As the Jubilee Year of Hope draws to its close,
We remember: we are Pilgrims of Hope—hope against hope!
Let us not forget: this is the year of the Lord’s Favour.
Sound the trumpet, blow the horns, let cymbals resound—
A celebration of Redemption, Liberation, Restoration,
Freedom, Renewal, Forgiveness, Mercy,
Healing and Divine Providence, undeniable and profound.
Jubilee, oh Jubilee!
This is the year of the Lord’s favour—Pilgrims of Hope, arise!
Recall the history of Salvation:
God’s saving works, alive and active—
From Adam to Noah, Abraham to Moses,
Joshua to David, prophets to Yeshua,
From the Acts of the Apostles to the Apocalypse.
A year of new beginnings,
A year echoing messianic promises—Luke 4, Matthew 4, John 4, Isaiah 61.
A taste of the new heaven and new earth,
A year to trust in God’s promises—Jeremiah 29:11.
A year of humility, gratitude, deep faith, love, charity, reciprocity, and hope.
It is the year of the Lord’s favour.
A year of freedom from slavery, exile, estrangement;
A year of Divine Providence, par excellence—
Unfolding every twenty-five to fifty years.
A year echoing the coming of the Kingdom of God.
A year of release from bondage,
Of debts cancelled, sins forgiven,
Of land restored, equality and unity renewed—
Redistribution for all peoples,
Protection for the vulnerable and the poor,
Family joy, renewal, reconciliation,
Mercy, compassion, solidarity, rejuvenation.
A year for Ecumenical dialogue, pilgrimage, and spiritual growth.
Let us walk in the footsteps of:
The woman at the well, the wedding feast at Cana,
Blind Bartimaeus, the ten lepers, the Gerasene demoniac,
Zacchaeus, Matthew, Mary of Magdala, the hungry crowds,
The parables—the Sower, the wedding feast, the mustard seed, the talents, the dragnet.
Let us relive Passover, Resurrection, Pentecost.
It is the year of the Lord’s favour.
Let something happen to us, and to those we know, as never before.
It is never too late.
In Him, our hearts find joy;
We trust in His holy name.
—Emmanuel Mbeh, 2025
