Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.
-Martin Luther
In his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul wrote that of faith, hope and love, it was love that was the greatest of the three. It probably isn't smart to argue with a saint, even a dead one but fools rush in where the politically correct fear to tread, as they say (or something like that). I think St. Paul was correct in identifying the big three, I just believe that it is hope, not love that is the most important.
Hope is what gives us the strength to stand again when we stumble or are driven to our knees. It is hope that gives us the courage to struggle on in the dark until we find light again. It is hope that drives us on when we are alone and have lost our faith and hope is what gives us the belief that we will find love again. It is the ability to hope that separates us from all other living things because it is hope that makes us human.
The tradition is that the sign over the gates of Hell read, "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter." Hell rejoices in those who place their faith in vain and celebrates love unrequited but it can't countenance hope because it is the belief that there is something better. Hell is not a place for me; I believe that Hell, like despair, is the absence of hope.
I am one of the fortunate ones. I found hope again in my life and am filled with it every day. That hope gives me faith in those I love and that my faith in something beyond myself is not in vain. I have lived without that faith and without love and survived. It is hope that leads me on and causes me to believe in myself and this place we all share.
Someday, I hope, we all will get it right, maybe not in my lifetime but some day.
Someday, I hope, we all will get it right, maybe not in my lifetime but some day.
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My Bible says..."...Faith, Hope and Charity, and the greatest of these is Charity."
ReplyDeleteCharity is an act of Love (writ large).
WE only need to read the story of the "Good Samaritan" described in the Bible to understand.
I think, whether "Love" or "Charity" is the word used in whichever translation, the entire statement by Paul is profound, because it is relevant in any era.
Best Regards, JBS
(I guess I'm a dedicated follower of your blogsite now) Good topic!
The earlier versions of most English bibles were translated from Greek translations of the earlier texts. In the 20 century, translation were redone from the original Aramaic and Hebrew which saw the word charity changed to love.
ReplyDeleteNietzsche, perhaps citing Susanna Moodie, maintained “Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torment of man” I have cettainly had occasions to agree with that viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteNietzche also wrote that "when you look into the abyss, the abyss looks back into you." Certainly, there have been times in my life where I have experienced both your quote from Nietzche and mine. In the end though, my thinking has changed based on my own experience.
ReplyDeleteNietche was a hihilist which by definition sees everything as unobtainable and/or pointless. I have seen and experienced what hope can cause someone to do, so while I may be on a rant these day, I remain hopeful; otherwise I wouldn't waste my time.
I appreciated your comment and hope you'll drop by the blog again.
When Pandora opened the box, only hope was left.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, if love existed as freely as what God intended and what Paul envisions, one would never have to live without it and would not have to "hope" for it. Love is greatest because when it truly exists in its fullness there is no need for faith or hope.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you end your comment with the idea that where love exists there is no need for faith or hope. It seems to me that love is the very essence of both. It also seems to me that it is possible to love in vain but it is hope that gives us the strength to persevere. Thank you for your comments. We may not fully agree but I doubt we are very far apart and it is more hopeful to debate love, faith and hope than politics and protest.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bear. Since Jesus boiled the gospel down to loving God and loving man and since John teaches us that God so loved the world and we know, also from John, that God is love that the faith Paul is talking about is that we have faith that God is in fact love and that one day we will experience that love. The hope Paul is speaking of is the hope of seeing that love manifest. So, we love in this world only incompletely, but if we were to actually experience the love that Paul sees manifest through Christ then we would not need to have faith in its existence, nor hope that it is real, because we would experience it. In that respect, where there is love we need not hope nor faith, because what we truly need faith and hope about is that love exists.
ReplyDeleteIt is a mute point when you get down to it. There isn't really much distance between faith, love or hope and isn't that a nice thing to have in one's life.
DeleteI'm just trying to save your mortal soul...
DeleteKidding. :)