Striving for a hopeless cause

Last updated on: November 30, 2012 at 9:18 pm by Dave Griffey

Striving for a hopeless cause 2012-11-30T21:18:00-04:00 Dave Griffey

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.

One of the things that struck me about this article that quotes Pope Benedict XVI’s reaction to the recognition of a Palestinian state is just how, as Christians, we are to strive for the inevitably hopeless. I mean, read the reaction:

“No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be lasting peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and healing. Let it be universally recognized that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders. Let it be likewise acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely. Let the two-state solution become a reality, not remain a dream.”

No more bloodshed? No more fighting? No more terrorism? No more war? That would be great. And since peacemakers are called blessed, and told they will be called sons of God, I think it’s something we Christians are supposed to strive for, despite the fact that it’s apparently a hopeless cause. Why hopeless? Because of sin? Because of human nature? No, because Jesus said there would be wars and rumors of wars,when speaking about what to look for leading up to the last days. He took the existence of warfare as a given in the same way he took the existence of the poor as a given. And yet, we are to reach out to the poor, even if we can never help everyone.

There’s something in that, I must admit. Something that makes me wonder if in the tendency we have of adjusting our faith around a yen for comfortable lifestyles we might be missing something. I mean, I spend my life trying to keep my home, avoid foreclosure, avoid bankruptcy, somehow get my kids through college, save in some way for retirement, and so on. And that, too, seems to be an assumed set of values, since Jesus often uses the shrewdness or the careful planning of individuals as a good thing in certain parables (I’m thinking of Matthew 25 and Luke 16).

But yet, in the end, there seems to be something in our faith that say just do it, no matter how hopeless This isn’t to be confused with using such an observation as an excuse to avoid responsibility This isn’t to say our response to complex ethical dilemmas should be ‘screw it, I’m not going to sin, babies are going to be killed anyway, so I’ll stay pure and know I’m doing the right thing.’ Martyrdom, after all, is not how willing I am to let others die for my faith.

But there is something to be said for striving forward, fighting the fight, giving it that old college try, no matter how hopeless. Even if God himself has said there is no hope that wars will end, we are to strive to end wars. Even if Jesus spoke of the perpetual existence of the poor, we are to strive to help all who are poor no matter how hopeless. I don’t know. There’s probably a profound insight in there somewhere. It just hit me when I read that quote. No more war? Indeed, there will always be war, just as there will always be crime, poverty, despair. I suppose as long as it doesn’t lead to an ethic that allows the weak and helpless to suffer under the guise of ‘it would happen anyway, but at least I’m being pure’, it is something to consider when we measure effectiveness versus our calling as Christians to strive to set our minds on God’s interests, rather than man’s interests.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 29, 2012

When it comes to AIDS

Next Post

November 30, 2012 The HHS mandate lurches forward

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Atheism Awesome things Bigotry for the hip American Blogging Books Catholic Catholic Teaching Catholics on the Internet Christian Persecution Christian Unity Christianity and America Christianity in the Post-Modern World Christianity in the world Culture of Death Culture of Life Current Events Decline and Fall of the Christian West Defending Liberty Fun Stuff Global Warming Good Causes Good News Gun Control Health Care History Holidays Homeschool Humor Important things Inspiring Stories Interesting Insights Interesting Stories Islam and the West Liberal "Tolerance" Liberal observations Life in a post-Christian world Memorial Movies Musings News Other Blogs Our Big Politically Correct Bother Politics Popular Culture Post Modern Values Prayers Pro Life Promoting LGBT Protecting Liberty Racism in the world today Scientism Social Observations Sports Strange Stories The Boys The Catholic Church and the Left The Decline and Fall of the American Dream The end of liberty The Faith and the Left The Faith and the Right The Family The Greatness of God The Internet The Leftist Juggernaut The LGBT Question The Media The Pope The post-liberal Left The Power of Propaganda Tributes Twilight of the American Experiment Uncategorized Uneducating Postmoderns When the Church is wrong Why learn from history when we can repeat it instead Wisdom in the Post Modern Age World Events

Select a Month August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 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 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 September 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

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the outcome of Sennacherib's army attacking Jerusalem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The city fell They captured Hezekiah They won Destroyed by an angel