With anything that we think we know there is always a possibility of learning about it on a deeper level; with hope, like most things, when you think you understand there’s always more...
Terry Pratchet in the Hogfather- Susan & Death on what it means to be human...
For me the ontological indestructibleness of hope is a solid foundation to start building and re-building my world view on. For me:
I have an old college friend for whom the world of Middle Earth was like the gateway drug into taking the claims of Christianity seriously. This, I think was one of Tolkien's reasons in creating the world in the first place:
Earlier video incarnations:
http://vimeo.com/56446519
https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KYDY...
I started my journey with cancer with a conscious decision to remain thankful. As well as being a key theme in scripture
Some verses on thankfulness:
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-1816 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:1-3
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
thankfulness also has a proven track record when it comes to health benefits of "mind over matter". How you see stress can either heal or kill you!
For much of the last five months maintaining this mindset has been relatively easy for me, even taking the cancer into consideration, I have so much to be thankful for. For one thing I have been fortunate enough to receive the best of Western healthcare at no cost (while over the same period Violet, the mother of some kids we sponsor in Uganda, died of cancer). For another, my friends and family have been amazing (especially my wife Steph!) and my kids have been a continual source of joy to me (even when I have had some evenings when I struggled with being more irritable with them than I ever was when I was well!).
However, sometimes thankfulness is hard work and to regain a positive headspace takes a fair bit of active re-framing of the interpretation of circumstances. One story that helps me a lot in this is a story I first heard from my dad which, it turns out, is an old Chinese proverb:
Mary Dora Russell has a great take on this in her interview at metanexus:
Another helpful story is the story of Joseph from the Torah. It clearly teaches how this re-framing can be used to bring forgiveness and restore relationships - "you meant it for evil but God meant it for good" (click here to see my Vlog on this). Ultimately, for the Christian it is the hope of the resurrection that gives a final resolution to the “endless begetting of fortune & misfortune".
For many, like Terry Pratchet maybe (see below), this belief is the ultimate self delusion, one that is persistent and that we may not fully be able to escape from, but a delusion nonetheless:
Terry Pratchet in the Hogfather- Susan & Death on what it means to be human...
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET— Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET— Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
For me the ontological indestructibleness of hope is a solid foundation to start building and re-building my world view on. For me:
Without the re-framing of an objective hope the best we can look for is detachment from everything because it is ultimately meaningless or a fantasy that we never quite believe in.
Without repentance and forgiveness every human relationship is only shades of misunderstanding and dysfunction and accepting that as normal is the only option.
Without the resurrection there is no ultimate justice in the world, it is an illusion or lie we use to control others with, the real truth is that "might is right".
Tolkien explored these themes often in his work with the Frodo & Sam relationship being a fantastic example of the outworking of hope in 'real' life.
“Despair is for people who know, beyond any doubt, what the future is going to bring. Nobody is in that position. So despair is not only a kind of sin, theologically, but also a simple mistake, because nobody actually knows. In that sense there is always hope.”-
Patrick Curry, Defending Middle-Earth: Tolkien: Myth and Modernity
I have an old college friend for whom the world of Middle Earth was like the gateway drug into taking the claims of Christianity seriously. This, I think was one of Tolkien's reasons in creating the world in the first place:
As Tolkien himself said, in his famous talk with C.S. Lewis and Hugo Dyson, which Lewis credited as being integral to his acceptance of the Christian faith:
"We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed, only by myth-making, only by becoming a 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil."
"We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed, only by myth-making, only by becoming a 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil."
http://vimeo.com/56446519
https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KYDY...
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