Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Strategic Monk

Home
Contemplative
Spiritual Practices From the Inside Out: Finding Hope

Spiritual Practices From the Inside Out: Finding Hope

Last updated on: April 14, 2017 at 11:34 am by Greg Richardson

Spiritual Practices From the Inside Out: Finding Hope 2017-04-14T11:34:09-08:00 Greg Richardson

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.

7228070880_56d63eeb55_z

Hope for Lent

My church is a liturgical church, and is in a liturgical season called Lent. This year Lent began on Ash Wednesday, March 1, and will continue until Easter next month.

Some people choose to either give something up or begin a new discipline during Lent in preparation for Easter. One year I gave up fear for Lent. Lent is an opportunity for me to begin behaving in ways which have changed the rest of my life.

This year I am practicing and discerning hope. Hope seems more significant than chocolate, caffeine, or social media.

Hope is not a mere feeling or attitude. Like gratitude or curiosity, hope is a way of life.

Seeds of New Hope

Many of us are not naturally, automatically hopeful. Hope is like a muscle which needs to be developed through exercise, a crop which needs to be tended. As we proceed more deeply into Lent, we have prepared the ground and planted and our seeds. The shoots of hope may be beginning to break through in us.

We live in a world where hope does not appear to be indigenous. If hope is going to grow in our lives, we need to plant and cultivate it.

We have done the preparing, the plowing and planting, feeding and watering. Now we anticipate indications hope is growing, the first shoots breaking ground.

Hope is not required to meet our expectations. We have been working hard, trying to encourage hope to grow, and we may become impatient. Where are the results?

There is a long, arduous struggle for hope to grow from a seed into a shoot. Hope is at work in us, sending out roots into our lives and pushing things aside. The process of growth and struggle underground strengthen the hope in us. It is not easy for hope to grow where we have planted it. Hope must persevere to survive.

Is hope which cannot push through to see the light of day really hope?

Hope in Hard Times

Many of us are living in difficult times. Our lives are filled with challenges, obstacles, and hurdles we need to overcome. We feel the odds are stacked against us, we are struggling to keep going.

Life seems to be an ongoing process of running uphill into brick walls. We are like the shoot, working our way through the darkness seeking daylight and fresh air.

How do we find hope in the midst of hopelessness and despair?

My own search for hope has taken me on a twisting, turning journey. I have looked for hope in knowing, in having as much information as I could find. We may seek hope in the people around us, expecting them to spark our hope in us. Hope may be something we seek in religion or in philosophy. Some people try to act their way into hope, pretending to hope as a method of seeking hope. People may seek hope by traveling, looking for experiences to build hope for their futures.

Ultimately, I have not found lasting, true hope in any of these places. Each of them may be helpful or pleasant, but they are not where my hope grows.

Where is Hope?

Our hope is in the future. The essential question about hope is do we, in the present, believe the future will be better?

How we understand our past experiences and present circumstances shapes our hope. There are many ways of describing how we approach the future. They tend to boil down to choosing between fear and hope.

Hope and Fear

Some people fear the future because they have calculated predictable risks and rewards. They may have a clear idea of what it will take to succeed. Some are realistic, while others may be a little less realistic. They could wonder whether they have the skills or abilities to become the people they would like to be. Their past experiences may cause them to doubt and be afraid of what the future holds for them. External forces may threaten their future safety and security. They may be concerned about their physical or financial health in the future.

Some people expect the future will not be as pleasant as the present, or the past. They fear the future, and lose hope.

Other people believe they have what it will take to prosper in the future. They have confidence in their qualities and character. Some people believe things tend to work out for people who have a positive attitude. Some are realistic, while others may be a little less realistic. Their experiences may reassure them.

Some people expect the future will be more pleasant than the past and the present. They have hope.

Qualities and experiences contribute to why some of us tend to be more hopeful than others. We can all, though, develop the practice of hope.

Breaking Ground

We plant seeds which send shoots up toward the surface. The hard work of establishing roots and pushing out a shoot takes place underground. It is difficult for others to recognize the inner work going on under the soil. We do not see the growth taking place until the shoot emerges from the ground.

The seeds of new hope we have planted for Lent are growing and working underground. Plants may just now be reaching the surface, giving evidence to our hope.

We work each day to make hope come alive. When we feel least hopeful, new hope emerges into the daylight.

Slowly, gradually, over time, hope grows within us.

The seeds which have been planted here are us. We are the farmers, plowing and planting, feeding and watering. The shoots working their way through the earth toward the light are also us.

We are the earth in which hope has been planted.

Where is new hope emerging for you today?

How are you developing the practice of hope this week?

[Image by g0ddest]

Greg Richardson is a spiritual life mentor and leadership coach in Southern California. He is a recovering attorney and university professor, and a lay Oblate with New Camaldoli Hermitage near Big Sur, California. Greg’s website is StrategicMonk.com, and his email address is [email protected].

Blog

Spiritual Practices

Previous Post

March 16, 2017

Leading Like a Monk: Learning to Listen Well

Next Post

March 21, 2017 Are We Eating Healthy Meals or Empty Spiritual Calories?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 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 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 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

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the first Judge of Israel?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Deborah Othniel Samson Gideon