Unshakable Hope
My eyes wonder unto thee
God my guiding light
~Thomas C. Maples
The Shaken Nature of Hope
Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.
In a world often overshadowed by division, what serves as your guiding light? As I grow older, I’ve come to understand that wisdom isn’t merely learned; it’s earned through experience. Yet, even with this wisdom, I can’t help but question. Where does lasting hope reside when a secular landscape feels so fractured? It’s a big question, yet the answer might illuminate the path forward.
Is God Lost? Hope in a Post Nietzsche World
When Friedrich Nietzsche declared that “God is dead,” a void entered the world in the absence of a guiding principle. As a species, we instinctively seek light. Often, we yearn for an enlightened perspective from which to build a collective sense of morality. However, how can we create a collective morality without a higher power to support it? Though we all know the fallibility of human nature, it is hope’s guiding light that urges us onward.
God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?
While Nietzsche truly lamented over the difficulties faced by a world devoid of morality versus offering an atheistic doctrine in this famous passage, what is present here is a keen philosophical insight into the power that belief in a higher power such as God gives humanity in the sense of a moral conviction. If we do not have something greater than ourselves to believe in, then we truly are alone in this universe, and must face the human ramifications that exist when we place the ego (the self) above the Creator (God) and the (Self) that can emerge when we adopt and adapt to a doctrine of moral being.
I know of no other quote that so intimately addresses the deep fragmentation currently at hand. Many original psychoanalysts turned to Nietzsche’s philosophy as they sought to understand a world seemingly gone awry. In the absence of a higher power, they aimed to develop a new methodology for achieving a deeper understanding of the human condition. Yet, this newly adopted medical “talking cure” bore a striking resemblance to the long-standing tradition of religious confession. What a novel concept: speak your sins and see if it helps relieve the underlying emotional burden. Was guilt the most likely suspect for the malaise faced in 19th-century Vienna and London? This topic falls within our hopes of understanding. Nevertheless it seems lost in a time so long ago, yet so prevalent in our modern society, also devoid of God and a sense of Hope
Nietzsche warned of the dangers inherent in a philosophy absent of God. Ultimately, even he succumbed to the crushing pressure of the void such an absence created, suffering a nervous breakdown. His tragic descent revealed both the soaring heights and the inherent limitations of a consciousness built solely upon humanity’s fallibility. It also highlighted humanity’s inescapable propensity to fall. Still, the search for hope often leads us to consider these lessons. They are foundational to ancient stories that form the basis of our collective unconscious, but also light the way by which consciousness can lead us back to that sense of personal growth, as we navigate the fall, and find that higher purpose along the way.
Navigating the Fall
While the medical model has offered many positive perspectives, a critical shift occurred in recent times. We elevated the human ego to a god-like status, as Nietzsche alluded to. In doing so, we unwittingly made ourselves the sole architects of our own happiness. However, this approach proved deeply flawed and in a world so dependent on social noise, I wonder, where is the hope to be found?
Even Narcissus learned this tragic lesson. He fell in love with his own reflection, a beacon of light born from his self-admiration, yet he failed to recognize the image as his own. Lost and consumed, a tragic shadow pursued him relentlessly. Only when Great Mother Earth (Gaia), in an act of pity, absorbed him, did his suffering end. Yet, a physical token of this act remains. Born of that day is the beautiful Narcissus flower. It is a lasting remembrance for Echo, his devoted admirer, to behold. It serves as a poignant reminder of the emptiness that occurs when the only image to reflect upon is the ego. I know of no other impediment to hope than the trap of self-worship, for it blocks the inquiries needed to further deepen one’s horizons in unision with that higher purpose that serves as a fundamental building block of life.
So how do we navigate the fall to find that unshakable hope within?
Embracing The Path to Unshakable Foundations
We are but human, yet to stand unshakable, a touch of the divine guidance must serve as our anchor. To yield too much, to sway with every passing breeze, would surely fracture our very foundations. Any hint of weakness invites the tower to tumble, leaving only ruin where strength once stood. Hope, in this sense, acts as a guiding principle that grounds us.
Indeed, the Enlightenment, scientific, and post-industrial eras marked a profound shift in focus. Yet, observe closely. You’ll perceive a subtle return, a reawakening of foundational ideals, perhaps dormant but never truly forgotten by the human psyche. While some may loudly proclaim one perspective as superior, I often ponder: What form would life take if it was stripped of the ethical compass provided by a higher power of love? What would our world be without love to light its way? Do we, perhaps, witness that very reality unfolding before us now?
To truly be unshakable, we must align ourselves with a purpose greater than the ego’s fleeting desires or the narrow confines of a polarized chasm. Growth and transformation aren’t born from simply proving a point. Instead, healing divides and fostering profound change emerges when we discover a shared focal point, allowing us to move forward in unison. Where once a chasm dawned, something now far more beautiful can now emerge. It only took a fresh set of eyes to bring its new reality into being. This vision, rooted in hope and hopefully a higher purpose, can act as a bedrock. Why? Because it is rooted in the strength of two opposing perspectives, not one!
What do you think is the most significant challenge in finding this “mutual focal point forward” in today’s world?
This is such a personal question, and indeed, any journey towards a shared ideal must begin within. But I wonder if we truly have to navigate it alone. Look within; there may just be a message there, forming in the presence of a deep passion, a calling if you will. Is it environmental action? Is it the urgent need to help a neighbor, a child, or a puppy? What do you aspire to become: a psychologist, a plumber, an electrician, an attorney, a chef? I am sure you can find a way to use your personal focal point to create a sense of maturity within, and with this maturity, I wonder if you can affect the life of others for the better? When multiplied across individuals, a perspective such as this, could indeed form the bedrock of a collective focus, which may just reignite a powerful guiding light.
God, A Guiding Light
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:11-13
Is humanity truly maturing? Let’s certainly hope so. To become a Pilgrim of Hope, we must first possess the maturity to relinquish the conquering mindset of the archetypal warrior that is so prevalent today. This mindset has a gaze solely fixed on the next objective to be overtaken. Instead, we must act with the discerning guidance of a loving King or Queen, and nurture the realm we inhabit and are actively building. Saint Teresa of Calcutta summarizes this need to let go of the fight to pursue nurturing a higher order in her doctrine on peace.
“I will never attend an anti-war rally; if you have a peace rally, invite me.”
To enact this, we must create a vision based upon love and space where competing themes can find safety. It is through this, that true growth exists, for it is in tension where growth occurs, not homeostasis. Yet to enact a vision such as this, it takes wisdom, not strength, and wisdom is a earned trait, not something that can be simply learned.
True strength, then, emerges not from brute force or the relentless pursuit of the next conquest, but from a place of profound wisdom. I’m speaking of the Sage archetype—the wisdom that often accompanies gray hair. It is a divine nature capable of integrating all perspectives into a common beauty. What could we achieve with a world shaped by such wisdom?
Let’s remain attentive and see if this vision can indeed unfold. Remember, a new milenia occured only a quarter of a century ago. We are but fledglings walking into a new horizon. Where will it lead. Only God knows. Yet, I cannot help but think, what can be achieved if we center our focus on a higher frequency, not just the social frequencies that surround us in a world of noise.
My friends, thank you for joining me on this brief exploration of Hope. May the blessings of God be with you on your journey, as you envision, hope for, believe in, and achieve your capacity to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
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