I’ve been thinking a lot about hope lately. ‘Tis the season. Yet, lately hope has seemed elusive. A year ago at this time, the air was filled with hope. The end of the pandemic seemed within sight as initial doses of the covid vaccine were being given; the political landscape promised a kinder, more just future with the Biden-Harris administration soon to be sworn in; movements for racial justice seemed to be gaining momentum. How quickly things changed. At times, despair for the world can seem overwhelming.