Even in unsettled times, there’s room for hope.

The start of a new year should be a time of hope, but the sagging national economy and the unsettled state of the world makes it difficult to look into 2003 with optimism.

Americans have found a way to get on with their lives following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but the world seems no less dangerous on Jan. 1, 2003, than it did a year ago. At the same time, plans are being considered for new construction on the World Trade Center site in New York, new security measures continue to be added at U.S. airports. While we go about our daily routines, the shadow of nuclear weaponry continues to grow around us.

The threats are far different and far more unpredictable than they were during the Cold War standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union. The nuclear threat may have been great then, but it was controlled by a delicate balance of power. Now, weapons have found their way into the hands of nations and leaders who often seem neither thoughtful nor rational. Nations like Iraq and North Korea hold an uncertain world hostage to their threats of violence.

The world’s uncertainty adds to the economic struggles here at home. The stock market’s malaise has robbed many of retirement savings and caused many companies to cut jobs. Statistics released this week showed welfare cases have risen in three-quarters of the states, and cash-strapped state governments continue to reduce services to the frail and elderly. The United States may have the best health care system in the world, but that system may not be accessible to a growing number of uninsured Americans — and those who provide care to the uninsured are struggling to cover their costs.

So with all of these problems, what’s to look forward to in the year ahead?

It’s interesting that even faced with overwhelming evidence to the contrary, most citizens of the world will find some reason to have hope for the future. It may be something personal, like a strong family, a good job, a special achievement or a new baby. Or it could be something spiritual, something much larger than all of us that we have faith will bring us through troubled times.

So, whether it’s logical or not, most humans do have hope for the future. Without hope, it would be a sorry world.

Our hope for the coming year is less poverty and more generosity, less hate and more love, less uncertainty and more peace.

Happy New Year. May 2003 be a safe and healthy year for you and yours.