November 15, 2012:       Daniel Daring        Daniel's previous reflections

Christian Hope – Mark 13:24-32

“I may make all thing well, I can make all thing well, I will make all thing well, and I shall make all thing well; and thou shalt see thyself that all manner of thing shall be well,” – Jesus reported words to Julian of Norwich, the famous medieval English mystic.

In the face of tribulation and distress, in the face of personal problems and global calamities, Jesus’ statement calls for hope. But how can somebody hope when his/her whole family died in recent natural calamities, be it tsunami, typhoon, or landslide? How can somebody hope, when the scientists predict that the ecological crisis will cause tragic changes on a global scale by the year 2050? Or how can somebody hope when the social stability of our cities is deteriorating? What are the bases for any hope in view of what is presently happening in our world? None, except . . . .  

The remnant - How long, Sovereign Lord?  

In 2007, in the Philippines, 55 Higaonon Farmers walked nearly two months the distance of 1,700 kilometers from Bukidnon to Metro Manila in protest at the government decision that allows San Miguel Foods Inc., a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp. to transform the farmers' land into an agro-industrial zone (Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 5, 2007). San Miguel Corp. is the largest beverage and food group in Southeast Asia. Its profit in 2006 reached nearly P10 billion or $240 million. The farmers were flown home without any decision being made.

The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘hope’ as “a belief that something you want will happen.” Yet, this definition falls short of describing a true nature of hope. Hope is not about ‘want’ only; it is primary about justice. Indignation springs up from our hearts at seeing things as they are. How can anybody agree on a reality where few reap the harvest of abundance, and the rest are forced to be satisfied with leftovers? We feel a deep sense of revulsion at the acts of injustice done to the innocent and defenseless people, because we sense that all of us are meant for something better. Hope channels this indignation into action, drawing its energy from a vision of a ‘utopian’ world, where everybody lives a dignified life. 

John XXIII in his encyclical letter, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) wrote: “Man has the right to live. He has the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life, particularly food, clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the necessary social services. In consequence, he has the right to be looked after in the event of ill health; disability stemming from his work; widowhood; old age; enforced unemployment; or whenever through no fault of his own he is deprived of the means of livelihood (11).”  

When this right is obstructed, hope tries its best to carry us through tribulation and distress, not letting  us to give up our vision of a different social order. And yet, despite all its efforts, hope often fails us or we fail to hope, giving up, and surrendering to the harsh reality of life. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverb 13:12). Hope needs more than indignation and vision in order to be sustained in the face of personal and global tragedies.  

The Lord - Wait a little longer  

It took another half a year of negotiation and intervention of the leaders of the Catholic Church to resolve the issue in favor of the poor farmers. In March 2008, it was announced that the farmers' hope turned into reality. Through a deed of donation they got 50 hectares of the contested 144-hectare property. The remaining 94 hectares will be given to them later. However, the farmers will need to pay for it over the period of 50 years (Philippine Star, March 31, 2008).

In the book of Daniel, God assures the prophet of the final deliverance of His people: “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people – everyone whose name is found written in the book – will be delivered” (Daniel 12:1). In the same way, Jesus addressed His disciples in the Gospel of Mark: “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” (13:26-27). Christian hope looks beyond the circumstances of this world to God and His faithfulness. “God so loved the world,” we read in John 3:17. Will He allow anybody to destroy the work of His hands? “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool,” God declares in Isaiah 66:1. Will He not protect His own property, the universe?

The book of Genesis describes God’s delight in the beauty of His creation, “it was very good” (1:31), and His disappointment with humanity: “The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain” (6:6). However, there is always a remnant, people who look to Him for help, strength, and salvation: “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:10). For the sake of this remnant, and for the sake of His creation, the Sovereign Lord dries the tears from our eyes, and tells us to wait a little longer for the fulfillment of His promise. Meanwhile, He sustains our hope with small yet significant signs of victory over the forces of evil.  

Conclusion  

When Julian of Norwich doubted Jesus’ promise that all shall be well, based on the teaching of the Church “that many creatures shall be condemned,” including fallen angels, people who die out of Christian faith, and Christians who live unworthy lives, Jesus’ told her: “What is impossible to you is not impossible to me: I shall save my word in all things and I shall make all things well” (Julian of Norwich, Showings, chapter 32).

Our Christian hope looks beyond what we see in the world today. Apparently, there seems to be no solution to our present ecological crisis, inequalities, and the unjust social order. Yet, what is impossible for us is not impossible to God. God loves His world too much to allow it to be  destroyed by our unreasonable way of living; and He loves His people so deeply that He will make all things well. We hope that His promise of new heavens and a new earth, and the fullness of life will be fulfilled.