Hope in our time

What are your hopes during this time of lock down in this Coronavirus or COVID -19 pandemic? Are you looking forward to the end of solitude and getting back to normal living? Being with family and friends, those at work, neighbours? Are you looking forward to the resumption of sporting activities or other interests where you meet and mix in reality – not virtually? Perhaps you are already making plans to re schedule those cherished holidays which were so suddenly snatched away without warning.

If your situation is intolerable right now, hope is what can give the strength and perseverance for you to carry on. These hopes may even make you happy. As human beings we have the facility to look ahead, to imagine, to dream. Even to dream like the words of the song, “The impossible dream.” The words are powerful, “to fight the unbeatable foe, to bear the unbearable sorrow, to run where the brave dare not go.” Why not take a moment now and hear the song maybe sung by Frank Sinatra on YouTube.

What you hope for will come from your values, what you cherish and hold most dear. This reflects who you are, your identity, how you see yourself. Going deeper this in turn taps into your core beliefs and faith.

Do you believe that you, the world and life as you know it is an accident? That it came about millions of years ago when two atoms (where did they come from?) collided in space. When you consider the intricacies of your being body mind and spirit, when you consider the world and its eco systems, when you gaze at the stars, when you look with wonderment of a flower on a spring day, a waterfall, the grandeur of a mountain surely you might say, ‘there is a Creator God. I am a gift, the world is a gift, free will is a gift. I can choose good or ill.’ This is the greatest gift a Creator can give a child like the gift of freedom a loving parent gives to her child. That is, to go out and make something of himself and re create the world for the better.

The world is in your care – our care. Think of the challenges of climate change and it’s causes.

So in this lock down time let’s hope and maybe re examine what we hope for.

Peter the apostle writing to persecuted Christians of the day, reminds them of their inheritance as children of God. “This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials…” (1 Peter 1:6 – read 3 – 9). And in verse 9, “and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward.”

Hope is a virtue of the Christian tradition. Hope is for something you want and expect to have. The virtue is hoping for union with God our Father and eternal happiness. 

A story to end. A little girl has finished reading all her books and asks her daddy to take her to the library. As they reach the bus stop holding hands the little girl looks sad and her dad asks her what’s wrong. She says she is looking forward to reading new books but worries that they may not get a seat on the bus and that the bus will jerk and she might fall over, to which her dad replies, “not if we hold hands tightly, just don’t let go.” She smiles but then looks sad again and says, “But daddy some people on the bus will be smelly and might argue and call each other names I hate that. Can’t you make them all be good?” Dad replies, I’m sorry I can’t make them be good but when we get to the library it will all be worthwhile I promise. With that the little girl held her dad’s hand even more tightly looked up and smiled just as the bus pulled up.

Quote from Thomas More one of the greatest Englishmen that ever lived. “Lord grant me a healthy body and the good humour to maintain it.”

Humour is key.