The Choice: Skepticism or Hope

       It's so easy to be a skeptic today! It's easy to rail against systems and people who are supposed to work for our benefit but fail us.

       I think today's political stage is so chaotic in part because it acts like a great pressure release valve for  the frustration and anger many people feel about systems that make their life difficult. Lots of things are broken, and people are searching for a "fixer." Candidates who promise something simple and certain get lots of attention. Desperation seeks quick solutions.

       Amazingly, there is something buried in this maelstrom that unites everyone involved. Every single person believes there is a way out. Every one has hope! Looked at from this perspective, Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Pope Francis and even Jesus all have something in common: the fervent crowds that follow them believe they have answers that can fix systems and better their lives. This seems especially obvious in the ministry of Pope Francis.

       Why has this man stirred the hearts of the world? One reason is, I think, because he exudes hope. He chooses to live and minister especially to the people who have little hope – the poor, sick, imprisoned, unemployed….  Like Jesus, people in need flock to him. Like Jesus, no one in our time has spoken quite like this, and he speaks with authority drenched in love and compassion.

       Hope is a power source; one can see that today in the crowds following both Francis and the presidential candidates. Hope contains a challenge though. It addresses what may come, not what is or was. This means work is involved. Hope lives not in a vacuum but in individuals. It gives them energy and impetus that must be tapped if it is to bear fruit.

       The French poet Charles Peguy (1873-1914) wrote that while "hope moves the world…and carries it," hope itself is carried by its two sisters, faith and charity. (Portal of the Mystery of Hope, 1912) The person with hope must believe in the cause and have enough love for self and others to do the work. It requires no work to be a skeptic or to accept simplistic answers to profoundly complex questions, so hope is often the "road less travelled," to use Robert Frost's famous image (The Road Not Taken, 1916).

       During this Lenten season we are conscious that Jesus didn't take the easy path. The path laid out by his Father took profound hope.  Knowing this, Jesus told us that if we want to be his follower, the cross must be our baggage too. Quick and easy answers weren't part of his life plan; we can't expect this to be true of ours.

       As the common saying goes, if something seems too good to be true, it very likely is not, whether it's a "solution" for an immigration problem or an international dilemma like ISIS. Hope demands more than wishing or commanding. Hope's power is unleashed when a community of seekers decides to turn from skepticism, join hands in faith, and walk forward through the chaos in shared wisdom, strength, and courage. Maybe Lent is a good time to examine how often skepticism slips into our thinking and nudges out the labor-intensive hope that wants to reside there.

     Sr. Colleen Winston, OSB