Hope is tied intrinsically with Easter for Catholics everywhere. If there is a perfect time to strengthen our faith in the promise of eternal life with Jesus in Heaven, it is undoubtedly for Christ’s followers the season of lent, culminating in Easter Sunday. This is why when I found “Hope in Times of Fear,” a book by Timothy Keller, I wanted to explore it with an open heart and mind. Less than a year after the passing of the author and American Pastor from Manhattan, reading about hope from a religious man who was battling cancer while writing about renewed faith was an epiphany for me, especially because every chapter title has the word hope in it and one in particular, chapter eleven is named “Hope in the Face of Suffering” something that Mr. Keller was going through while creating this legacy of faith in the form of a book.
The literary message of the publication gets overpowered by the spiritual message imprinted in it. It reminded me of the meaning of “The Parable of The Mustard Seed” in Matthew 13:31-32. Which I rediscovered again while enjoying “Hope in Times of Fear.” I confidently recommend the work of Reverend Kelly as a valuable companion for the Lent season in addition to the reading of the Holy Bible. It is a light yet immensely vast and deep volume of Christian literature from beginning to end. A great finding, a thoughtful gift to help someone recognize the power of hope and the infinite merit of unwavering faith that will open a tired heart or a curious one to the well of depth of Jesus’s love for us sacrificing himself to give us the ultimate hope of salvation. The message of “Resurrection and The Meaning of Easter” is what author Keller offered captured right from the start of the first chapter: “A Certain Hope,” which opens with 1 Corinthians 15:1,3-10—emphasizing the wealth of hope consolidated in the Gospel.