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What is the substance of hope? How does hope inform peace? It is easy to hope for peace when all one has to do is "hope" for it. However, to only hope for peace is to transform the concept of "hope" into little more than a synonym for desire. From a religious perspective, such a corruption of the language relegates peace to being something we can only wish for. This orientation toward peace and our world reveals a personal perception of powerlessness. While in our culture we may think--like the lyrics of an early 60's pop song--that all we can do is be "wishin' and hopin'" and "hopin' and wishin'" for what we desire, that is just a choice of seeing ourselves as powerless. 

An authentic faith demands a more empowering meaning for the concept of hope. Faith is the substance of what is hoped for. Experiencing faith as a pronouncement of a wish or desire redefines it to be something other than faith: fantasy. In our times and in our culture, fantasy just doesn't cut it as the essence of a mature faith. 

Among the monotheist religious traditions originating in the Middle East, a shared articulation of our faiths is that humanity's purpose in life is to do justice, love mercy, and live humbly. This statement is a paraphrasing of the prophet Micah's insight concerning what is required of humankind (6:8). These Divine charges are another articulation of the Jewish concept of jubilee--a systemic discipline affirming the Divine's intent for equality among peoples. The truth of these charges is reinforced in Jesus' teachings to love your neighbor as yourself, to love your enemy, and the impossibility of serving both God and money. Lovingly administered justice and kindness is something that those of the Christians faith want for themselves and need to provide all others. These challenging charges are embraced in the concepts of charity and hospitality: two of the four pillars of Islam. 

In an authentic faith these callings to justice and mercy with humility are a required discipline, not comfortable platitudes. A pious orientation of convenience toward these callings are infantile expressions of faith. Among the religious traditions referenced above, faith is what is believed. Belief/believe, as used in this context, can be consided, linguistically, as a contraction of the words by-my-life/by-my-living. Faith is what is lived.

Affirming and building on this concept of faith, Micah observed that all people walk in the name of their god. Denial withstanding, how we walk, individually and socially, reveals the nature of what we hold to be divine. What we hold as divine, in turn, informs our faith. Our faith is the parameters of our hope. Our hope names the limits of the peace that is possible in our time.  

In our time Gandhi captured this relationships of these words by observing that we must be the change we wish to see in the world. We are citizens of a democratic republic. Ours is a society which, in practice, currently believes in the god of economic security: money. We fear this god--or at least an absence of it. This common fear makes it "wise" to be enslaved to the pursuit of its "security." Can we be free to spiritually walk uprightly through life and be faithful to our high calling if our inner vision is divided? How does one maintain a mature spiritual balance if one eye is on God's call to humbly do justice and love mercy, while the other eye is fearfully riveted on a hope that we will not suffer from a lack material wealth? 

Our personal and joint faith is revealed by the latter, fear defined hope and its unjust wealth creation system: global capitalism. A hope in it defines a myopic, costly, and apostate peace. Is not this the peace of the world? Is not this the peace of the privileged? Is not this the peace of the unjust? Is not this the peace of the hardhearted? 

Among our faith traditions the Divine may go by different labels, but the nature of what is held to be divine is revealed when our lives express the faith, hope, and peace that is demonstrated when swords are being beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. In these times the nature of That-Which-Cannot-Be-Named is made manifest when we are disciplined to lead our nation to not make war on other nations nor learn war anymore. It is humbling and a struggle to be faithful, with a Divinely substantive hope, and live its just and merciful peace. 

-- © Greg Robie, 8/29/04

The five "voices" that circumscribe most of the religious arguements dividing religious communities:

	A Song of Paradox
	If I stand still, everything changes. If I move, I change everything. If I am still, I change with everything. If I change with everything, there is no change. From the vision of an activist this brings anger! For pushing change is what we are about. Directing and controlling all these changes Is what we live for, die for, why we shout: Oh if I stand still, nothing changes. When I move, I change everything. If I am still, I am like everyone. If I'm like everyone, there is no change. From the vision of the contemplative this brings laughter, In the balance is where life is found we say. Struggling, fighting, exhorting gets you nowhere. To be centered and in love is why we pray: Oh I will stand still, for everything changes. If I move, I might change everything. Until I'm still, I'll change with everything. If I change with everything, I will not change. From the vision of the pious this brings sorrow, For everything will change if just we pray. The change we hope for now will soon be given When Christ returns on His triumphant day. We must stand still, for everything's changing. If we move, we'll change like everything. If we are still, we'll not change anything. No change is needed but the change God wills. From the vision of the pragmatist this brings caution, All things in moderation is what we say. In their season all things have a reason. Let change happen, just observe it, is our way. Oh we can't stand still, for everything changes. Because we move, we change everything. To be still, won't change anything. Our difference is our patience with our change. From the vision of the hedonist this brings ridicule. You've got it wrong, you've missed the point we say. Its now amid these changes you should look for Fun, frivolity and pleasure for today. Oh if you stand still, you'll miss the changes. In changes pursue pleasure as your goal. If I am still, I'll miss my chances For self-indulging pleasures for my soul. Can people who see differently see together? Can harmony be heard, can we conceive Diverseness that belies a hidden wholeness That moves us to be different and believe: If I stand still, everything changes. If I move, I change everything. If I am still, I change with everything. If I change with everything, there is no change. I am called to move and make a difference. Bring healing to the sick and clothe the poor. Feed the hungry, rest the tired, console the broken. Created by my greed of wanting more. So I must stand still, for I change everything. I must move, if anything is to change. I must be still, if I would change anything. For everything will change when I am still. If we stand still, everything changes. If we move, we change everything. If we are still, we change with everything. If we change with everything, there is no change. If I stand still, everything changes. If I move, I change everything. If I am still, I change with everything. If I change with everything, there is no change.
	by Greg Robie, © 1994

Piety aside, a spiritually mature and grounded view of our religious hubris:

	a dis for belief people
	You marched with Martin I went to prison Back in our day That was proof Hope was risen But look what has happened Since, back in our prime We did these things And defined the time More have got poorer While the rich have got richer 'til life just ain't handy For half of humanity And that's only half Of the whole sorry story The number, so suffering has doubled, its gory Life's diversity's trashed Its melting away Our rush to be quick Is blasting today At all that might balance And hold US in check So now things are set up To clear the deck We'll mow down without question Those who stand in our way Of the solemn coronation Of capitalism's sway A procession of power That can't see a thing Beyond what it feels like To take, rape, and sting Do you know what I mean Can you smell the injustice Or is your head up a place Where no one can bust it Our resting on laurels And living for comfort With limited vision Makes us a consort Of forces that silence The World's groans for peace And defines us a people Of strong disbelief And yet you will tell me That we're doing fine That each of us individually Reflects the Divine I look twice with eyes Which seem to see clearer I do not see how We have made heaven nearer We've straightened some deck chairs On our good ship, Titanic But its design limits destine That some day we'll panic We'll join the others On whose heads we stand And pay a just price For burying ours in the sand So wake up you sleepers Smell the new day The fire and brimstone That will shape our way What will you do When you are so confronted Will you turn and repent Or scapegoat the shunted Its not a bright picture I paint with these words But if darkness has led us It's what we deserve
	by Greg Robie, © 9/27/03

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