Faith VS Hope
There is a giant misconception between faith and hope.
People often use these words interchangeably. Merriam-Webster defines hope as “to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true.” Hope is another word for desire dressed fancy. Hope is, in fact, the belief that your desire will come true. Every day, you hear people say, “I hope I get that promotion,” “I hope the seller accepts my offer on that house,” “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” Hope is a longing for your desires to come true. But how often is one’s hope grounded in reality? You may or may not get that promotion, you may or may not buy that home you desire, and it may very well rain regardless of how much you hope it doesn’t. Hope has no credibility; it is a buffer for us to deny our current reality, with a longing that things go our way. You constantly hear “religious” people praying to God, saying, “I hope God heals me,” “I hope God fixes my problems.” But hope in prayer is like wishing upon a star.
Faith, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Faith is trust; it is a full acceptance of the truth with the utmost confidence that everything will be fine. Faith is to jump into the river, float with it, or drown in it, knowing all rivers eventually lead to the ocean. It is to fall into reality, into this existence, with the utmost certainty that you will get to the ocean, whether it rains or not. To die at this very moment, knowing it is the perfect time to let go, simply because it is the time of your death. To have true trust in what is to come regardless of your personal preferences. To even drop hope of life after death, reincarnation, or a stubborn belief in nonexistence, and to embrace true faith in what is happening here and now and what is to come.
What can hope give if you are unequivocally dying? What can hope give if you don’t get promoted? So-called “religious” people often pray with hope, but faith trusts in the divine, accepting outcomes with grace. Faith is not surrender; it is acceptance, it is liberation. If someone can have desires without the anchor of faith, they are adrift in the sea of uncertainty. Faith is the lighthouse guiding you through the storm, illuminating the path to inner peace.
Who is more likely to be blessed? A greedy numbnut praying, “My lord, I hope that you help grant me this promotion,” or one who prays, “My lord, thank you for all your givings. I accept this existence fully, as it is, and I have faith that whatever may come my way is in your hands”? True faith lies in trust and acceptance, not in hopeful demands.