated wisdom regarding problems that people in the world might not even think about.”
Hope in Action Among Those Getting Baptized
A prominent feature at the “Living Hope” conventions was a mass baptism. Interviews with those getting baptized revealed that Bible-based hope had stirred them to action.
Among those baptized at Saarbrücken, Germany, were a married couple and their son. The parents had lost two children through sickness and accident. The only comfort that their clergyman could give them was to tell the father: “Lord, thy will be done.” “This did not seem to me to be much comfort,” the father said. Later, through a study of the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, the family was greatly strengthened. As the father put it: “Now we have a marvelous hope through God’s Word, the Bible.”
One who stood up to get baptized at the convention in Nuremberg, Germany, was a man whose childhood had been spent in a series of homes, including one for juvenile delinquents. When he was only 21 years old, policemen found him in the streets suffering from alcohol poisoning, and took him to the hospital. He continued to drink, however, and was on the verge of delirium tremens. Concerning this period of his life, he said: “My hands and arms were almost paralyzed. I wondered why I was alive.” Nevertheless, by means of a Bible study, he was able, as he himself said, “finally to find out the meaning of life.” Encouraged by the Scriptural hope, he gave up drinking and smoking, married the girl with whom he had been living and stopped mistreating her.
One of the newly baptized Witnesses, a 26-year-old, at Landover, Maryland, had the following to say:
“Sitting in the Washington Capital Center among the 121 candidates for immersion and looking about at the 13,176 persons in attendance—all listening intently to the speaker and sitting peacefully together—was a deeply emotional experience for me. I had come to the convention in handcuffs with two armed guards from the Maryland State Penitentiary in Baltimore, where I have already served more than 27 months of a 25-year sentence. As I look back, I can see how I squandered and wasted my youth, but, by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, I now have a bright and happy future. Within a few hours, I will be going back to my confinement. Of course, I do look forward hopefully to possible parole and release. But whether this ever comes in this old system, I will never again be confined spiritually, for, indeed, Christ has set me free.”
At the convention in Niagara Falls, an 87-year-old woman was among those seeking to be baptized. With only one leg, blind in one eye and with defective vision in the other, and afflicted with diabetes, this woman has been able to maintain a good disposition. It took half a dozen men to lift her from her wheelchair and lay her gently into the water for baptism. As she was lifted back into her chair after baptism and wheeled out, a beaming smile could be seen on her face.
Reporting on the event, the Buffalo News stated: “The woman’s action was typical of some 10,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses present at their annual district convention Saturday. While none could match the drama of the elderly woman’s baptism, the men, women and children milling around the convention center showed a similar singleness of purpose.”
What helped the 87-year-old woman and the many thousands who attended the “Living Hope” conventions to have such “singleness of purpose”? This woman’s comments provide the answer: “Jehovah has been very good to me. He saved me a good memory. Even though I’ve lost much physically, I’m very grateful. I love Jehovah. All the brothers and sisters are one large family. I haven’t had a family in years, and now I have one. This brings me closer to Jehovah. The living hope has helped me to endure and overcome my problems.”
Surely Bible-based hope does motivate. It helps us to appreciate that our Maker, Jehovah God, has deep love for us, that he has in mind our enjoying a grand future. This draws us to him, prompting us to conform our lives to his ways. That is why Jehovah’s Witnesses are eager to help as many as possible to embrace the hope set forth in the Scriptures. If you are not presently studying the Bible with them, we encourage you to do so.
[Pictures on page 17]
A widow having a problem with her son
Bible dramas emphasized loving concern for fatherless boys and deciding how to use one’s life
Moses at the burning bush