A Generation Between: The Xennial Pursuit of Christনমুনা

Day Two: Hope

Xennials have lived through a lot. We remember the optimism of the 1980s and ’90s, when the world seemed safer and the future looked bright. Then came the jolting realities of 9/11, wars, recessions, pandemics, and seemingly constant cultural upheaval. For many of us, hope started to feel fragile – not because we didn’t want it, but because the world kept proving it could disappoint us. Xennials know what it feels like to carry quiet anxiety about the future while putting on a brave face for our families, friends, and even our churches. That’s why hope is not just a quaint notion for Xennials – it’s the stuff of survival!

But hope, as the world offers it, is an uncertainty. In the past, worldly notions of hope were built on the promise of financial security, upward mobility, and the belief that social “progress” would fix everything. Today, hope is often reduced to positive thinking, self-help, or chasing temporary highs. Biblical hope, in contrast, is unwavering. Real hope is confidence that God is faithful, no matter our circumstances.

Scripture reminds us that hope is neither vague nor fragile. Our hope is anchored in God Himself. Jeremiah, in the midst of ruin, declared that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:21–24). Paul called God Himself “the God of hope” who fills us with joy and peace as we trust Him (Rom. 15:13). The author of Hebrews describes such hope as “an anchor for the soul” (Heb. 6:19). Peter points us to the living hope we have because Jesus rose from the dead; in Him is a hope that cannot perish or fade (1 Pet. 1:3–5). As believers, ours is not the fragile hope of the world, but the steady confidence that God’s promises endure.

Reflection: Where in your life right now do you most need to exchange the world’s fragile version of hope for the steady anchor of God’s promises?