Recently I decided to compile a collection of some of my favorite newspaper columns in the Mercer Island Reporter into a book. After some brainstorming, I settled on the title “Faith Matters.”

As a clergyman, I am convinced that faith does matter. Because I believe that every person is born with a spiritual dimension, faith is a prerequisite for experiencing an abundant and complete life. So faith really does matter.

With the title of the book settled, I needed to come up with a cover design. Since my last few books have consisted of covers featuring paintings by artist friends, I wondered who I could approach this time. And then I thought of Craig Thorpe. Craig, a gifted artist and illustrator, has become a dear friend in recent years. Although most of Craig’s paintings are railroad themed, I love his rendering of Snoqualmie Falls. I imagined his painting of Snoqualmie Falls on the cover of my new book and smiled. My smile grew even broader when Craig agreed to give me permission to use it.

Having access to Craig’s painting is only one reason I chose to use it for the cover. Snoqualmie Falls is one of my all-time favorite places. There I can contemplate life as I drink in the beauty of God’s creation. It’s where I am refreshed by the power of the rushing water. Since my daughter and son-in-law live near “The Falls,” I have reason to visit this favorite spot often. When friends and family from out-of-state come to town, Snoqualmie Falls is a must-stop.

And since moving to Washington state two decades ago, our family established a tradition that relates to the Falls. Every Christmas Eve, we splurge for a family breakfast at Salish Lodge. Throughout the year, anticipating a special meal at a special place with special people helps carry us through more mundane times.

Now that I had the cover art chosen, the subtitle of the book seemed to flow quite naturally into my mind: “The Ebb and Flow of Unstoppable Hope.” As I pictured Snoqualmie Falls in various seasons of the year, I realized that the amount of water that cascades down the rocky ledge varies depending on the month. “The Falls” are much less impressive in the summer and early autumn than they are in late winter and early spring when the snowmelt in the Cascades gives the Snoqualmie River more reason to rage.

It’s true. Snoqualmie Falls ebbs and flows. And that for me is an illustration of hope. There are times in our lives when hope comes more easily than others. When blindsided by unexpected hardship or heartache, hope can be reduced to a trickle. But when embraced by the invisible arms of a gracious God, hope springs eternal. Hope ebbs and flows but it never ceases to exist. As the subtitle to my new book suggests, hope is unstoppable.

But by definition, hope is something that requires faith. Hope is activated by the ability to trust in what we cannot see or validate. Hope looks to the future and pictures what faith brings into focus. Hope is grounded in what we believe God has promised. And December is a month when hope makes its presence known in lights, lyrics, concerts, decorations and special services.

For my Jewish neighbors and my Christian friends, this month is one in which we take time to celebrate the power of hope. Hanukkah recalls a hopeful vigil that resulted in a miraculous demonstration of God’s power. And Christmas calls attention to the fulfillment of a long-awaited prophecy of Immanuel (God-with-us).

As a familiar Biblical text suggests, hope is that instinct that empowers us to wait expectantly. “Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently…” (Romans 8:24-25)

This coming Sunday afternoon (Dec. 8), my artist friend Craig Thorpe and I will be signing copies of “Faith Matters: The Ebb and Flow of Unstoppable Hope” at Island Books from 1 to 3 p.m. Craig will also be signing copies of his book “Railroads, Art and American Life.”

Guest columnist Greg Asimakoupoulos is a former chaplain at Covenant Living at the Shores in Mercer Island.