Stubborn Hope
This past Monday I was on my normal walk with Scout in the morning and like I wrote about on Wednesday there was a glimpse of color in what was an otherwise cloudy morning. But in contrast to Wednesday, the color didn’t disappear after only a few minutes. Somehow, this same spot of color seemed to just stay and stay and stay regardless of how many clouds moved in. It seemed like the east-moving clouds just seemed to keep this one spot clear . It was like that spot of sunrise was just going to keep being stubborn regardless of how many clouds came at it.
As I was taking this in, I was praying and thinking about my sermon for Easter Sunday. The theme from Kate Bowler in our Lenten devotion for Easter for the morning was “Blessed are those who hope still.” As I reflected on that statement and the story of Mary Magdalene going to the tomb from John 20, I noted the order of the last two words in the title, “hope still” not “still hope.” It feels like there’s a difference there beyond just word order. “Hope still” feels like more like a sense of stubborn hope. It feels a bit like the “still” is amplifying the choice to hope regardless of the circumstances.
Stubborn hope is what I see in what Mary Magdalene in the John 20 story. Even after Peter and John head back to their homes after looking into the empty tomb, she stays there. She stays and pleads the same thing of the two angels and then of Jesus (who she didn’t yet recognize)... “Where have you laid the body of my Lord?” Maybe it is stubborn hope that keeps her there - initially of finding where Jesus’ body ended up and then stubborn hope has her reach out to grab hold of Jesus after he is revealed to her.
Stubborn hope is the hope that keeps taking one step after another towards something even when it seems crazy.
Stubborn hope is the hope that clings to the call to justice and love even when the paths of hate and fear are reaching to pull you down.
Stubborn hope is continuing to speak up when it is easier to stay silent.
Stubborn hope is proclaiming God’s upside-down kingdom when sticking to the status quo is more comfortable.
Easter this year is speaking to me of stubborn hope.