Fr Alvan Ibeh: A Message of Hope for 2026

In his regular column Fr Alvan Ibeh encourages readers to enter 2026 with renewed faith, trust, and hope in God, who guides, sustains, and remains faithful through every challenge and season of life.

If you are reading this article right now, I want to say congratulations for making it into the new year. You are among those who have been privileged to land safely as flight 2025 came to an end. Welcome on board flight 2026; fasten your seat belt, and I hope you enjoy the flight. But this is a gentle reminder that, if you are to enjoy this flight, you must put aside whatever happened during the previous flight and focus on this present one. It is very particular, but we still have the same pilot, who is God, and the angels as our flight hosts and hostesses. All we need to do is relax, because if God is the pilot, then no matter what comes our way during this flight, there will be no need to panic, for we are safe in His hands.

As we step into the year 2026, many people carry mixed emotions: hope, expectation, anxiety and uncertainty. The world continues to face challenges, from conflict and economic pressures to environmental concerns and personal struggles. For some, the new year arrives with excitement; for others, it comes after seasons of loss, illness, disappointment or deep fatigue. There are indeed many feelings and emotions that come with the new year.

But into this reality, the Word of God speaks a gentle but powerful promise: hope is not cancelled by hardship, and the future is not abandoned by God.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us, “See, I am doing something new; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19). God is not absent from our world. He is active, creative and faithful, often working quietly beneath the surface of our lives, even when we cannot yet see what He is doing. But if we are to see what He will do this year, we must remain focused on the One who has the power to heal our past and bless our future.

Our hope in God is not simply positive thinking. It is not denying pain or pretending that everything is fine. Not at all, for that may only be optimism. Rather, hope is the deep confidence that God remains present and purposeful in every season of life. It assures us that, no matter the situation we find ourselves in, God is ever present and fully aware. Hope reminds us that, notwithstanding what happened in 2025, 2026 will bring something better our way. The Psalmist says, “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). God draws especially close to those who suffer.

Saint Paul echoes this trust when he writes, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). This does not mean that everything that happens is good, but that God can bring meaning, healing and growth even from painful experiences.

At the heart of our hope as Christians stands a person: Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Saint Peter calls this “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). The resurrection assures us that darkness does not win, death does not have the final word and despair is never the end of the story. Because Christ lives, hope lives, and this hope, St Paul says, “does not disappoint.”

Jesus himself says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:27). These words are not an escape from reality but an invitation to trust, to believe that God walks with us into the unknown future. We do not know what the new year holds for us, but we are secure in the knowledge that we are in safe hands.

In a society often dominated by anxiety and uncertainty, hope becomes a quiet but powerful witness. Jesus reminds us, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The world does not need more fear-filled voices; it needs people who live with trust, kindness, patience and courage. The world needs you and me as powerful witnesses of the hope God offers to those who believe and trust in Him.

As we begin 2026, God invites us to trust again, even after disappointment; to love again, even after hurt; and to believe again, even after long waiting. The Book of Lamentations offers a beautiful assurance: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23). We firmly believe that each day of the new year is already touched by God’s mercy.

The year ahead may not be easy, but it is held by God. And that is enough. The Letter to the Hebrews encourages us, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

So we step into 2026 not with fear, but with faith; not with anxiety, but with trust; not with despair, but with hope, a hope that does not disappoint, because it is rooted in the faithful love of God.

Wishing you all a blessed New Year of 2026.

Comments