“What you don’t understand, is that I’ve tried that all before?”
“I hear you. I hear that you’ve been through it before and the experience wasn’t pleasant. I can understand why that experience would be off-putting.”
“Yeah, and when you read what others have said about what it does to you and how the evidence for it is so flaky.”
“But we have already looked at how that can be counteracted by other evidence. I mean you still haven’t looked at the empty tomb and those witnesses. Then what do you do with the question of hope?”
“That question about hope? I don’t see the point of it.”
“You don’t see the point about a lot don’t you?”
“You can’t blame me. The education system is clearly a construct not designed to help everyone. The dependence on the state for security and welfare is also severely flawed and subject to corruption. The political system on the local and national level only pays lip service to truly serving the needs of the people.”
“I hear you.”
“And that’s not even touching on what happens in relationships. My sons are disabled and I don’t get support looking after them. My wife unbearably makes demands on me as if I’m supposed to bow to her every whim. I’m the one that has to sustain the majority of my friendships, if I don’t call them, they won’t call me. It’s the reality of relationships, there’s only ever benefit if you can benefit them. People are generally selfish people putting on a mask of civility to avoid the inconvenience of having to fight to get what they want.”
“Wowsers, aren’t humans capable of any good?”
“Of course they’re capable of good. But what good has that good been when it is contrasted with such graphic, gratuitous and blatant displays of grotesque inhumanity and depravity. People want to talk about things levelling themselves up or things evening themselves out. People are deluding themselves.”
“So the likes of me are deluding themselves more than anyone?”
“Definitely. I know what it was like to be in there. Singing the songs and hearing the same vacuous pep talks trying to pump all kinds of nonsense in your head. I woke up to that mass delusion. You’re left with pithy and pathetic appeals to some spiritual mumbo-jumbo. What good does that do? It just masks the reality.”
“So to be clear – you just think that things are hopeless?”
“Basically.”
“Listen to me. I am not even arguing with you about a lot of what you’ve said. There are a lot of times when I want to believe the best in people and I am constantly disappointed.”
“There you go, see. I don’t know why you carry on the charade.”
“It’s not a charade for me. I am disappointed by the failings of others, but if there is anyone I could be disappointed with, it would be me. Sometimes I think that my situation is a hopeless case.”
“…”
“You see I could live without hope when I consider my failings. But there is hope. There is a life to aspire to. There is goodness to go after. There is right in the world and it’s not about seeking it in ideas or philosophies. That empty tomb makes all the difference. That empty cross says that there is hope. That life that was lived says quite clearly to me that this is not all there is to life. It’s not about taking in empty talk about getting rich and always being healthy. It’s not about redundant gestures and postures to the latest trends. It is about the reality of Jesus being Lord and the evidence of not improved lives, but a completely changed life – a new life. The life of that man who you cannot explain what happened to Him.”
“…”
“That’s why there is hope.”
“Thats what you say.”
“Yeah well. As long as you’re still up for a pint, I’ll see you next week for another game?”
“Yeah, sure. See you next week.”
(Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 