In Need of Hope
August 28th, 2011A recent survey young people in the United States said that the majority of them don’t expect to have lives better than their parents. A recent discussion with friends led to a disturbing conversation about the state of the world, and the fears of over population and famines, a belief that our society is in decay, that governments should make the choices for us - who is educated, who is not, which people receive aid, which do not. Conversely, we have a string of world leaders - who seem devoid of ideas, who are long on rhetoric, and short on action.
There is a lack of hope.
The world needs people willing to stand up, and challenge. The world needs people stout of heart. The world needs people with faith.
The world will try to knock them down, the world will mock, will make fun of, will point out the trials and tribulations as reasons why we should let the decay happen, why we should retreat.
But that isn’t new.
For people of faith, people of hope, laughter and derision are common place. They look for the spark in the darkness.
But the spark still burns.
Jeremiah spoke of it - “The word of the Lord has brought me derision and reproach all day.” But yet, he can’t hide from it, “I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.”
Paul speaks of it to - of not conforming, of not giving in to those who speak fear, “Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Hope, and love, bred hardship and pain.
The greatest sacrifice was that of our Lord who gave his only Son for us. He suffered, died, and was buried, but was raised up to save us. The suffering was necessary. Out of the horrors of death came the spring of hope that welled up to the very reaches of heaven.
Before he died, Jesus, like Paul, gave us a challenge, a challenge to discern, but once that discernment is done, to act. As Jesus said in the Gospel of Mathew, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life, will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
In our everyday lives, we are called to live lives extraordinary. I vividly remember the day that my father, a man who didn’t cook and hadn’t done laundry in years, brought home my mother from the hospital, even when the doctor recommended a nursing home.
“I promised for better or for worse….this is just the worse part…” Was his response. As painful as it was for Dad, and for the family, the blessings, the hope that sprang from that love called for nothing less.
In the material, worldly way, it was foolishness. It was hard. It was painful. At the heart of the matter…was love.
In a world losing hope, each of us is called. Each of us must discern, and hear the call. Each of us must act. Each of us must bear our cross. Each of us must be a beacon of hope, faith, and love.