Then you’d better have faith. Tomorrow is the Feast Day of St. Thomas Aquinas, the author of the Summa Theologica – given this happy coincidence of St. Thomas and our new President Hope-N-Change, I think it worthwhile to see what one of the great minds of human history had to say on the subject of hope:
…just as it is not lawful to hope for any good save happiness, as one’s last end, but only as something referred to final happiness, so too, it is unlawful to hope in any man, or any creature, as though it were the first cause of movement towards happiness. It is, however, lawful to hope in a man or a creature as being the secondary and instrumental agent through whom one is helped to obtain any goods that are ordained to happiness. It is in this way that we turn to the saints, and that we ask men also for certain things; and for this reason some are blamed in that they cannot be trusted to give help…
…Absolutely speaking, faith precedes hope. For the object of hope is a future good, arduous but possible to obtain. In order, therefore, that we may hope, it is necessary for the object of hope to be proposed to us as possible. Now the object of hope is, in one way, eternal happiness, and in another way, the Divine assistance… and both of these are proposed to us by faith, whereby we come to know that we are able to obtain eternal life, and that for this purpose the Divine assistance is ready for us, according to Hebrews 11:6: “He that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and is a rewarder to them that seek Him.” Therefore it is evident that faith precedes hope.
Unless you have faith – and that, dear friends, would be faith in God – then you can’t have hope. I mean, think about: what are you hoping for if not for eternal happiness? A higher standard of living? Better health care? What for? What good does wealth and health do for you if there is no hope beyond this world?
If we really are to hope for a better tomorrow, then we’d better get believing in God, today. It is belief in God – and only belief in God – which can motivate us to work hard and sacrifice ourselves in order that those who come after may have a better life. If we have not faith and what we’re hoping for is that our own lot will be made easier, then we’re just spinning our wheels quite uselessly.
Now that President Obama has semi-freed himself from Wright’s un-Christian hate-mongering, I hope (because I have faith in God and his ability to move hearts) that Obama will take some time to carefully consider the “hope” part of his hope and change mantra. What it really means, and what it really requires of us. As for me, I’m ready for some stern testing – to pay the piper, as it were, for our national irresponsibility of the past 70 years or so. I hope for a better future, but not necessarily for myself but for, in a real sense, the young people just rising and those who are soon to be born. I want them to grow up in a world freed not just from the fears we have, but from the overbearing temptations to self destruction with which we have avidly supplied ourselves.
Time will tell if hope means something to Obama – and his supporters – or whether it was just a nifty, poll-tested word for a political campaign.
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