Here's how the energy of hope operates:
1) Take your hand and observe all five of your fingers from both sides - up and down moving each finger separately and then all fingers together.
2) Move each of your fingers around so you can see how they interact with each other. The best way to do this is to pick up an object and move it in your hand.
3) Now collapse your thumb into the pit of the palm of your hand and observe the same thing - eg. try to pick up and move the same object. It's very hard, if not impossible.
4) A simple lesson from scripture is rooted in the palm of our hand with this brief example: without God as a foundation we can't build or do anything of any lasting value. Without our thumb all we can do is grab and clutch at things in a vain attempt to control - ie. "get" - them. Our hand, our lives and our world gets swallowed up in a black hole of darkness. The background of everything turns opaque and we lose hope and fall away from what true living is all about - ie. helping, serving and loving others for the glory of God who is our Father in Heaven.
5) The information behind this message was received from the heart of the inner city of East Saint Louis when the Rev. Ken Campbell - "Kenny Bleu" - taught me/us the names of the five fingers as follows:
Thumb = The Apostle
Index = The Prophet
Middle = The Evangelist
Fourth = The Pastor
Fifth = The Teacher
6) Through simple observation and after asking our Lord "what does this mean" I received the simple answer "pick up something in your hand and observe" etc. So here are the basic meanings behind each of "The Five Fingers" as follows:
The Apostle (Thumb) corresponds to God our Heavenly Father, the foundation of all truth, justice and source of all hope and love that forms the foundation for our universe. Like the thumb, this is what we build our foundation upon, this is how we take our first step, etc.
The Prophet (Index) corresponds to an individual who has a skill, talent or message that can direct, guide or help others in unique-special ways. All prophets are gifts from our Lord, but they need others who, standing on the foundation - similar to how the thumb operates - to reach out to help him/her establish a unified vision or purpose so that the prophetic skill-message can be properly focused, shared and celebrated with others.
The Evangelist (Middle) corresponds to the individual that the Apostle and Prophet - together as one, unified in their vision/purpose - reach out to help, serve and love. The middle finger actually forms the counter pivot point versus the thumb which you can see when you hold up an object in your hand. The evangelist acts as a catalyst for "when two or more gather together in His name" - ie. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.–Matt. 18:20" - the Holy Spirit of Christ begins to operate - literally - in the form of truth, light and good works that help, serve and love others. The REAL KEY is this "third leg" or finger (position) for when an individual experiences the grace of our Lord coming from "two or more" - ie. as in the Apostle and Prophet working together as one - he/she will be "evangelized" (excited) to go out into the world to do the same to others, telling them "the good news" etc.
The Pastor (Ring Finger) corresponds to all the individuals who are good at setting up and securing the administrative conditions and details for this "Good News" to spread throughout our world. There are individuals who are skilled at organizing and delegating authority to others to complete all the many projects that are needed to accomplish an objective. As the chief administrator, The Pastor is the type of individual who naturally takes responsibility for making sure someone opens up the doors to the school, turns on the lights and makes sure the heat of properly regulated.
The Teacher (Pinky Finger) acts as the scribe who records and saves all the information and knowledge so that others can benefit. The spirit and energy of The Teacher calls for full transparency and accountability for everything that happens in our world.
What does this all mean? Well, ask the Lord yourself! And I am sure, as I was, you will be called to pick something up in your hand to observe and learn what actually happens as you truly use all of the five fingers of your hand. But the story doesn't end here. We have an arm that the hand is attached to which leads to a shoulder which is attached to a body with one head, another arm and hand plus two feet that are attached to two legs, etc. For when our ONE hand is working it is being "served" by the entire human body which was created according to the Divine Design of our Lord God Jesus Christ whose image is reflected in each and every individual who walks the face of this great earth!
The core vision and energy behind The Hip Hope Project rests in the image of a single outstretched hand that is a reflection of the spirit of hope that brings light into our world. In the spirit of service to others, the outstretched open hand calls forth these five (5) simple words: "How Can I Help You?" or "How Can I Serve You?"
Here's an example of how the spirit behind this "Vision of Hope" manifests - thanks to the glory of "The Teacher" manifesting in the global internet - in a little country church in the heart of New Zealand. (Click image to enlarge)
