Where the real hope lies in times of crisis
THIS summer I wrote to a few of my American theological college friends expressing my concern at the scenes of racial violence that were filling our TV screens.
I received these comments: “Racial enmity, America’s original sin, has been catching up with us.” “Right now the USA is in more trouble than most of us have seen in our lifetime.” And yet: “I think this is a hopeful era.” All were grateful for my prayers and empathy.
The current global pandemic should not distract us on this side of the pond from the sad racisms that affect our own society and indeed many others.
Can we agree with my American priest friend that even with all the doom and gloom, this is a “hopeful era?” I believe we are in a stage of honest reflection in our society where we are being asked to look again at ourselves and re-examine our values, standards and our humanity.
We have rediscovered the vital importance of our National Health Service and how we need one another to stay alive. We have woken up to the place education has in the wellbeing of our children. We have renewed our admiration and dedication of our police officers and all those in the front-line services. We have become much more aware of the complexities in mental health issues.
Sadly, we have also been reminded that there are some individuals whose selfishness imperils the importance of caring for one another, especially the vulnerable.
We always live in a hopeful era when we pay due heed to ourselves and confront the deep-seated fears and insecurities in all our hearts which lead to self-centredness, racism and turmoil in our streets and in some homes.
We cannot cure the discords in our nation with more law and order , but only with goodwill and openmindedness. We cannot enhance our own humanity by denying our fellow humans a place in the sun.
This “hopeful era” on both side of the pond is not going to go away or be submerged by the forces of evil and a dog-eat-dog approach to life’s problems.
It will be strengthened by the belief that if we place our trust in our Creator then nothing in creation can overwhelm us, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are thy ways.” (Psalm 84:5).
We really do need to question the things in this life we put our trust in and how shallow and unworthy they are when we have to face “crunch times”. This “hopeful era” has to be inspired by a spiritual dimension, however we would define that, to have any lasting value.
As Bishop Phillips Brooks, of Philadelphia (author of O Little Town Of Bethlehem ) puts it: “Whatever happens, always remember the mysterious richness of human nature and the nearness of God to each one of us.”
If we have found this in 2020 we have found hope.
Canon George Burgon, Kettering