The Rev T. Richard Snyder, Ph.D., is professor emeritus at New York Theological Seminary and former academic dean. He is the author of four books, the most recent of which is “A Future Without Walls.” He lives in Topsham.
This is a dark time. The use of military on our own civilians, the horror stories of documented persons being arrested, beaten and detained simply because of their skin color or language, the erosion of freedom of the press, the retribution of perceived enemies, the loose use of “terrorism” and “national security” and the defiance of laws, judges and precedents all lead us to the brink of despair.
Moreover, while the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is cause for celebration, there is widespread skepticism about its long-range chances. But we should not give up. This is a time to live with hope, not despair.
While there are glimpses of light on the horizon, we are tempted to despair that all is lost.
Paul Rogat Loeb’s book “The Impossible Will Take a While” contains essays of people who experienced what many considered impossible and the need for hope in times of despair. When I am tempted to give up, to let the powerful facilitate the demise of democracy and decency, people such as Helen Keller, Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. challenge me to hope.
There are times when there seem to be “giants in the land” and we are but grasshoppers in comparison. There are times when the oil seems insufficient to last for eight days. There are times when the walls seem insurmountable. But we are reminded again and again that the walls came tumbling down, the candles burned brightly for eight days and the giant was slain by a boy with a sling shot.
If these stories seem too literal to be true, we are reminded of the struggles against slavery and its demise, the end of apartheid in South Africa, the passage of voting rights, the approval of gay marriage and the right of women to vote. All these, and more, seemed impossible but because people kept struggling, they prevailed.
We are called upon to live with hope — hope that the impossible will occur. Hope is not optimism. There is no guarantee that the new will last forever. This is not the same as wishing for some outcome such as who will win the Super Bowl. Hope is a way of life. It is the willingness to live one’s life and, if necessary, to die for the values we hold dear. Even in the face of death, we claim the power of resurrection.
Even when no one is emerging as a leader against the powers that be, we remember that it is the small acts of individuals that have served as seeds leading to new growth. Our letters and phone calls, our contributions of any size, our individual acts, our protests and our conversations may one day bear fruit. Change comes to those who persevere while they hope.
These are indeed dark days. But let us live with hope, believing that the glimpses of light will one day break forth into full sunlight.