Where is the hope?

On The Gene Pool, +Gene Robinson mentions reading that optimism usually relies on people to get something done which often results in disappointment while hope relies on God to get things done. Unfortunately, that sort of hope often results in disappointment too IMO. As the old joke says, "Buy a lottery ticket!" Both require human effort. Hope in God requires careful consideration of what is hoped for and acceptance that God's ways are not always our ways.

I see no signs of hope or optimism from those who would declare the Anglican Communion dead or split beyond repair. I see far too much despair on the side of those who would listen to the Holy Spirit as she tries to teach us how to love. I see far too much fear on the side of those who resist opening their hearts to people they believe the Bible condemns. I see far too much, frankly, ignorance on the part of people who accept one version or another of the Bible as the final word of God - in English, no less - without studying the history of the Bible. I see far too much arrogance from certain individuals who know more about God's plans and desires than others.

Because religion and church are creations of men for human reasons, they are subject to human folly. Why don't people understand that? I don't know much about the Bible but I don't recall Jesus saying much about the institutional "Christian" church. He had plenty to say about the institutional Hebrews' church, much of which we ignore.

I think Luther said something about not wanting to go to heaven if there is no humor there. God has a sense of humor. I know because I've been the brunt of it many times. God gave us a sense of humor so we can deal with life. A cruise thru the "liberal" Anglican/Episcopal blogs will reveal frequent use of that gift tho not always in a constructive manner. A cruise thru the "conservative" blogs will reveal little humor and much call for "justice", punishment, exclusion, etc. Did God give us humor as a sign to hope?

While the "conservatives" work hard to impose their beliefs on the Anglican Communion and TEC, the "liberals" need to work hard to remind everyone of what the Bible says Jesus taught. We are to love God and our neighbor as ourselves and to leave the winnowing to God. In that there is hope. In imposition there may be optimism but there is human fallibility.

I'll stick with hope.

(The image is from sortamotivational.)