Confronting Despair as a Spiritual Practice

Last updated on: December 4, 2019 at 5:13 am by Billy Kangas

Confronting Despair as a Spiritual Practice 2019-12-02T18:27:45-04:00 Billy Kangas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I recently read an article in the Washington Post warning that there is a rising tide of despair in the United States. Depression rates are rising, as are suicide rates.

Loneliness has gotten to such a serious point that some are calling it a major health epidemic. We live in a world that is full of despair, but I don’t think it needs to stay that way.

A number of years ago I had the privilege of working as a hospital chaplain in a pastoral training program. I spent the whole summer going into people’s rooms who were in the midst of crisis. Many of the people I talked with were attempting to cope with a world in which all the certainty they had about the future was now gone. Some were working through the sudden loss of a spouse, a parent or even a child. Others were wrestling with a diagnosis that would completely change their lifestyle or life expectancy. Many people who invited me to talk to them knew they were in a crisis and needed help.

One of the key things I learned when working in the hospital is that despair and hope are deeply connected. One might even say that despair itself is simply unfed hope.

Despair happens when the human heart is starved of the light of hope it needs to move. This starvation can kill a person’s will to live. Each day can become an overwhelming burden and a crippling weight. When a person feels despair the whole world seems full of darkness. The dangerous thing is that despair can compound and soon a person will be unable to make the choices within their power that could make life better.

Despair is like a black hole that sucks in everything around it and a person caught in its gravitational field has no ability to break free. Without hope, there simply isn’t enough fuel to produce the velocity needed to escape. This is why the world needs agents of hope.

During my time in the hospital, I learned that when someone takes the time to give hope
to a person in despair it can often be enough to break out of the black hole. Time and time again I saw new light begin to shine in people’s lives. It happened when I was able to take the time to meet the person in their darkness and to sit with them in love believing a better future for them in my heart than they believed for themselves. It wasn’t quick or easy, but when you saw a light return to a person’s eyes; it was worth it.

There are few things in life more terrifying than a loss of one’s reason for living. There is also no work more difficult or fulfilling, that I have experienced, than working to give people who are trapped in despair a new way forward to live in hope.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we lived in a world full of people who took this work seriously? What if our fellow students, coworkers, and neighbors all woke up believing they were on a mission to confront despair with lives of hope. That world is possible and it starts with you.

Action for Today

Think about what’s going on in your life over the next day or two.
Share or write down what your day is going to be like. Do you think that there might be some opportunities while you are going about your life to give hope to another person? Remember to keep your eyes, heart and time open.
Take a moment to offer your plans to God as a gift to be used in whatever way can give hope. Share your plan with someone else! Try to make this a daily habit.

Advent Action Guide

This is an entry in my Advent Action Guide which will be featured all Advent long.

If you’re interested in downloading a copy or signing up for daily emails for the rest of the season fill out the form below:

Sign up now and get the full guide in your inbox.

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 3, 2019

Tools for finding Hope

Next Post

December 4, 2019 Three Practices to turn you into an agent of hope

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Bible Books CCC Prayer Christmas Current Events Family Film Free Photo Fridays Humor hunger liturgical calendar liturgy Music Photos pope Prayer Prayerful Leader questions Quotes Review Saints Satire Scripture SYNOD SYNOD FOR THE FAMILY teaching Uncategorized video Weekly Round Up

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 April 2026 February 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 February 2025 January 2025 September 2024 June 2024 May 2024 February 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 February 2023 November 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 September 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 August 2018 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 December 2017 November 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 February 2016 January 2016 November 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 October 2008 August 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they do what?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Fall Sin Suffer Die