From my reading this morning on Faith and Fatalism.
"To say of a situation, “It is out of my hands,” can represent a fatalistic remark or a mark of faith. Faith, after all, might seem to major in resignation; it too asks us to say, “I give myself into hands beyond my own.” But faith looks very different from fatalism. It is its radical opposite.
Rather than displaying passive resignation, faith leads us to hopeful willingness. A person of faith is willing to let new things happen and shoulder responsibilities that arise from unheard-of possibilities. Trust in God allows us to live with active expectation, not cynicism. When we view life as a gift, as something given to us by a loving God, not wrestled by us from an impersonal fate, we remember that at the heart of reality rests the love of God itself.
This means that faith creates in us a new willingness to let God’s will be done. The word so often translated faith in the New Testament comes from an ancient word that literally means “trust.” Faith is the deep confidence that God is good and that God’s goodness somehow triumphs. Faith is that intimate, personal trust by which you say, “I commend myself into your strong, loving hands.”
It is not hard to see how genuine hope is different from optimism. We are not talking about a sunny disposition that makes us believe things will be better tomorrow. An optimist says, “The war will be over; your wounds will be healed; the depression will go away; all will be better soon.” The optimist may be right, but unfortunately he or she may also be wrong. For none of us can control our circumstances.
Rather than displaying passive resignation, faith leads us to hopeful willingness. A person of faith is willing to let new things happen and shoulder responsibilities that arise from unheard-of possibilities. Trust in God allows us to live with active expectation, not cynicism. When we view life as a gift, as something given to us by a loving God, not wrestled by us from an impersonal fate, we remember that at the heart of reality rests the love of God itself.
This means that faith creates in us a new willingness to let God’s will be done. The word so often translated faith in the New Testament comes from an ancient word that literally means “trust.” Faith is the deep confidence that God is good and that God’s goodness somehow triumphs. Faith is that intimate, personal trust by which you say, “I commend myself into your strong, loving hands.”
It is not hard to see how genuine hope is different from optimism. We are not talking about a sunny disposition that makes us believe things will be better tomorrow. An optimist says, “The war will be over; your wounds will be healed; the depression will go away; all will be better soon.” The optimist may be right, but unfortunately he or she may also be wrong. For none of us can control our circumstances.
No, hope does not come from positive predictions about the state of the world, anymore than does faith. Nor does hope depend on the ups and downs of our life’s particulars. Hope rather has to do with God. We have hope and joy in our faith because we believe that, while the world in which we live is shrouded in darkness, God has overcome the world. “In the world,” said Jesus, “you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” ( John 16:33). We follow One who is not limited or defeated by the world’s sufferings."
Nouwen, Henri (2004-06-29). Turn My Mourning into Dancing: Finding Hope in Hard Times (pp. 51-52). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Nouwen, Henri (2004-06-29). Turn My Mourning into Dancing: Finding Hope in Hard Times (pp. 51-52). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
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