Seeing Hope

C. Richard Snyder quotes Samuel Coleridge, who said, "Hope without an object cannot live."  Hope is, of necessity, anchored in some future outcome, purpose or reality.  Hope is present confidence in a better future.  Snyder's first and fundamental insight into the psychology of hope is that actual hopes must be anchored to a concrete goal.

Moreover, the hopeful person must perceive that the goal or goals have the real possibility of being achieved.  In this way hope is not mere wishing or fantasy.  Snyder defines goals as "any objects, experiences or outcomes that we imagine and desire in our minds" (Psychology of Hope, Kindle location 172).  This means, I think, that real hope must be rooted in some previous experience or existing information available to the hoping person.  Otherwise the imagination and desire in my mind are, by definition, fantasy.

For example, let us say that I have a flat tire on the freeway.  My spare tire was stolen a week ago.  So I hope someone might stop to help me.  I know from experience what that might look like in general.  I probably do not use energy hoping for a specific person or vehicle to stop (unless I have already called someone).  Anyone will do, if that person has the right tools and the right attitude for the rescue.  I form this hope on the basis of previous experience and information about help along the highway.

I labor this point a bit because it seems to run counter to the description of hope in Romans 8:24ff. (NRSV). "For in hope we were saved.  Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what is seen?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

The context of Paul's argument makes it clear that what is "not seen" is the ultimate adoption, "the redemption of our bodies."  We have not yet seen the final outcome that will arrive with the New Heaven and the New Earth.  But we have seen plenty of other evidence.

In fact, our Christian hope is rooted profoundly in what we have seen, heard and known.  "We declare to you what was from the beginning," writes the preacher in First John, "what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life..."  Malina and Rohrbaugh note that this is a description of the "complete human experience" (Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, page 56).  

N. T. Wright, in The Resurrection of the Son of God, describes the parallel discussion in 2 Corinthians 4:16-21.  In that paragraph Paul is also clear in distinguishing between what is "temporary" and what is "eternal."  The danger, Paul says, is not that we might engage in wishful thinking.  The danger, he declares, is that our vision would be clouded by adversity and suffering.  We might lose sight of our Resurrection hope if we think that God's victory in Christ will spare us from that adversity and suffering.

In fact, Paul says in Romans 8:24, we are saved "by hope."  This may well be a dative of means in the Greek.  Hope requires a content object or goal.  For us that concrete "object" is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and God's victory of sin, death and evil.  The Holy Spirit holds that reality before our eyes day in and day out.  In 2 Corinthians 5:5, Paul reminds us that God has prepared us for this vision by giving us the Spirit as the "guarantee."

"So we are always confident," Paul continues, "even though we know that while we are home in the body we are away from the Lord..."  Because we have the Spirit-driven vision of the Resurrected Lord with us always, our Christian hope is rooted in a real and concrete object.  

Snyder has the psychology right.  Hope is anchored in a concrete reality.  We declare that reality to be  the Resurrection.  We access that hope by the power of the Holy Spirit today and every day.