Hope, the Unknown of Unknowns

Dear Trekker,

Another year has been launched, and our fifth year completed of writing “Passing the Baton”. As you may recall from previous reflections written here, I’m not high on New Year’s resolutions, but new “life” resolutions and commitments are a different story. Two years ago this month, I wrote about death and hope. We said then that “hope is the oxygen of spirit life”, and the farther along the trek of life we climb, the rarer is the oxygen of hope.

All we said then is not only true; hope in the breast of man is inexhaustible, particularly when hope is initially defined as a noun, not a verb. The Apostle Paul writes to his young mentoree Timothy about “Jesus Christ, our hope”. (1 Timothy 1:1) When hope is a Person, hope as a verb can have enormous power in relationship with that Person. And since God is God (and we’re not) we only know Him, our Hope, as He, the unknown of unknowns, reveals Himself to us. That has to be good lay theology 101!

Interestingly, a few days ago, a certain columnist in our local paper took a former US Defense Secretary to task because he had said: “As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” (Feb 12, 2002). The writer mused, therefore, that the US government had no idea what it was doing by invading Iraq. That logic doesn’t track, but I don’t want to get off track. Donald Rumsfeld’s statement, philosophically and rationally speaking, was quite accurate. Hope is the essence of “unknown of unknowns”, Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, who we know in part only because He revealed who God is! “He the Son alone has revealed Him (God)” is the way the Apostle John puts it in his Gospel. (John 1:18)

If Hope is a person, our hope in this life is the flip side of faith. Our hope is grounded in who Jesus is, not who we may think He is, or want Him to be. The same day I read the column piece, friend wife and I read an offering from Max Lucado in “God Came Near” entitled “Hope”. It set my mind a whirling! Lucado mentions the men on the road to Emmaus “who had hoped that he (Jesus) was going to redeem Israel” (Luke’s Gospel 24:21) and establish an earthly kingdom and ascendency once again for the Jewish nation. Oh, how tied our hope (as a verb) must be tied to our knowledge of Hope, the noun, Jesus. Hope must not be “our” hope, it is too limiting. Hope must be Him! Otherwise, we will hope for the wrong things and complain about prayers not being answered, etc. In fact, it’s worse than unanswered prayers… if we are not careful, we won’t have a clue about the right things in life for which to hope.

Lucado says, “hope is not what you expect (and I would add, want), it is what you could never dream.” Wow, that is good! Just like Jesus, doing the unthinkable, like being born in an obscure stable, to a frightened couple, among smelly animals. Catch a wisp of Hope as the Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians… “to Him (Jesus) who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”Now that is Hope, and Someone for which to hope (have faith in). So our hope is a fixed focus on Jesus, a constant, passionate conviction that leads to “life resolutions” and perpetual, positive living.

Now trekker, true Hope (the noun Jesus) frees us to simply show up and enjoy life in 2010. Yet, without Hope, we will be excessively anxious this coming year. Excessive anxiety results in fear and lack of trust. An inordinate desire to control our circumstances sets in. We become the focus, not Him, and therefore everything out ahead of us becomes problematic. A relationship with Jesus, the God of all hope, becomes elusive. We “can’t” love Him if we are too bound up with ourselves, and what will solve our problems…like more money, more opportunities, more contacts… more, of whatever.

Hope, rightly understood, really is the beginning of life, the foundation of our unleashing God’s love, compassion and benevolence for others.Hope, fixed hope, in a Person frees us from self- consciousness and self-protection. Jesus liberates us from such dead-end preoccupation. That’s why I use the phrase, “hope is the oxygen of life.” It gives meaning and empowerment and makes well-grounded optimists of all.

How can my hope be strengthened and deepened in 2010? Not to be flip or trite, the answer is simple, trekker. Spend more time with Jesus in 2010. Read the Scriptures, reflect upon their meaning; pray more; follow through intentionally with the whispers of the Spirit in your ear. Hope is always stronger the nearer we get to Jesus, the Hope of glory. One of the greatest verses in all of Scripture, as it relates to hope is surely Paul’s reminder to the Christians in Rome: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with Him, graciously give us all things?”

Honestly trekker, hope for most of us is too often, hope beyond hope, the “hail Mary” pass play because time is running out. Trekker, it need not be so. God is good. He made us for Himself. He bought us back when we thumbed our nose at Him; He forgives us knowing we are but dust and frail; He in hope, gives us His spirit that we might be “overcomers” of all that destroys. So then in 2010…

Let’s grab hold of Hope; let’s grab hold of Jesus this year, trekker. Let’s live in and with Him. He’s got the world in His hands. He is in control of you and me and the economy… he controls the weather and the whether of tomorrow. Let’s just bask in the Sonshine of 2010. My life challenge is: “Live in Me and I will live in you… you cannot bear fruit (the fruit of hope) unless you live in Me.” (John 15:4) Live in Hope, and hope will live in you! And therefore, I am hoping for an exciting 2010. Hope you are too!

Your trekker brother,

Jim Meredith