Hope

In January, I attended the annual conference of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains, of which I am a board member. Among the various discussions and presentations, one stood out as a powerful statement of the role of the chaplain — and indeed the role of anyone who offers support and comfort to another human being. The presentation was called “The Dynamics of Hope” and was given by Rabbi Rafael Goldstein of Phoenix, AZ.

Hope is very powerful; yet it is hard to define — and sometimes even harder to grasp onto. Like our belief in an incorporeal God, our encounter with hope is an intangible yet profound experience based on faith. And it may be the one thing that can sustain us when our physical world crashes down upon us.

Rabbi Goldstein begins with the most essential statement: “Hope is the only alternative for despair.” And he reminds us that there is no such thing as a hopeless situation; rather, he says, there are simply situations in which people have lost track of what they can hope for.

We speak often of the dilemma of why bad things happen to good people, also the title of a popular book by Rabbi Harold Kushner. In theological terms, this is called theodicy. Theodicy tries to reconcile three simple beliefs which cannot coexist: God is all good; God is all powerful; evil exists. The most typical ways of solving the problem deny one of the statements or blame someone else. Neither is a particularly satisfactory solution.

One reason why we feel the need to assign blame — either to God or ourselves — reflects the human belief that our lives mean something. We would rather blame Hurricane Katrina on the decadence of New Orleans, or the death of a young person on some sinful act that either they or one of their ancestors must have committed, than even consider the possibility that natural disasters or disease are random. There must be a reason, we insist, even if the reason is hideous. We would rather assume that God is in control and has some unknowable plan than allow the event to be meaningless.

I, for one, do not believe that God is in control. There is a natural order of the universe, and both biology and physics are amoral. Although we enjoy the rainbow and fear the tornado, one is not inherently good while the other is inherently bad. The results may be pleasing or tragic, but the events themselves carry no moral value. God does not control the universe, nor do we have control over what the natural world does to us or for us. What we do have control over, however, is our response. And this is where we need God and we need hope.

Rabbi Goldstein reminded us that we do not believe in the Coca-Cola god — where you put your dollar into the machine and you expect the can of Coke to pop out. God is not the local ATM; God is not a magician. Instead, God gives us the tools to prevail: strength, courage, wisdom, support, encouragement and hope.

When I visit people in the hospital dealing with serious, long-term illness, we often talk of taking things one day at a time. Each day is another step in the medical process, but each step also represents an act of faith and hope. God provides hope by helping us see our blessings in the midst of tragedy. And God often sends us angels — those wonderful people who stand by us, care for us and hold us up when we feel we can no longer stand on our own. They are a beacon of light and hope.

Hope is the only alternative to despair. Thank you, Rabbi Goldstein, for reminding us that hope is eternal and always accessible. .

L’shalom,
Andrew Bernard
Cantor