As we turn the page to 2026, many hearts in our community still feel the weight of what 2025 did not deliver. It was a year of challenges, some personal, some shared, leaving us with lessons to ponder and prayers still waiting for answers. Yet, as Christmas reminded us only days ago, even in the quiet aftermath of disappointment, there is reason to hope.
The child born in Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace, came into a world anxious and uncertain, not unlike our own. His coming declared that peace is not the absence of struggle but the presence of divine promises. That message still echoes today: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” It is more than a Christmas carol lyric; it is a truth for living, an invitation to trust that God is at work even when life feels unsettled.
As we journey into this new year, we are called to carry that peace forward. Hope is our faithful companion, not because life is certain, but because God is. When we choose forgiveness over resentment, service over selfishness, and prayer over despair, we let Christ’s peace take root in us and ripple outward into our families and communities.
Our task now is to carry that message from the warmth of Christmas into the ordinary days ahead. Hope is not wishful thinking; it is steady faith that goodness is still possible in our homes, our schools, our streets, and our city. When we speak kindness instead of criticism, rebuild what division has torn down, and look for possibilities instead of despair, we live out the peace we just celebrated at Christmas.
To live with hope in 2026 is to trust that every closed door of 2025 is not the end of the story. It is believed that the same Creator who brought light to a silent night in Bethlehem continues to bring light to our own nights of disappointment and uncertainty. Hope, in the biblical sense, is not passive wishfulness; it is active faith that new things will bloom even in barren seasons.
Across Augusta and throughout this region, we have opportunities every day to make hope visible. A word of encouragement to a neighbor, volunteering an hour in service to the community, lighting a candle, and whispering a simple prayer for another, these are actsthat quietly renew a community’s soul.
May 2026 be a year when hearts are steadied, faith rekindled, and hope renewed, not only in what lies ahead but in the One who walks beside us. And may itbe a year when our faith deepens, our peace holds firm, and our hope shines brighter than any disappointment behind us. In that spirit, Augusta and the CSRA can move forward, not just stronger, but more compassionate, more united, and more at peace. May you never lose hope in a brighter future. My wish is that peace and joy be with you in 2026.
The Rev. Billy Alford is a retired Episcopalianpriest who served at St. Allan’s EpiscopalianChurch. He currently serves as a supply pastor and faith columnist for the Augusta Press.
