* "When we are trapped in a tunnel of misery, hope points to the light at the end.
* When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy.
* When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits.
* When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going.
* When we lose our way and confusion blurs our destination, hope dulls the edge of panic.
* When we struggle with a crippling disease or a lingering illness, hope helps us persevere beyond the pain.

Paul makes a bold claim here in tying the truth of Christianity to the truth of a particular historical event. Disprove it, says Paul, and Christianity is doomed. What sort of historical evidence is there to support the resurrection of Jesus?

To want to be like God, to be independent, unlimited, liberated from moral constraints, from feeling the need to share, to care for others, to give; to have the unlimited possibilities of God, is the beginning of envy and the opposite of love.

To want to be like God is to want to be able to control results, to influence others, to guarantee success - a fearsome power that God denies even himself.

News organizations love schadenfreude. Nothing excites the public more than breaking news about the latest scandal amongst celebrities or politicians. We secretly rejoice to see self-righteous leaders fall from grace. We gloat when prominent and powerful politicians on the opposition party are caught in crimes and misdemeanors. We love scandals because they give us something to be disgusted about, and to make us feel so morally superior. Other people's sins make us look virtuous.