“Hope” is the belief that something good is on the way, something that might give at least a brief respite from the trouble and mundanity that we too often find ourselves in.
Without it, life doesn’t work.
If I could find a way to package and dispense hope, I would have a pill more powerful than any antidepressant on the market. Hope is often the only thing between [a person] and the abyss. As long as a patient, individual or victim has hope, they can recover from anything…
However, if they lose hope, unless you can help them get it back, all is lost. One thing I can tell you is that hope is an emotion that springs from the heart, not the brain. Hope lays dormant until its amazing strength is beckoned, supplying a sheer belief that you will overcome, you will persevere, and you will endure anything…
As a Jesus-follower, I’ve had a hard time in this arena. For many years I believed that very specific things would soon come: fun relationships, exciting careers, material goods, etc. Some did, most didn’t. Now, in my late 50’s, I have a different kind of hope.
It’s one of the lessons I learned from taking a year away from alcohol.
If I think about my future, I have no idea what’s coming. All I can see is grey, like a fog. I know that good things are out there, that I might be surrounded by them, but there are no specifics, nothing to wrap my mind around.
When I look at the past – the whole past, not just the bad parts – my memories are full of powerful, life-changing moments, enough to give me hope that there’s more to come. I might not have specifics, but whatever’s on its way will carry with it joy, peace, comfort, friends, meaning, and more hope.
Below is a video that outlines hope – as it is presented in the ancient Jewish and Christian scriptures – from The Bible Project, a group that seeks to take folks on a PhD-level journey through the scriptures, clearing up all of the cultural and not-so-Christian chaff that have worked their way into our understanding.
I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it adds to the meaning of your Advent season.
