[Photo Credit: Photographer Alejandro Cegarra, The New York Times/Bloomberg]

This Sunday, Jess Williams explored the role of hope when we walk through hard times in life. Starting with the pain caused by toxic positivity and the cultural pressure to put forward a polished life, Jess asks what the antidote to this might be. She thinks the blessings of Jesus in the Beatitudes have something important to teach us about the kind of life Jesus calls blessed. You can view her powerpoint and you might also enjoy listening to the song suggestion at the end: Hard Times Come Again No More.