hope, and wisdom

When I hear news that hurts, I personally gravitate toward an Irish-influenced disposition (not that any of you asked; I just thought you'd be interested to know). 

By 'Irish disposition', I mean that I dislike any syrupy, tone-deaf optimism response to heartbreaking news ... but on the flip side, I also don't want to project a grim, doom-and-gloom aesthetic onto everything either. 

(I'm not even really sure there's anything strictly Irish about this sort of reaction. It could just be me. It's probably not that important. I digress.)

Two words percolate in my mind and heart when I hear news that hurts, try to take a break from scanning headlines of news that hurts, and try to filter fact from hysteria: 

Hope. And also wisdom.

Every world faith tradition has resources for dealing with suffering and calamity. As a Christian, I'm most familiar with my own faith's resources, so it's fitting to share from within that. 

There's this passage in the New Testament book of Matthew, chapter 2, when an angel visits Joseph & Mary (Jesus' parents) to warn them of danger, and tells them the plan for what they should do. Jesus is a baby at this point. This passage, with its blend of hope and wisdom, has long stuck with me...

".....behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.' And [Joseph] rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod."

The hope the presence of the angel. In Scripture, angels are nothing like the Precious Moments figurines that collect dust on your great aunt's bookshelf, wearing doilies and adorable harps; they are warriors, and look quite alarming. In fact, almost every time an angel meets someone in the Bible, the angel has to say 'Do not be afraid!' Why? Because they look fearfully strong, and genuinely threatening. So if they have your back, you'd feel good about your odds in a tight spot.

And yet, the wisdom -- 'Rise, take your child and his mother, and flee...'  The angel, this warrior, this messenger of God, has just one command:

RUN. 

Hit the road. Get out of here. Flee.

Who cares if the car's all the packed, start the engine! Less chatting, more moving. Hurry, hurry.

There's nothing fancy about these words.

The angel avoids syrupy optimism ... "just believe it'll all work out, and it will!" 

Nor does the angel turn gloomy -- "This sucks, why bother? All is lost..." 

Nor does the angel take a defiant stance ... "I'll never let them get to you!"

It's none of this. The fact that there's something to do invites hope! But there's urgency too. Scripture-infused hope always includes some wise, anchoring roots in this world.

Hope and wisdom, woven together. 

This is where I find my emotions today amidst continual washing ashore of heartbreaking news.

There's hope amidst all this going on. And urgent wisdom to observe in the meantime.

Where does this leave you with whatever you're dealing with? Which do you lean toward carrying with you ... the hope, or the wisdom? The euphoria, or the gloom?

When my feelings start to tank toward doom-and-gloom, I try to remind myself that the angel's words carried hope. When my feelings get euphoric and invincible, I remember the angel, the powerful angel, told them to run.

May we continue in hope. And may we anchor this hope in wisdom.