To mark the beginning of our Advent season, the first candle you’ll see lit is representative of hope, which, if I’m being honest, is sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse. Of course, the hope we celebrate at this time of year is that of God’s promises made in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New with the coming of Jesus Christ, who “takes away the sins of the world.” With that, we have lots to be hopeful for: who doesn’t want their sins taken away? I certainly do. However, this is not the only hope we have as human beings. While the holidays are generally a time of joy, as I mentioned at this time last year, there are many of us who might find themselves in dire or otherwise difficult straights: maybe you’re missing a loved one, unsatisfied with work, needing a break, or what have you! Strangely enough, although seemingly a contradiction in terms, it is amidst such vile vicissitudes of ill-fortune that we are most inclined to hope.

A few months ago, I shared a number of thoughts on hope. It is certainly, as I said, something that can give us the strength to get through the worst times of our lives. It’s done so for me just as I’m sure it has done for you. Of course, this is a wonderful thing, and it’s inspiring to see what hardships people can endure if only they have hope. However, as you might have guessed, there is a lot more to hope than this because hope, as I said, can be both a blessing and a curse. Hopes aren’t always fulfilled, after all, and that can be disappointing. So, I wonder, is there any danger in hoping? Consider, to put it another way, the danger of “living on a prayer”.

Speaking from my own experience, there is little else that can be more soul-crushing than a prayer that feels unanswered. You petition God, you hope for what you will, but if it is left unfulfilled, it’s easy to fall into despair. Perhaps at this point you’re left thinking that I haven’t struck the cheerful tone that I’m aiming for, but if that’s disappointing, then you’ll understand something of what I mean. Hope can leave us incredibly vulnerable to these sorts of feelings, and that is not to be taken lightly.

Still, do you know what it is that all my unfulfilled hopes have in common? It is that despite whatever crushing disappointment might follow, that in turn has been followed by all kinds of surprises God had in store for me. Hope has both pushed me through and led to the worst of experiences in my life. Still, not once have I been let down by what opportunities I’ve been presented with after with. As Boethius might say, the wheel just keeps turning, and if hope is what carries me through that, then I say it is a damn good thing.

As I’ve grown to appreciate this revelation, it has led to an understanding of hope in a broader sense: that is to say, a hope that isn’t tied so much to my own petitions but a hope grounded in God’s good will towards myself and the rest of mankind. The story doesn’t end with heartache. On the contrary: you need only keep an open mind, and you’ll find plenty of reason to hope that while you may not get what you want, you may get something better.