I appreciated Chris Scott’s column, “Hope That Is Foolish, Defiant, Sacred” (September). HOPE (Helping Our People Excel) was a guiding acronym for my 44 years of teaching students. When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, we began attending a support group named HOPE (Helping Our People Endure). For me, hope is never foolish, except in the eyes of those who don’t want to be a merchant of hope. Hope can be defiant, yes, because some people don’t want to be a part of the solution but maintain a hands-off stance. When one helps the young, old, sick, shy, healthy or unhealthy, this becomes sacred (versus scared), as we learn in the parable of the Good Samaritan. I look forward to future columns by Pastor Scott.

Miles A. Carroll, Aberdeen, Idaho