There is a tension to Christian hope. On the one side, we have the hope of new creation. The material world is a gift from God, and though at present it is experiencing labour pains, the hope of the world is similar to the hope of a pregnant woman: after the pains emerges an inexplicable gift that is cherished beyond all previous experiences.
What's more, it is humanity's hope of resurrection bodies that paves the way for the rest of creation to be redeemed. We are not waiting to cast off our physical bodies and join a non-physical reality of pure bliss. Rather, we are awaiting the redemption of our bodies, which -- along with the resurrection of Jesus -- is the definitive "Yes" to creation.
In short, there is a joyous material dimension to Christian hope that must not be overlooked.
But this material hope is counterbalanced -- even superseded -- by another hope: the hope not of new creation, but of the Creator. Ultimately, it is the Giver of material gifts that Christians put their hope in; it is His presence that is longed for more than anything else. Yes we earnestly desire the gifts, but the greatest gift is the Giver himself, and our hope is that he will one day make his dwelling place with human beings in such a way that deep, intimate knowledge of him will not only be possible, but inescapable -- "the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea". To quote Brueggemann for the umpteenth time, our hope is that "the human person may appear in the presence of YHWH naked, defenseless, unashamed, and unafraid." What a hope -- to walk unafraid with YHWH. The good doctor goes on to write that,
Now, let me tell you about a little thing I like to call a "God-shaped hole"...
What's more, it is humanity's hope of resurrection bodies that paves the way for the rest of creation to be redeemed. We are not waiting to cast off our physical bodies and join a non-physical reality of pure bliss. Rather, we are awaiting the redemption of our bodies, which -- along with the resurrection of Jesus -- is the definitive "Yes" to creation.
In short, there is a joyous material dimension to Christian hope that must not be overlooked.
But this material hope is counterbalanced -- even superseded -- by another hope: the hope not of new creation, but of the Creator. Ultimately, it is the Giver of material gifts that Christians put their hope in; it is His presence that is longed for more than anything else. Yes we earnestly desire the gifts, but the greatest gift is the Giver himself, and our hope is that he will one day make his dwelling place with human beings in such a way that deep, intimate knowledge of him will not only be possible, but inescapable -- "the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea". To quote Brueggemann for the umpteenth time, our hope is that "the human person may appear in the presence of YHWH naked, defenseless, unashamed, and unafraid." What a hope -- to walk unafraid with YHWH. The good doctor goes on to write that,
The promise of presence and communion is important because it tells powerfully against the commoditization of contemporary culture, as expressed in market ideology and as it invades the ecclesial community as well. If the promise concerns only God's gifts, then God becomes only instrumental to human hope, and the hoper lives in a world of commodities, which in the end give neither joy nor safety. Thus it is affirmed that YHWH is the true heart's desire of human persons, the true joy of human life, and the sure possibility of life lived in hope.
Now, let me tell you about a little thing I like to call a "God-shaped hole"...
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