Hope

A French author came up with this interesting guidance, which I translate freely: “In order to trust in what gives hope, we must distrust what makes us despair”. This pinpoints the problem with seeking authentic hope-full answers: people already have their beliefs about existential issues, but what they trust in is not right or helpful. The first thing they need if they are to be helped into a happier life-style is to despair of the present erroneous basis of their thinking. Or as philosopher Cornelius Van Til said succinctly: “I am asking you to be critical of your own most basic assumptions”.

We all have assumptions. If these are wrong, we are skewed! It is wise therefore to check out what our assumptions are, and to dare to assess them critically. The reason so many people suffer in their soul is that they are living on the basis of false assumptions – assumptions that are not in sync with reality. This cannot be helpful surely. So though the task is not easy – indeed it requires a big dose of humility – let us pause to examine what we really hold to in our heart of hearts.

We pick up our assumptions from the surrounding “plausibility structure”. In other words, we conform to the thought processes of society around us. Seldom do we have either the discernment or the courage to stand up and oppose the prevailing cultural norms – and yet, these norms change and have constantly evolved over time, and are capable of changing again in the near future. So to adopt the ideas of our generation will not necessarily serve us in finding real, lasting truth about ourselves. Or as someone well said, “If you espouse the philosophy of one generation, you will be a widow in the next”.

Of course the difficulty is to find some objective solidity to ground our assessment on, while in the raging seas of varying opinions. What is “eternal”? What truth is ever valid? Some ideas may seem plausible simply because we have imbibed them from the same culture as those around us: “everybody thinks that way”. But if they will pass away in a generation, they are – let’s face it – unreliable.

So, check out what your beliefs are based on. Examine your assumptions. Probably if you’re serious you will find that they do not hold water – you could find better. But where to turn for anything better? That is the next question.

Clive Every-Clayton