In times of uncertainty, especially when faced with the pressures of health, fire and flood crises, and emergencies, the concept of hope often emerges as a beacon for survival. But can hope be more than just a wish for a better day? Practising being hopeful engages with the past in a way that fosters empathy and provides an accurate, unsensitized version of history. This can be transformed into an active tactic for resistance.
This idea of being hopeful isn't merely about optimism. This form of hope is not passive; it is active, informed by a deep understanding of past struggles and victories, and is rooted in the real, lived experiences of our faith. Hope is about believing in something even if we can't see it yet, and we don't know exactly how or when it will happen. To be hopeful, we have to have faith. Faith is when we feel sure about what we hope for, even if we can't see any proof of it right now. It's like believing in the unseen and being confident that what we hope for will eventually come true.
The past few years have highlighted the vulnerabilities of many communities in the face of wildfires, floods, and global health emergencies. Disproportionate rates of infection and mortality, compounded by the economic fallout, made it clear that the usual strategies of resilience were no longer sufficient. This is where the concept of practising hope comes into play.
For many families, being hopeful involves a conscious effort to remember and honour their past experiences: the triumphs and the traumas. It's about acknowledging the struggles that were previously endured and triumphed over, and using that knowledge gained to build a more resilient future. By engaging with the past in this way, we can foster a sense of empathy, not just for our past, but for each other today, here, right now. This shared understanding can then translate into collective action, strengthening the bonds within the community and providing a united front against external challenges.
By focusing on our capacities to respond as communities to collective crises and emergencies, we can uncover our unique strengths to face challenges collectively, as a community. However, we must understand the social locations of the different community members, by recognizing the intersectionality of race, class, and other factors that influence our experiences.
Living to tell the tales of past experiences of calamities, especially collectively, can be overwhelming, but hopeful as well. However, by practising being hopeful, we also strengthen our mental resilience. So, in essence, practising hopefulness reduces our individual and collective stress experienced during crises.
This approach to hope can serve as a powerful form of resistance. In a society that often seeks to erase or sanitize the histories of communities, remembering and celebrating these histories becomes an act of defiance and an assertion of identity, agency, and resilience.
When we practise hope as a community, we draw strength from our past, and become empowered to face the challenges of today. Through this engagement, we can build a more empathetic, resilient, and united future, even in the face of ongoing adversities.
