The Christian virtue of hope

18 Jul 2024 • From Bishop Richard Jackson

In this week's video, Bishop Richard considers what happens when people feel a pressure to feel positive, and display that positivity in their interactions with others. He says: 'For some this leads to feelings of guilt when you really aren’t doing OK at all.  Many people who use social media feel this pressure to make their lives in cyberspace seem as good as everyone else’s. This leads to the double whammy of comparison and one’s own inner incoherence. Everyone seems to be having a much better time than I am...'.

He quotes Raymond Williams who said: “to be truly radical is to make hope possible rather than despair convincing”. 'This is the radicalism of Christian faith.  It is not the denial of stoicism or the dismissals of "toxic positivity".  It is the walking alongside those in pain, allowing the articulation of inner feelings in their own way in their own time.'

How might our churches need to change so that they become spaces where vulnerability and authenticity are welcomed?

You can find a transcript of this week's video on the diocesan website.