一天傍晚，我注意到我家附近的空地上，有一排排整齊的田畦，每一排都長著綠色的小葉子，上面露出含苞待放的花蕾。第二天早上，只見那塊空地冒出了一片豔麗奪目的紅色鬱金香，讓我不禁駐足觀賞。

去年秋天，一個團體在芝加哥南區的一些空地種下了十萬株鬱金香球莖。他們選擇栽種紅色花朵來象徵美國惡名昭彰的「紅線制度」（redlining），如何影響這些主要是少數族群居住的社區。這些少數族群在申請貸款時，常因銀行歧視而被拒，而鬱金香則象徵在這些空地上原本可以建造的房子。

上帝的子民經歷許多挑戰，從被擄過著流亡的生活，及至遭遇像紅線制度這樣的歧視。然而，上帝的子民仍有盼望。正如在被擄期間，先知以賽亞提醒以色列人，上帝不會離開他們，並要賜予「華冠」代替灰塵，就連貧窮人也有「好信息」傳給他們，上帝還應許以「讚美衣代替憂傷之靈」（61章1、3節）。所有的願景都綻放上帝的榮美，並讓人歡欣喜樂，那時，他們將成為「公義樹」（3節），不再是頹喪的流亡者。

那些鬱金香也讓人看到上帝能從污泥和歧視中創造榮美。我期待在每年春天都能看到鬱金香，更重要的是在我的鄰里和其他社區看到新的希望。

One evening, I noticed neat rows of soil in a vacant lot near my home. Each row contained small green leaves with tiny buds peeking out. The next morning, I stopped in my tracks when I saw a patch of beautiful red tulips sprouting in the lot.

The previous fall, a group had planted one hundred thousand bulbs in empty lots throughout the South Side of Chicago. They chose red to symbolize how redlining (lending discrimination by banks) had impacted neighborhoods where primarily minorities lived. The tulips symbolized the houses that could have been in those lots.

God’s people have endured many challenges—from being exiled from their homelands to discrimination like redlining. Yet, we can still find hope. Isaiah reminds Israel during a time of exile that God would not leave them. He’d give them a “crown of beauty” in place of ashes. Even the poor would receive “good news” (61:1). God promised to exchange despairing spirits with a “garment of praise.” All of these images evoke His splendor and would bring joy to the people, who would now be “oaks of righteousness” instead of dejected exiles (v. 3).

Those tulips also show that God can create splendor from dirt and discrimination. I look forward to seeing the tulips each spring, and more importantly renewed hope in my neighborhood and other communities.