Having Hope

     I very much like Pope Francis.  Although I am not Roman Catholic, I feel like much of the time he speaks for me and for Christianity.  I am fine with that.  The phenomenon of denominationalism has significant limitations.  I am old enough to have felt like someone from my own denomination, i.e. Quakerism, needs to speak my truth.  Of course, that is provincial and narrow.  But that is how I grew up.  It seemed perfectly normal in my limited context.  However, some education and some travel chipped away at my narrowness.

       I became interested in what Catholics were up to in the 1960s.  This was a tumultuous time. Vatican II was happening in the early 60s and then came the implementation of Vatican II reforms.  In some ways those reforms are still going on or, at least, being debated.  Part of my interest in Catholicism included being introduced to the world of monks.  As a Quaker, this was a part of the Christian Church about which I knew nothing. The more I learned about monasticism, the more I realized how it spoke to my own spirituality.  Thomas Merton became the best example of this monastic influence.
   
    Although Pope Francis is not a monk, he is a Jesuit.  And I have learned that Jesuits also bring a certain perspective and pizzaz to the table.  So when the Pope speaks, I want to listen and learn.  Recently he spoke in one of his audience talks about the topic of hope.  He particularly wants to help young people learn how to hope.  While this may sound crazy, I actually think it is very important.  As one who spends a great deal of time with young, college-age people, I do think they have some learning to do about hope.  So I suggest we listen to the Pope and learn.
   
    Francis began by telling the young folks, “When life hits hard, they should try to get up again, letting others help them, and if they are bored, they should concentrate on doing good things for others…”  I like the focus on helping others.  When all else fails, at least we can offer help to others.  I am certain the Pope sees a link between help and hope.  The Pope adds a theological statement, which I take to be true, although it is not self-evident.  He says, “No matter ‘where God has planted you, hope. Always hope…’"
   
    The author of this story from which I quote, Carol Glatz, offers some good insights on her own.  She organized the papal thoughts around particular themes, which make it easy to get the high points of his speaking.  We can follow her organizational lead.  “Enemy No. 1 is not out there somewhere, but inside oneself.  ‘Don't make room for bitter or dark thoughts.’"  This makes sense to me.  I can be scared of many things.  But the biggest threat is likely to be myself.  I can almost hear the Quaker line being sung along with this Catholic line.  Quakers would say to “mind the Light” or “live in the Light.”  If I can follow this, I will be hospitable to no bitter or dark thoughts.  They will be exposed to the Light.
   
    The next thought from the Pope I find equally attractive.  With Glatz’s additions, the line reads, "’Believe in the existence of the most noble and beautiful truths’ and trust that God, through the Holy Spirit, is ushering everything toward the good, toward ‘Christ's embrace.’"  I can affirm this about God.  But I would push even further than the words of the Pope and suggest this is true not only for Christians, but for all spiritual people around the globe.  I am confident the Pope would agree.  The best in Christianity will be replicated in many other religious traditions.
   
    We get a sense for this from the Pope, when we hear his further words.  “Believers are not alone in their faith.  There are others who hope, too.  ‘The world goes on thanks to the vision of many people who created an opening, who built bridges, who dreamed and believed, even when they heard words of derision around them.’"  It is easy to build on this.  I am grateful for all others who have learned to hope, too.  Where there is hope, there is a chance.  Hope dispels despair.  Hope creates a future, while despair destroys future or denies them.
   
    I like the detail the Pope provides in examining.  The folks who hope create openings.  Indeed, hope opens while despair closes and shuts down.  Another image the Pope uses is building bridges.  The bridge has been a favorite metaphor forever to portray the linking together of things.  Bridges can take us from here to there.  Bridges create possibilities.  It is easy to recall the bridges being blown up in WW II or any other conflict.  Destroyed bridges make life hard and traffic impossible. 
   
    It is easy to see Jesus as a bridge-builder.  At the core of his ministry, he is a bridge builder to God.  Jesus makes possible new and renewed relationship with God and with each other.  Certainly, Jesus heard his share of derisive words.  To read the gospels is to hear leaders and authorities trying to silence him and marginalize his work.  Often they did not want him building bridges.  They did not approve of the kind of hope he engendered in his listeners. 
   
    In fact, an easy way to understand Jesus is to see him as someone who had hope.  Indeed, he incarnated hope.  And when he calls us to follow, it is a call to have hope, too.