To be human is to be free, capable of choosing between good and evil. Hope is the belief that our dreams are not mere waves that break as they reach the hard rocks of reality, but rather a journey with hope even though the way might be long and hard.
The Biblical vision is that of time as a journey and, according to the premise, there are setbacks, digressions, false turns; but these are never grounds for giving up hope because there is always a sense of destination – a world of human dignity and grace. Unlike optimism, hope survives even in difficult times.
The name of God’s creation is nature. The name of our creation is society. Each is constructed according to laws; but they are different kinds of laws.
Laws of nature chart relationships of cause and effect. It does not know freedom, other than as chaos.
Laws of society are the opposite. They are about choice. They are about freedom and order – a human order that honors freedom.
Having created the natural world, God asks us to create the social world; but beyond that God leaves us free to build or destroy, to hurt or heal. The moral enterprise is the greatest dream known to humankind. It is our creation under the tutelage of God.
