A Paradox of Hope
Hope is not a ‘pie in the sky’ sentiment, not the watered down version of the word we lightly throw around, but one of the chief theological virtues, along with Faith and Love.
We are told, (Rom 15:4) for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have Hope.
St. Paul states, (Rom 8:24-25) For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Here is a key; Hope, with its joy, and patient endurance are inextricably tied together. Such paradox is true to the Orthodox Faith and experience.
Here is a story with a paradox:
Admiral Jim Stockdale was the highest ranking U.S. military officer in the "Hanoi Hilton" prisoner-of-war camp during the height of the Vietnam War. Tortured over twenty times during his eight-year imprisonment from 1965 to 1973, he lived out the war without any prisoner's rights, no set release date, and no certainty as to whether he would even survive to see his family again.
As the ranking officer, he did everything he could to create conditions that would help the other prisoners survive. He instituted rules that would help people to deal with torture. He created an elaborate internal communications system to reduce the sense of isolation that their captors tried to create. At one point, he beat himself with a stool and cut himself with a razor, deliberately disfiguring himself, so that he could not be put on videotape as an example of a "well treated prisoner."
After his release, Stockdale became the first three-star officer in the history of the navy to wear both Aviator Wings and the Congressional Medal of Honor. His book, In Love and War, written jointly with his wife upon his return is a depressing story of his fate as a prisoner of war. His future seemed so bleak. The only certainty was the constant brutality of his captors.
In an interview Stockdale was asked the question: How did he survive, and what is the possible lesson for those of us not facing the dramatic circumstance of pending torture and death?
His response was, "I never lost faith in the end of the story. I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade."
When asked, Who didn't make it? Stockdale said, "Oh, that's easy, the optimists. The optimists were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they would say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart."
Admiral Stockdale stated, "This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
You can hear Stockdale admonishing the optimists: "We are not getting out by Christmas; deal with it!"
What separates people is not the presence or absence of difficulty, but how they deal with the inevitable difficulties of life. In wrestling with life's challenges, the Stockdale Paradox, which is true to the Orthodox principle, is we must retain hope that we will prevail in the end and we must confront the most brutal facts of our current reality.
We may call this courage… St. Paul and the Orthodox Church put this in the terms of the virtue of Hope. In the Orthodox understanding, Hope is not less than, nor opposed to Faith. Hope is the sister of Faith:
“Faith is the foundation and ground of belief - Hope is the wings of Faith”
Faith is concerned with the past, present, and future. Hope is supported by the past, our experience with the mercy of God, but has its eye fixed only on the future end, the finish line.
Such hope is not diminished by tribulation; on the contrary, it is strengthened by it
(Rom 5:3-5) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
It is termed a helmet to protect our minds from the dark lies of the enemy.
(1 Th 5:8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
The Psalmist gives us a word picture of the character of Hope
(Psalm 84:5-7)Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are thy ways Who going through the vale of misery, use it for a well; and the pools are filled with water. They will go from strength to strength and unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Zion.
While the storms rage, Hope anchors us to the deep quiet under the roiling waves.
The Fathers tell us, “Without hope, it is impossible to pray, but hope makes our prayers reasonable, passionate, and religious; for it relies upon God's promise, or experience, or providence, and story. Prayer is always in proportion to our hope, zealous and affectionate.”
This is a direct act of hope; to look through the cloud, and look for a beam of the light from God; and this is called in Scripture ` rejoicing in tribulation, when the God of hope fills us with all joy in believing.' Every degree of hope brings a degree of joy.
The antithesis of the virtue of Hope is the Sin of Despair. Despair is the proper passion of damnation.
"God hath placed truth and felicity in heaven, curiosity and repentance upon earth, but misery and despair are the portions of hell.” - St. Bernard
The Saint goes on to say that one guards against despair by “Gathering together into your spirit and its treasure-house, the memory, not only of all the promises of God, but also the remembrances of experience and the former senses of the undeserved favors and mercies of God.”
The conjectures and expectations of hope are not like the conclusions of faith, yet they are a helmet against the scorching of despair in temporal things, and an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, against the fluctuations of the spirit in matters of the soul.
Finally, Perseverance is the perfection of the duty of hope, and its last act. Hear that again; Perseverance is the perfection, or completion, of the duty of Hope, and its last action.
So long as our hope continues, so long do we go on in duty and diligence in the face of whatever our circumstances, stresses, and difficulties are at present.
Our steadfastness is anchored by the courage of the deep virtue we call Hope.
It is won in the process of Spiritual growth. It is reflected in Adm. Stockdale’s experience. St. Paul knew much about this subject through experience. I will close with his words:
(Rom 5:1-5) Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand and we boast in our Hope of sharing the glory of God. (Here is the cycle of Hope)
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that Suffering produces endurance,
and Endurance produces character,
and Character produces hope,
and Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For in Hope we were saved. Now Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we Hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with Patience. (Rom 8:24)
Therefore: (Rom 12:12) Rejoice in Hope, be Patient in Suffering, Persevere in Prayer. +