Day 3 - Longing and Hope

Since the brink of humanity, we humans have always had a deep, unquenchable longing for understanding and fulfillment as stated in the previous post). Whether it be spiritual "enlightenment" or physical achievement, we all hope and aspire to finally become the best that we could ever be. Despite such aspirations and hopes, C.S Lewis states:

"It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Reading this statement, I realized this statement contained a fragment of truth concerning all of us. We are indeed "far too easily pleased". Speaking for myself, I would think that graduating college and getting a stable, well-paying job is the final step in life. Perhaps getting married after and starting a family too. But this seems to be only a small part of the entire picture; my standards and goals seem to be limited only to this world. As a result, the struggles and pains I endure during this journey limits my own expectations and self-fulfillment because my longing cannot be fulfilled by the earthly treasures.

St. Augustine, one of the most powerful thinkers among the fathers of the early Christian church, believe that there was a final target of human longing. This ultimate source of fulfillment, called summum bonum (or "supreme good"), was the only thing capable of final quenching our "unquenchable longing". This summum bonum turned out to be no other than God Almighty himself. The Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the infinite God, and the Creator of heaven and earth was there from the beginning, watching our dissatisfaction in the world, waiting with open arms. It is so obvious, yet so blurry for us people to truly realize the unlimited love God has for each and every one of us - capable of filling our cups till it overflows. Plantinga Jr. quotes St. Augustine's very words:

"Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you....You were with me, and I was not with you."

The same thing goes for hope as well. Plantinga states that "longing is an ingredient of hope". Hope can be either good or dangerous, depending on where you reside your hope: within this world, or beyond its borders. Society seems to emphasize a dangerous kind of hope, which you can fulfill by portraying yourself as the sole creator and provider. But beyond the world, God's divine love seems to give a bright kind of hope for us people. Shalom, or "universal flourishing", results from one's residing his/her hopes in God. With the right ingredients of longing, love, and practice, we can create a kind of hope that resides among brothers and sisters of Christ rather than in oneself.