Mennonite Weekly Review

Now that the nation’s financial house seems built on sand, it is hard to be hopeful. Or maybe we just don’t see much reason to be optimistic. There is a difference between hope and optimism, especially for those who put their hope in Christ.

We see this contrast in the fact that the U.S. economy’s crash is due in part to a crisis of confidence. With our faith in a prosperous future shaken, Americans stopped spending. Banks stopped lending. The economic engines sputtered and stalled.

To some extent this was a necessary correction after years of reckless overconfidence. But now the pendulum has swung farther than it should have. People feel more fear than strictly makes sense. The problem is psychological: a deficit of hope.

An economic recovery will require national leadership that inspires confidence and renews hope.

But if hope is just another word for optimism, who can blame anyone for lacking it these days?

Hope, however, is more than that. Hope is an orientation of the spirit that transcends current realities. This description comes from Czech leader Vaclev Havel, quoted by James Harder in a speech at the annual convention of Mennonite Economic Development Associates last November in Winnipeg, Man.

In particular, Christian hope derives not only from the knowledge of salvation but also from a life of generosity, said Harder, president of Bluffton University in Ohio.

“I believe we both offer and receive hope by following the example of Jesus in serving others,” he said, as quoted in MEDA’s magazine, The Marketplace. “It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart, that makes us hopeful people even during the most challenging of times.”

The connection between hope and service shines in places such as New Orleans’ hurricane-devastated Lower Ninth Ward. During a visit there on Feb. 15, Mennonite Disaster Service disaster response coordinator Jerry Klassen said he saw “the look of hope.” He was not ignoring the many empty shells of flooded houses. But his attitude was shaped by the smiles of a family MDS built a house for. Their happiness mirrored the hope that is returning for dozens of families MDS is helping along the Gulf Coast.

This hope flows from the actions of believers who are generous to others because God has been generous to them. Rom. 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” The life of every Christian, whatever our financial state, can overflow with generosity.

It is impossible to be always optimistic. Discouragement and doubt will invade our lives. Right now many people have every reason to feel financial despair. This is a time when “we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak” (Rom. 15:1). It is a time to remember that “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).

The promise of God-given strength ensures that our hope is not mere wishful thinking or false optimism. When our house of faith is built on a rock, hope stands firm in times of stress.