HOPE: Can’t live without it!

Hope is said to be a virtue of the Christian life. Hope seems to be not only important, but essential; it is necessary for seeing the future in such a way that we do not fall victim to despair, and instead remain open to the good. This is especially the case for the Christian framework, which emphasizes the need for hope.

I suppose there is such a thing as smart hope and dumb hope.  Or put another way, hope that is based on reality is smart and hope that is based on fantasy is dumb.  Did you hear about the old man who hoped for a frog that if he kissed it, it would turn into a beautiful princess who would love him forever?  One day he came across a frog who spoke to him.  The frog said “excuse me sir, but I am a talking frog.  If you kiss me I will turn into a beautiful princess who will love you forever.”  The old man picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.  About an hour later the frog repeated the same line and then said, “Why don’t you kiss me?”  To which the old man replied, “at my age I’d rather have a frog to talk to than a beautiful princess to love.”  

The value of hope is it aims at the good.  Hope is to be open to happiness. Hope involves adapting a perspective on the future, to see the possibility of the good rather than the possibility of evil or suffering or disappointment. Hope contributes to the highest ends of life. Hope is essential. It is through our hopes that we remain open to the good – and without this openness it is difficult to see how we can attempt to live for the highest ends of life. Hope as a Christian virtue is important. Jesus lived the life we could not live.  Jesus took the punishment we could not take.  Jesus offers us the hope we cannot resist!