The Certainty of Hope

It is hard to believe that it has been well over ten years since the second trilogy of Star Wars came to theaters. I grew up with Star Wars as a little kid, and I was really excited to see the Prequels. The special effects looked amazing, and of course, we all wanted to see what made Darth Vader turn into the jerk he was in the original movies. I even bought a ticket for the first night and stood in line with all the other Star Wars nerds. I may have even dressed as Yoda- if Yoda was a 6 foot 3 tall guy of German decent. I was an impressive Yoda.

The screen dimmed, and the big Star Wars came onto the screen and the familar scrolling letters that gave you the segway into the story. There were lasers and fight scenes and Jedi stuff. It felt like I had returned to my youth. The first 5 minutes fulfilled every one of my expectations. Then came Jar-Jar. And Anakin. And weird looking pointless characters and a dull plot. And it was long. So long. I had to shave halfway through it was so long, and if you have ever seen me, you know that means it had to be a LONG time since I normally go weeks between shaving.

So yea, I was disappointed. I walked out of the theater, glad to have seen it, I guess, but I can’t say that it fulfilled my expectations, given by the original films, and of course, by the previews. I had all the hopes that the new movies would be as good as the ones I grew up with, but alas, I was left disappointed dressed like a muppet. A giant, 6 foot tall muppet. (For those of you uneducated in Star Wars, Yoda was originally played by a muppet, created by Jim Henson and voiced by the guy who played “Fozzi.”)

Great Expectations 

The word “expectation” is often confused with the idea of “hope.” The two could not be more different- one is often disappointing and the other is often misunderstood. I think in a lot of ways people mix the ideas of expectation and hope, and it is easy to see why. When you have expectations based in reality, they can, in fact, bring about hope. Oftentimes though, our expectations are no less than outrageous, and we find ourselves disappointed, dejected, and sad when they are unmet.

There is a saying that I encountered over the years that states: Failed Expectations lead to frustrations. Think about my dashed expectations for the above mentioned Star Wars Movie. My expectations of the movie were far more than that movie could offer- I wanted to feel a certain way, and I expected the move to do it, and was disappointed when it didn’t.

Expectations carry with them the possibility that they will not be fulfilled- there is an uncertainty when it comes to expectations. Certainly we want them to be fulfilled, but there is no guarantee that they will be. I can’t tell you how many women marry men (or men marry women) with the expectation that this or that will change about their spouse. Or how many people buy things, or get the job of their dreams, or make millions of dollars with the expectation that those things will make them happy, or feel good about themselves. There are lists of things like that. I have been there and done some of that too- If I only get this gadget, I will be happy!

Unrealistic expecations, which we all get from time to time, always lead us into negative states of mind when they are not fulfilled. Some can lead to depression, sadness, anger, or even loneliness. The best remedy to unrealistic expectations is acceptance of a person as they are, with their positives and negatives. When we are honest with ourselves about who we are, and who everyone else around us is, our habit of forming unrealistic expectations will be reduced. I know that I have learned through the years to accept people where they are, and for what they bring to the table. Remember two important things about people: Past behavior indicates future behavior, and people tend to resist being changed.

In my own personal life it is amazing what happens when I accept people for who they are (including myself), and stop forming unrealistic expectations of them or myself. What happens is that it is easier to love people despite their faults, and I get surprised more often than not when they go above and beyond!

The Certainty of Hope

Contrast this with the theological virtue of Hope. Hope and expectation can have similar meanings but I think there is a nuance of a difference between the two. Hope is based in certainty. As St Paul says, we “hope for things unseen.” Hope carries with it an entirely different concept from expectation and that concept is certainty. Hope is based on a promise from God- that things will “turn out OK” despite the difficulties we have in this life, or the trials that we have to put up with.

Hope flows directly from Faith- Faith illuminates our minds with the knowledge of God, tells us about him, and that certainty of his Love for us gives us Hope- the understanding that God will get us through this, and that we will be better on the other side of whatever it is we are going through. It also is tied to the virtue of courage, because when we have Hope, we have the courage to Love, because we know our sacrifice counts.

Ambiguity is difficult to live with- Expectation is based on ambiguity- it may or may not happen. Ambiguity brings fear and other negative emotions. Hope is the opposite. The “certainty” of Hope tells us that things will go according to God’s plan. It is a “theological virtue,” because this “certainty” can only come from God Himself.

Sacramental Signs of Hope

Here is how I know that Hope is certain: I have seen Hope work in the sacraments. Let me give you two brief examples: The Anointing of the Sick, and Confession. I could really write a while book on how this relates to the sacraments. In these two sacraments people come ailing, both physically and spiritually. When I give someone the sacrament of anointing of the sick, I have seen time and time again, that they feel better. I see Hope in their eyes. Not that they will get better, but that everything is going to be OK. The same is true for confession- sinners come in, shoulders drooped, sad, and sometimes embarrassed looks on their faces, and after they look freed- they look Hopeful. They know God loves them, and will continue to Love them because they have experienced it! The sacraments give certainty to God’s love because you experienced them on every level. You remember hearing the words of absolution, or feeling the oil on your head and hands.

The Eucharist, is, of course, the ultimate sign of Hope, as it constantly, and repeatedly, brings Jesus Christ into our present life. If he is here, everything is going to be OK. It isn’t an unrealistic expectation that will disappoint us, but it is a certainty that gives us Hope!