Hope is the thing with feathers. . .

Last updated on: September 4, 2018 at 8:47 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

Hope is the thing with feathers. . . 2018-09-04T20:47:04-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

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.

Hope looks to the heavens.

Do not be weary. Hope is here and asks nothing of us. These are not tiring times so much as tiresome. The world, the flesh, and the devils have nothing new to say, but now they say the same stuff with even more amplification. Yet complaining is even more tiresome.

Hope sings in the storm, the tune without words. This time is not worse than other times, in some ways better, and the storm is not so fierce that hope stops singing. Hope is not fantasizing: no leap into unreality. Instead, hope is the beginning of faith, a small idea that might be and grows more substantial with time.

This is intellect without intellectualism. Hope makes us think, but hopeful thinking urges us to more. We want love: earthiness without dirtiness. The City of God that we hope is our new home will be green and civilized. We hope.

The gift of hope asks nothing of us, God’s free creation in our hearts. When we were expelled from Eden, when the last night in the nursery came and we went wandering without wonder, then hope was implanted in our hearts. The evils of our age can be endured and even overcome, we hope. We know we have found a place of hope when getting is less important than giving.

Hope gives and needs nothing, because hope is built on reality and the storm is local. The stars are behind the storm and shine on. Starlight never ends and is free. As humans, hope is our heritage, because we hope to see the stars. Hope is the beginning of love, because hope dares to believe that someone might love us without demanding something of us.

God is super abundant love without any needs and so we can have hope. We are needy, but God is not. There is hope in His security, his not-neediness. Hope is in our hearts: the free gift of God.

Heraclitus and Disney’s Pocahontas said: “You can never step in the same river twice.” The world changes and there feels like there is no rest, no security. The old philosopher, if not the cartoon character, knew there was or might be a divine word, something good, under all the restless, warring change. The storm rages, but there is hope in the Word, unchanging, unmoved, charitable. The banks of the river do not change and we can sit there and picnic in the jollification of God.

Yesterday a best of friends reminded me of a poem I must have read, but had forgotten by that adventurer and explorer of the soul Emily Dickinson:

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

——————————-

Thanks to the Gremillions!

On Books

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

September 2, 2018

Curmudgeon or Critic? (Mild Praise for Heraclitus)

Next Post

September 4, 2018 Our Heroes Should Have Included a Cow Doctor (Theobald Smith)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 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 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 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Samson's mother?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Manoah's wife Hannah Ruth Delilah

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »