I had been thinking about the virtues of faith, hope and charity for a while now. The nuns admonished that we have them, but never quite got around to describing what they meant. It was assumed that each person should understand what they meant for each individual, and much ink has been spilled in order to define these theologically. I am aware that all analogies limp, including this one, but indulge me.
Our life’s journey, speaking on a metaphysical/religious plane, is a journey to the Summum Bonum, or the greatest good, the Almighty to believers, and who knows what to athiests. In any case, restricting to believers only, as atheism is it’s own religion, and I have little enough time to understand my own journey, let alone other ones, the proverbial storm-tossed sea is apt. Jews in the time of Christ had a great fear of the sea, and for good reason. The question is how to get to that Bonum and by using what tools. Floating in a stormy sea unaided will soon overwhelm any person. One needs a vessel. That vessel is faith, the belief that one must float above these troubles and survive. As such, faith looks to the present, and must be constantly tended to. Ben Franklin’s admonition of embarking on a skiff made of paper is a great one, but instead of the Declaration of Independence, ours is something even more fragile, and must be constantly renewed. Hope is the driving force, that looks to the goal, the future, and provides the reason to keep repairing that skiff. As such, the virtues are intertwined and must rely upon one another. The opposite of faith is disbelief or cynicism, and the opposite of hope is despair. EIther is enough to plunge one into the sea and be overwhelmed. Charity, or love, is the driving force without which the entire exercise is futile. It is the grace which is overflowing from that Summum Bonum which is freely given, but must be freely accepted, that is the spark which keeps each of us in that leaky boat and looking to the horizon. When we reach that shore, as in time we all will, faith is no longer needed, as we have arrived and may safely step onto the shore, and hope is fulfilled. Love alone survives, as St. Paul has taught. Bishop Barron stated that in one of his DW+ interviews, and was revelatory enough for me to steal it here.
Thank you, Spencer for these essays. Beautifully written. I wanted to share my perceptions from one who had a religious upbringing just to show that we know little more that you did, and perhaps it was to your advantage ultimately, as you had the hunger to delve far more deeply than I ever will.
You take my breath away. It touched me so deeply that I read it three times. Hope is a twin of courage. ❤️ And, Spencer, you give me hope and courage when you write openly about how we are mocked. Funny, we Christians know how the story ends, but we still need hope, and I especially need hope for this utterly broken world. Can’t wait for tomorrow.
"Anyone who hopes for a bliss beyond this life can be made to look a fool in this one." Interestingly enough the Russian Orthodox have a position called the "holy fool", a fool, much like a Shakespearean trope in human form, who knows the truth, sees past the veil of this mortal coil, and expresses the reality he sees. There's a great Russian film about the "holy fool" called "The Island" or, "Octpob" that's definitely worth checking out. It reminds me of Father Zosima in the Brothers Karamazov, who was also one of these "holy fools".
Much like this vision of the holy fool, I think the reason for the abandonment of Hope over the gates of hell is that hope is the virtue that most clearly sees the nature of God in this life. Since in hell the occupants will never see God again, nor will they ever escape, hell is a place where they will never have hope again. It is a truly terrifying reality.
Hope is, maybe, my favorite virtue and the thing that has brought me to the endearment of this virtue first was Charles Peguy's masterful poem, "The Portal to the Mystery of Hope" which is a poem that speaks from the perspective of God looking at the virtue and explaining what he sees that he loves about it, and then the poem moves on, from metaphor to metaphor, to explain Hope in completely different long form metaphors. Anyone who wants a truly beautiful, powerful, and wonder-filled book to read, pick this one up. It's incredible!
...and she is something I am in need of just now. Perfect timing, and gracious thanks!
I had been thinking about the virtues of faith, hope and charity for a while now. The nuns admonished that we have them, but never quite got around to describing what they meant. It was assumed that each person should understand what they meant for each individual, and much ink has been spilled in order to define these theologically. I am aware that all analogies limp, including this one, but indulge me.
Our life’s journey, speaking on a metaphysical/religious plane, is a journey to the Summum Bonum, or the greatest good, the Almighty to believers, and who knows what to athiests. In any case, restricting to believers only, as atheism is it’s own religion, and I have little enough time to understand my own journey, let alone other ones, the proverbial storm-tossed sea is apt. Jews in the time of Christ had a great fear of the sea, and for good reason. The question is how to get to that Bonum and by using what tools. Floating in a stormy sea unaided will soon overwhelm any person. One needs a vessel. That vessel is faith, the belief that one must float above these troubles and survive. As such, faith looks to the present, and must be constantly tended to. Ben Franklin’s admonition of embarking on a skiff made of paper is a great one, but instead of the Declaration of Independence, ours is something even more fragile, and must be constantly renewed. Hope is the driving force, that looks to the goal, the future, and provides the reason to keep repairing that skiff. As such, the virtues are intertwined and must rely upon one another. The opposite of faith is disbelief or cynicism, and the opposite of hope is despair. EIther is enough to plunge one into the sea and be overwhelmed. Charity, or love, is the driving force without which the entire exercise is futile. It is the grace which is overflowing from that Summum Bonum which is freely given, but must be freely accepted, that is the spark which keeps each of us in that leaky boat and looking to the horizon. When we reach that shore, as in time we all will, faith is no longer needed, as we have arrived and may safely step onto the shore, and hope is fulfilled. Love alone survives, as St. Paul has taught. Bishop Barron stated that in one of his DW+ interviews, and was revelatory enough for me to steal it here.
Thank you, Spencer for these essays. Beautifully written. I wanted to share my perceptions from one who had a religious upbringing just to show that we know little more that you did, and perhaps it was to your advantage ultimately, as you had the hunger to delve far more deeply than I ever will.
Beautiful.
You take my breath away. It touched me so deeply that I read it three times. Hope is a twin of courage. ❤️ And, Spencer, you give me hope and courage when you write openly about how we are mocked. Funny, we Christians know how the story ends, but we still need hope, and I especially need hope for this utterly broken world. Can’t wait for tomorrow.
Brilliant and beautifully stated!
"Anyone who hopes for a bliss beyond this life can be made to look a fool in this one." Interestingly enough the Russian Orthodox have a position called the "holy fool", a fool, much like a Shakespearean trope in human form, who knows the truth, sees past the veil of this mortal coil, and expresses the reality he sees. There's a great Russian film about the "holy fool" called "The Island" or, "Octpob" that's definitely worth checking out. It reminds me of Father Zosima in the Brothers Karamazov, who was also one of these "holy fools".
Much like this vision of the holy fool, I think the reason for the abandonment of Hope over the gates of hell is that hope is the virtue that most clearly sees the nature of God in this life. Since in hell the occupants will never see God again, nor will they ever escape, hell is a place where they will never have hope again. It is a truly terrifying reality.
Hope is, maybe, my favorite virtue and the thing that has brought me to the endearment of this virtue first was Charles Peguy's masterful poem, "The Portal to the Mystery of Hope" which is a poem that speaks from the perspective of God looking at the virtue and explaining what he sees that he loves about it, and then the poem moves on, from metaphor to metaphor, to explain Hope in completely different long form metaphors. Anyone who wants a truly beautiful, powerful, and wonder-filled book to read, pick this one up. It's incredible!
There is always hope.