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Despair or Hope A Choice

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DESPAIR or HOPE   A Choice

He had it all….great wealth, fame, possessions, the admiration of many, the attention and embrace of many women, the thrill of revitalizing old industries and the creation of new enterprises, a contributor of millions of dollars to charitable causes. Observers would call his life a full and successful one, despite failures in his marriages and some enterprises. Yes, he had done it all! Yet as he approached the age at which he knew the end of his life would be coming, he was uncomfortable and even dispirited as it dawned upon him that all his accomplishments might actually be meaningless in the end.  Was his inevitable death really the end? There must be something more. A sense of despair began to enter into his consciousness. Frustrated, although he moaned about death, he feared and trembled more about the sense of nothingness after death.

The despair he was beginning to experience and which was haunting him was not the despair of the average man, who despairs over financial or family issues. His despair was deeper and far more worrisome than the despair about money or other material items. His despair was about the onrushing entrance into nothingness….the end of everything, no new challenges to overcome, no successes, just nothing. There was no hope in his life for anything after death. His despair was becoming more all-encompassing each day. “Why isn’t there more?” he agonized.

His frustration grew as he contemplated the millions of people who felt no despair as death marched towards them. So many seemed to have hope for the life after death; for them death was not the end but only a new beginning. He tried to dismiss the religious among them as superstitious or stupid or having been sold a lie. Yet he knew differently; many of those religious individuals were very intelligent, perceptive, and reasonable people. They all had one thing in common….Hope, a hope for a fulfilling future after death, a union with God. The hope that he witnessed in his religious acquaintances was a rock solid certainty, a guarantee that God’s promises will be fulfilled. The promise would be God Himself and the guarantor of this promise is the risen Christ.

Although he would not allow himself to believe in God, yet so many people did believe in the divine. Were they correct in their belief in God and the hope for eternal life? Such a thought was contrary to his core belief system. Yet was it not possible or, even likely, that so many people are correct in their belief in the existence of loving, eternal God? Was their hope for the future well founded? Could he move himself to actually believe in God? Was faith in God possible for him? If he answers yes, then he has begun his journey to a new life. If the answer is no, then despair is the victor and hope is rejected….and nothingness is his future.  The choice is his.

Suggested Readings

“Josef Pieper: An Anthology” published by Ignatius Press  Chapters 9 and 10

“Fundamentals of the Faith”, by Peter Kreeft , Ignatius Press, Chapter 29 “Hope”

“The Treasure of Catholic Wisdom”, edited by  John H. Hardon, S.J.  Fulton J. Sheen’s essay on “Hope”

 

God Exists

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God Exists

Challenging her mother, the child shouted, “Why do I have to do it? Have my brother do it.” With increased irritation and a failing patience, the mother quickly and firmly replied, “Because I told you to do it. Now get on with it.” In every aspect of life, there arise situations in which an individual will be ordered to institute an action solely on the authority of the person issuing the command. Children are expected to obey the reasonable (and sometimes some unreasonable) requests of their parents. Similarly in a work environment, employees do assignments simply because they are ordered to do so by their superiors. Husbands follow orders from their wives and vice versa. These situations are common and necessary for an effective managing of life’s daily requirements.

Oh yes, parents, bosses at work, coaches, military leaders, and others in command usually make an effort to explain the reason behind a specific order or request. However, when reason and logic fail to move a person to action, then a command is often issued. Every parent can recall situations where the parent explained in detail and with frequency the reasons why one of the children should do a certain task only to receive a “Why me?” response. In the end, the parent would finally lose patience and say with firmness and not a little bit of irritation, “Because I said so!” In work situations and throughout one’s life, an individual faces the issue of doing some act because someone in authority said, “because I said so.” (Ask any married man why this mantra is true.)

In talking with a friend, I asked her why she believed in God and was a Catholic. From this highly intelligent and thoughtful woman, I was expecting some philosophical or theological response. Instead she merely stated, “Because Jesus Christ said so.” That was it, nothing more. “Because Jesus Christ said so.” The more I considered her answer the more it became clear that the woman had indeed grasped a core truth. Jesus Christ, the authority for truth and love, had clearly and frequently stated that God exists. His actions and His teachings were sufficient to engender the necessary trust for my friend to accept His direction. She fully understood that, although reason and theology will lead one to God, the most fundamental reason for believing in God’s existence is that the most trusted being in all of human history said so. The trustful authority figure declared the truth of God’s existence.

When I attend Catholic Mass and observe the individual members of the congregation praying, I realize that few have ever studied philosophy or theology, yet they are certain that God exists and, for most, that belief is based upon the observation, “Because Jesus Christ said so.” Nothing else is necessary.

Suggested Reading:

“The Catholic Catechism” by John Hardon, S.J.  Part One “The Word of God”