Our Scripture passages this week are a reminder that God can use even the slightest thread of hope to do more than we can imagine. In our first reading from 2 Samuel, David despairs over the loss of a friend and the defeat of a nation and then rises to become the greatest of kings. In our Gospel passage from Mark, we see how words of simple faith –or perhaps desperation– transform lives. Our faith does not need to be refined, eloquent or shaped in the traditional wording of the creeds to be noticed. We can be rich or poor, have everything or nothing, be distinguished or destitute, still God hears every sigh, every deep and heartfelt longing as prayer, even if it comes only because we have nowhere else to turn.