Monday, February 25
“But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.” –Psalm 71:14
I had hope on my mind as we hit the Mass Pike that morning. We were driving through the snow, heading to Florida for our vacation. My snow-covered bike on the back of the car was one tangible expression of hope–for warm, sunny weather! The real reason I had hope on my mind, though, was a promise I’d made in an email the night before. Soon after I got back from vacation, I was supposed to co-lead a workshop on hope for environmental activists. I hadn’t thought much about it, and in that email I’d promised my co-leader, Rev. Katy Allen, that I’d come up with some ideas on vacation. Besides, we had just chosen our theme for Lent–”Choosing Hope; Being Hope”–, and I knew Lent was sneaking up on us fast.
So once we hit cruising speed I suggested Fran and I talk about hope. We did–all the way through Massachusetts and Connecticut and New York State, until lunchtime on the New Jersey Turnpike. We talked, among other things, about resilient hope–hope that can withstand disappointment. At one point I dug through my backpack and pulled out pen and paper to write down a sentence we both agreed was worth remembering: “Resilient hope is open to mystery.”
Because we are human, our hope is often expressed in concrete ways. Hope to live a meaningful life may be expressed as hope to become a doctor, or hope to get into a particular medical school, or even hope to work on a specific floor of a specific hospital. It’s not a bad thing that our hopes take on such focus; it’s often what motivates us to act.
The danger is when we become so focused on a specific manifestation of a broader hope that we cannot envision any other way to move forward. The danger is when we forget that God’s Spirit moves in mysterious ways.
What does it mean to hope in a way that leaves room for mystery? How do we allow hope to grow with us, to change shape as our lives evolve? What are the hopes you hold, and how can you make room for mystery as you pursue them?
O God, your Spirit moves in ways we cannot see or imagine. May we be open to your mysterious ways. Bless us with hope that is shaped by the movement of your Spirit. Amen.