During Lent, we have been
challenging to think about what it means to be courageous, the indifference of
the natural world and the storms and clouds that assail us - those internal and
external pressures and situations that overwhelm us. In all this we have been encouraged to think,
by Dianna Gwilliams, Derek Holbird, Steve Summers and Andrew Bishop to think about how we respond and endure. Do
we rely on inner strength or find unexpected moments of grace? Do moments of
hesitation enable us to glimpse love? Where to find an anchor point or harbour in a
storm, or do we ride it out? Do we rise above the clouds and find glory and
presence of God?
Catherine Clancy: The storm took my
soul away (2014)
What do we hope for?
If it isn't optimism, how do we cultivate
it?
If it is a spiritual virtue, what
practical difference does it make to our lives as disciples of Christ?
The biblical vision of hope often emerges
in the face of adversity. Naomi says to Ruth and Orpha Even if I thought there was hope
for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you wait
until they were grown? [Ruth
1:12-3]. In the face of losing her sons, she seeks to liberate her
daughters-in-law to continue their lives: even if she could bear children, how
could these adult women wait, putting their lives on hold. The lack of hope in
relation to the human condition forces them to make choices about where they
place their trust in the future.
The books of Job, the Psalms and Proverbs
are full of hope and despair: Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light, but have none (Job 3:9). There is disappointment and loss; yet
there is also confidence because of hope. There is hope for the tree that is
cut down and which sprouts again; Job is assured of protection and rest because
there is hope, whereas the only hope of the wicked is to breath their last.
The psalmist contrasts the vain hope of
the war horse by its great might it cannot save (Ps.
33:17), whereas those who trust God place their hope in his steadfast love (Ps.
33: 18). Hope is placed in God - in his word, in the fulfilment of his
commandments; it becomes a source of blessing and gladness. Hope is associated
with wisdom and a vision for the future (Proverbs 24:14). The prophets Isaiah
and Jeremiah contrast the misplaced hope in other gods or rulers with the call
to wait patiently on the Lord I will wait for the Lord... I will
hope in him (Isaiah
8:17).
There’s a contrast between placing our
hope in the fleeting, contrary and disappointing things of this world and the
steadfastness of God. There is a reciprocity undergirding these hopes: patient
waiting and obedience to commandments are expressions of hope. They are
generative because they are placed in God - the one who is faithful and
steadfast. This echoes in the Gospels - Jesus Christ is the one in whom the
Gentiles will hope (Matthew 12: 21); in contrast Jesus speaks of the
superficiality of human relationships based on exchange and hope return (Luke
6:24).
Acts and the epistles are full of hope:
in the light of the resurrection, hope seems to overflow: Hope is in the
promise of God, which Paul affirms as he faces his trial (Acts 24: 15; 26:6).
Hope is set on Christ, that we might life for the praise of his glory
(Ephesians 1:12); it is the source of our calling - being one body, in one
Spirit; rooted in fellowship and faith in the Lord (Ephesians 4:4).
Paul hopes to meet his brothers and sisters,
for them to meet Timothy and others; but such fellowship is in Christ
(Philippians 2:23; 1 Timothy 3:14). Hope
has a heavenly focus - a longing for the new creation. Yet, hope isn't just
about eternal life (Titus 3:7). There is a very real impact in the present:
living hope leads to holy living (1 Peter 1:3, 13).
In struggles, hope is in
the living God; the Saviour of
all people. It is a hope that is a steadfast anchor; hope in Jesus Christ; an
invitation, perhaps, to fix our eyes on him when storm, clouds, fear and
disaster assail us.
© 2015 Julie Gittoes
© 2015 Julie Gittoes
