BASSETERRE St. Kitts, November 10th 2011 - Often, the word hope inspires images of religion, church, or  even concepts of ‘pie in the sky’.  Those who scoff at the supernatural or who do not have religious inclinations may believe that hope is irrelevant to them, except as a verb expressing their desire.  But hope is much more than that. I would like to posit that a lack of hope is at the root of all the criminality that confronts us, the apathy that has come to define us and the anger and rage that typify many of our young people and children.

Perhaps we need to begin by defining HOPE.
  
Hope is an emotional state that encourages/allows the hopeful to believe that what they want is possible or that a better circumstance or position in life is achievable.  It is reasonable confidence.  Hope gives wings to dreams and ambition.  Hope sustains. Hope is not a dormant or passive optimistic feeling.  It is power to strive and overcome adversity.

Lack or Absence of Hope

We see the evidence of a lack of hope in our children and young people, especially.  We see easily frustrated persons, persons being quickly overwhelmed, and a strong degree of anger and envy of others and/or their property.

In every life there is adversity.  There are times and seasons of difficulty.  Not every day will be a happy and productive day; there will be failures and obstacles.  In every life ‘some rain must fall’, as the saying goes, but there is a difference in how people see the outcome.   There are some people who seem to be able to get up and try again, who can ‘roll with the punches’ so to speak.  These are the hopeful ones.  But then there are many others who buckle under life’s pressures and do not seem to be able to get back up.  Life’s situations seem to defeat them.  They lash out at others, easily misjudging from the outside and determining that another person’s life is easier, perhaps richer, or less complicated.  With this mindset it becomes easier, even justifiable to take away another’s property, disrespect persons and their property and sadly even to take life.  These are the hopeless ones.  There is nothing to entice them to live differently or to look forward to a better and brighter tomorrow. Life becomes a fight each day to get whatever these ones demand and to do so at any cost.  There is nothing bigger or more powerful than the all-consuming struggle.

It is hope that distinguishes one person from another.  It determines how a person feels about life and what it can or may bring; whether a person can see a bigger picture than the present circumstance; whether that person can even consider that tomorrow will be better or whether that person can imagine a positive outcome to his/her situation.  Hope determines whether a person will stand firmly in adversity or if they will be toppled to wallow in despair and lash out at any and everybody around.  Hope determines how a person will feel about others and their successes or failures.
How can Hope Be Bred and Nurtured?

Childhood is a time to dream and build ‘castles in the sky‘.  In childhood, life and possibilities must seem limitless and every dream attainable, whether it is becoming a princess, a superhero, or even flying:- children need to be allowed to dream and believe that their dreams can come true.

Admittedly, years and experience will eventually ground persons in reality. As a child grows he/she would come to understand that being a princess is an internal quality that speaks to deportment and esteem more than royal birth; that a superhero is one who works tirelessly for the good of others and always chooses the good and noble, rather than a character in costume with superhuman powers or abilities; that flying is the ability to rise and soar above the mundane obstacles that confront us. rather than literally soaring through the cloudy sky.

Sadly though, many children do not get the opportunity to dream, but are instead bombarded by burdensome adult talk and circumstances, both in real life and on television. Thus, they are never allowed to dream and expose their young minds to the endless possibility offered in childhood tales.  This denies them their innocence and their childhood imaginings.

Without these they never learn to look forward to more, they never learn to see themselves as special or different, they never get to see that in the end good always triumphs over evil/wrong; they never get to explore the possibility of rising above circumstance.  Hope for them is often destroyed before it is even birthed.

Nineteenth century author Ouida wrote in her novel A Village Commune vol 2, “Take hope from the heart of man, and you make him a beast of prey.”

 No society wants a community of beasts of prey- persons who hunt and kill one another for survival.  Unfortunately, in small and large ways this is our reality.

So then how can we as a nation, as a community, as a society create persons who are positive and productive members of society rather than beasts of prey?  Well, according to the above quote we can ensure that each and every boy, girl, man and woman has a healthy hope- for self, community and nation.

SOME POINTERS FOR GROWING HOPE

• Read fairytales and stories to and with children
• Create charitable opportunities.  Do something without expectation for reward or accolade, such as visiting a housebound person and sharing a meal or some fellowship with him/her
  
• Highlight positive role models and engage in discussion with them about their lives
  
• Look for the good that has come out of the difficulties that you or others have experienced
  
• Get to know your history- as a race, as a nation and as an individual and embrace it
  
• Encourage at least one person everyday.  As you build hope in others so too will you grow hope in your life
  
• Think, speak and direct only positive thoughts and they will come back to you
  
• Seek out persons who are hopeful and keep them close
  
• Join your local church or one of its fellowship groups.  Grow your faith- it will do wonders to fill you with hope
  
• Ask for help and graciously receive it 
  
• Be honest in your dealings and expect the same from those around you
  
• Set attainable goals for yourself and work tirelessly to achieve them
  
• Allow yourself to dream big dreams and believe you can achieve them

Barack Obama in the DNC Convention feature address in 2004 highlighted the importance and power of hope. He summed it up beautifully- “Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!  In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us…  A belief in things not seen.   A belief that there are better days ahead.”

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