More on Hope

It's a bit ironic that about 10 days ago I wrote the previous post about hope. First, the movie I mentioned was just on TV tonight, and I heard the line that I slightly misquoted. Second, and here's where it gets almost surreal, I was asked by John Turner, a friend of mine and an author, to look over a couple of chapters of his new book before it goes to the publisher in its final form. The two chapters I was to look at were about faith and hope.

It was while reading the latter chapter that I finally understood why I am led to this topic, and why it keeps coming up in so much of my daily business. I am to increase my measure of hope to do whatever it is that I must do in the coming days, weeks, months, and years of my life. I'm not one who thinks that God goes about talking directly to me about his will for me, but I know that he is not one to stand and let me miss an opportunity to live this life more abundantly. It is not only in his power to reveal his will to me, but I think that it is in my best interest and his greatest desire to make known to me what he wants for me.

He told Abram that he would be the father of nations. That doesn't mean that Abraham, as he was later called, would ever see those nations. In fact, Abraham only saw two sons born to himself. He knew what it meant to hope in light of a promise made by God. He knew that what God promised, he would deliver. He knew that God would give him land when he left his home. He knew at the alter, about to sacrifice the very child God had given him, that God would make the promise good. He knew. Many people think that these are examples of his faith, and I will not deny it. But, they are also examples of hope. Hope empowers faith. Hope is the unseen of which faith becomes the evidence and substance. Hope is why our works show our faith. Without it, faith has no reason. Hope is what faith's works work toward.

John Turner's soon-to-be-released book on parenting says all of these things more articulately and more completely than I do here. And, since he seems to be my only reader, I'm not sure how to foot note the above paragraph which was inspired by his as yet unpublished work. Thanks John.

"Hope is a good thing, perhaps the best thing."

This is, I'm sure, a mis-quote of a line from the film, The Shawshank Redemption. Stephen King wrote the novel on which it was based, and I can't help but wonder if he gave thought to the message of The Bible when interjecting this thought in a letter from a prison escapee to a recent parolee.

The analogy of this world and our bondage to sin as being like a prison is often alluded to in sermons, books, and film. A friend with whom I work was taken to Dekalb County Jail on February third of this year on a domestic complaint that was filed two years ago in Chicago, and he stayed there for ten days. His name will be cleared of the charges, but his experience of going to jail and not knowing when he would be free left a deep impression on him.

As he told me of his experience, his voice was "filled" with a lack of hope. I wish I could have chosen better words for that sound; but, it was just that, a fullness that expressed emptiness. He said, "Once you are in there, man, they've got you, and you don't know when, how, or even if you will ever be free again."

I'm reminded of my sin. It has me. I sometimes think, hopelessly, that I don't know when, how, or even if I will ever be free of it. But, I have a letter from the only one who has ever broken sin's prison bars. Indeed, he is the one who paroled me from my sentence of death for sin's sake. This letter epresses how hope is a good thing, perhaps the best thing left in this world. It promises me citizenship into the Kingdom of Heaven, and it says my filthy prison uniform will be changed into a pure white robe.

WHAAAASSSSAAAAAAAA?

That was one of the commercials that originally aired on Super Bowl Sunday a few years back. I know that there was a product involved, but at the moment it is not clear what that product was. Most likely beer. There will, no doubt, be more of these great commercials debuting tonight during Super Bowl 40 (not to be confused with Super Bowl Extra Large). If it wasn't for the Super Bowl, the average person would have no use for Roman numerals.

Every year we meet at David's house (where the projection TV lives) to enjoy the game, the half-time show, and the new commercials. The kids run around and make noise; the food is hot, brown, and plentiful; and, the game is on two TVs and the internet. Despite not being a fan, I enjoy watching it. I just don't follow the commentary or statistics of each team or individual players.

I'm not an avid sports fan, nor do my friends expect me to be. John and Dane do a good job of explaining the finest points of the game to me as I have questions, and they manage to do so without making me feel like a loser. Chuck and David enjoy the game, the food, and staying ahead of the announcers. Others successfully pretend not to be annoyed by my lack of enthusiasm for the culture surrounding the game. I love them all for their part in this annual ritual. GO TEAM!