It’s the middle of summer—we are in this time when the sun rises early and sets late, when weeds are flourishing and ripe tomatoes aren’t that far away; these days when we are surrounded by light and warmth—ample amounts of it! I hope you’re getting some time to enjoy this season—it’s invitation to slow down and be present to its gifts. Which you know is going to go by faster than we think. At the same time, I’m mindful that, for many of us, these are trying times, when our nation seems to have lost its way and is doing harm than good: oppressing people rather than advancing the cause of freedom and justice, dividing people because of race or ethnicity or immigration status. It would be easy, these days, to focus only on what’s broken, to be anxious about the state of our world, to fall into despair. 

But our world needs all the help it can get these days; it needs what you and I have to offer: our hope and faith, our energy and daring. With so much bad news, it can be easy to feel discouraged. I need ways to have my faith in humanity renewed, I need reason for hope, and I expect you do too. And recently that faith and hope has come from a surprising place: the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.