Wisdoms from the Journey - Vol IV (Nov 2011 thru Apr 2012)

Embracing real Hope …
(04/09/2012)
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;
and the greatest of them is Love. ”
~ the “Apostle” Paul (1 Corinthians 13:13)
It’s Easter Monday, and spring is booming its BIG BEAUTY all around us.
I guess that means that today is a day for celebrating the rebirth of hope — and
this, whether you are a Christian or not … That having been said, it is important to
keep hope in its proper perspective — otherwise it will do us more harm than
good. Indeed, regardless of how you feel about Christianity & its Bible, the verse
above illustrates this Truth very well. As Einstein himself so astute pointed out:
“If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then
we are a sorry lot indeed” … And this is especially so when we realize that the
“love” mentioned by Paul is actually “agape” in the ancient Greek manuscripts —
a word that meant so much more than mere “love”.
Indeed, “Agape” fully trumps both faith and hope combined … Indeed, it is
only Agape that can save us. Hope and faith both yearn for what we feel to be a
better future — often for ourselves or the ones for whom we happen to care.
Agape, on the other hand, simply gives and gives and gives.
It is Agape that serves the poor … It is Agape that greets strangers warmly,
as though they were long-lost Friends (As they are!) … It is Agape that forgives
those who are wronging us … It is Agape that goes forth each day, grateful not for
the good that will assuredly come our way, but rather for the Good we can do for
others.
And if we can remember this Truth and act on it in our everyday lives —
maybe only for ten minutes each day – then our hope begins to shift … We start to
hope to lessen the suffering of those in pain … We start to hope that the saddened
once again know Joy … We start to hope for a world of Peace, and we start to
hope that we can play a small-but-significant part in making it so.
This is the hope that comes from real LOVE .
So … got HOPE?
“Lord, save us all from the tree of hope
that has lost the ability to put forth blossoms.”
~ inspired by Mark Twain
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