This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and CNY’s InterFaith Works. Follow this theme and author posted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

I admit that the divisions in our country often depress me. The elections did nothing to bring people together. In fact, I think it showed us how divided we are and how many issues we disagree on. And not just things that we simply disagree about, but also things that we are extremely controversial about.

Sometimes I pray about all of this. Sometimes no. But every time I think about all of this, something incredible appears in my life and reminds me of the extreme good in the world. Just this week, I heard about parishioners getting up at 5 a.m. to go to the Samaritan Center to feed people, or InterFaith Works gathering coats to warm people, or OCC reaching out to the community to help people start careers. As a priest, I often hear about people’s spiritual lives, but just this week I heard three people share how they moved from deep sorrow and loneliness to beautiful community and reconciliation.

As a Christian, I identify these moments as encounters with God’s grace, but even if you have different words or don’t believe in spirituality at all, we can all agree that they are special signs in the dark moments of our lives. Whether a loving God is behind them or not, these are signs that we should never give up hope that humans, as a whole, will face adversity with care and concern for each other.

Is that hard to believe these days? That humans tend to face adversity with love? Maybe things are too dark right now to believe such things. Keep them in your heart anyway and see who comes into your life to bring you words of absolute grace and love in the days to come.

The Rev. Tim Hannon is priest and rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Manlius, New York.