Sharing the dream

"Dealers in hope’are people who have the capacity to ‘dream’ and to see a better future beyond the present reality. Prayerfully inspired by God such people have made a huge difference to the world down through the ages. From the apostle Paul to Martin Luther King (Jnr) and Mother Theresa, such people look beyond what is to what could be. But they don’t achieve the dream by keeping it to themselves. Such people share their dream and inspire others to unite in working towards it.

‘Dealers in hope’ need the courage to say what needs to be said, not just what people want to hear. The prophet Jeremiah warned of judgment before he spoke of return from exile. He was persecuted before he was heard as God’s messenger. Martin Luther King (Jnr) was killed for sharing his dream. To be heard when we speak about a ‘better future’ requires a commitment to truth and integrity. Australians in particular are wary of spin doctors who gloss over the present situation in a dismissive fashion or deny the costly path which leads to a better future.

The apostle Paul powerfully shared the hope of the gospel. Like so many others since, his credibility came from words supported by lifestyle. He pointed to the ultimate hope which is found through being justified by faith in Jesus Christ and put at peace with God. He says that such a relationship enables us to access God’s grace. The ultimate ‘better future’ is life lived in the presence of God. It begins now and continues for eternity (Romans 5:1-5).

But how does this message translate into the everyday reality of our personal lives, our schools and our troubled world? What does it mean as we deal with rising interest rates and photos of young children pulled from the rubble of bombed buildings? How does it inform the way that we teach and the way in which we administer our schools? How does it enable us to look students in the eye and answer their questions about the meaning of life?

Triumphalism and cynicism are both common responses to the quest for a better future.Triumphalists so emphasise the positives of the present that they deny the existence of any negatives. For them the better future is already present. Such leaders usually leave no room for critique. They live in denial of the need for or possibility of change. They give the impression that everything is perfect. But scratch the surface and a different picture invariably emerges, even in the best community or organisation. Cynics, on the other hand, see all the faults and problems but none of the possibilities for change or growth. Any sense of hope is crushed by the overwhelming awareness of all that is wrong with the world. Sometimes life’s difficulties can wear us down and cause us to lose hope for the future.

So, what is the role of a ‘dealer in hope’ in the midst of a rapidly changing and uncertain world? It is to share God’s dream for a better world while facing the present realities of life. Paul puts it like this: ‘We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (which is our ultimate goal). Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings.’ (Romans 5:2-3a). A key function then of leadership is making sense of the present suffering which lies upon the path between the present reality and the future hope.