Although many young people might not be worrying about their own health during this crisis, I think few, if any, do not worry about what the future will become. Whether needing to reschedule summer trips, scramble to replace cancelled internships, try to get a new job, or postpone a wedding, it is fair to say that everyone has been affected by COVID-19. This may seem like the worst time to begin hoping, but I offer that it could turn out to be the best. 

Hoping is often regarded as an individualistic practice. I hope to attend Calvin University; I hope my dad gets the new job; I hope I do well on this test. As Sarah Stitzlein notes in her book on hope, hoping may begin as individualistic, but it should not remain such. Hoping should rather be shaped by and for our community.  Hope can be communal; we have hope in Christ. 

The World Health Organization has changed their phrasing of ‘social distancing’ to ‘physical distancing’ for a reason. Although you should not have all your friends over to your house, nothing should keep you back from continuing to see then (virtually if need be). This pandemic might be the perfect time to dive into your community. Whether you invest in your Calvin community, neighborhood community, or even online forum community, put the extra effort into socializing and sharing your hopes with them. 

With everyone sharing hopes, you can develop communal hopes for your own community. Maybe your neighborhood hopes to do more barbeques after the restrictions have been lifted. Maybe your friend community hopes to invest more time volunteering and helping those most impacted by job losses. By forming communal hopes not only do you create more people to help actualize them, you form deeper connections with them. Take time to reflect on what you hope for and share it with others. You might discover you share a lot more with others than you ever thought.