A Brief History of Hope
Even those with 20/20 vision could not have foreseen the dramas and traumas of this calendar year, these pandemic times.
As we enter the year-ending religious holiday season, the season of hope, are we becoming hopeful about soon-arriving vaccines and a potential “roaring 20s” relief rally in our lives, or will we remain quite sober and even somewhat hopeless about the suffering in our nation and our world?
Before answering, let’s ponder some deeper understandings of this thing called hope, including its religious and philosophical considerations as well as its role in contemporary debates about our political and personal lives. Unwrapping the many meanings of hope may provide a precious gift of inspiration this year.