In the tumultuous times in which we now live, the world appears to be spinning out of control. Thus, there are many people who are aimlessly wandering in search of a healing balm to soothe the pain they are feeling and to give them some sense of peace and comfort. They seek to find even a glimmer of hope but don’t know where to find it, or even believe that it exists any longer.

What is hope? It seems to have become an obscure word in some instances. Perhaps “hope” can be defined as the song of the heart that soothes the troubled mind and the weary soul. It enables the belief that although things may not be as expected at this moment, all is not lost, for there does shine a light at the end of a seemingly dark tunnel. Hope invigorates the mind and gives vitality to an otherwise doleful life. It develops within a person the realization that the well of life has not run dry, but rather the pump just needs to be primed with the water of faith, and then, once again the cool refreshing water of life can be drawn from the well. Hope is what gives a person the courage to continue to press forward at times when it may seem that there is no reason to press forward. If an individual can keep hope alive, they can have a song in their hearts and gleefully sing the words from the second verse of the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”:

Someday I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That’s where you’ll find me.

This week’s “Video Find of the Week” features Christopher Meek of the group Dahlia Row and his excellent rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” In the description of the video, Christopher says, “I’ve always loved this song and over time it has become a hymn to me. A song of promise, hope, and healing.”

As a person listens to his melodious voice, a sense of serenity overtakes him or her, and if but for a moment, they detach themselves from the cares of the world and allow the words of the song to become a healing balm. They can envision being “Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high.” And they can begin to believe that “There’s a land that [they’ve] heard of once in a lullaby.” As they continue to listen, the hope that they had long been searching for is restored once again.