Hope is something familiar to us all. Many of us would generally think of hope as simply having a positive outlook on life, wishful thinking, or a prayer. But I believe hope is more than that. Hope is a deep longing and exepectation that we have about the future. It’s something that comes from deep within our gut and soul, and causes us to be fixated on a world that is yet to come. And being inspired by hope, we begin to act in the present in ways that anticipate the future.
Most of us would consider hope to be a good thing. But in today’s podcast, I look at how hope can also be a dangerous thing. I explore the theme of hope from the movie, “The Shawshank Redemption,” in which Andy Dufresne and his friend Red have a powerful exchange on the topic of hope, both from opposite perspectives.
Quotes For Discussion
Red told Andy during a tense moment of the movie, “Let me tell you something my friend: Hope is a dangerous things; hope can drive a man insane.”
At the end of the movie, Andy writes a letter to Red in which Andy says “Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
I also look at Proverbs 13:12 which says “Hope deffered makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (NASB)
Stories About Hope
Drawing from stories on my life, namely, a prior broken engagement and the desperation I had in a job search for a better life, I share how hope has been both a negative and positive force in my life.
With the New Year coming upon us, I also explore how there are those who “prey” upon the hopes and dreams of many, whether it be “prophets” who give ridicilious fortune cookie style predictions about how this year is going to be your year of “break through,” pyramid scheme folks looking to enlist an army of suckers, or health clubs looking to sign everyone up to the gym for $10.
I also look at the Advent and Christmas season, the gospel, and how it causes us to live a life that is filled with hope as we look forward to the second coming of Jesus Christ, in which Christ makes all things new. Hope isn’t just tethered to our dreams about a future world, but it ultimately hinges on a person, and that person is Jesus Christ.
