Pandora's Box

Pandora’s Box

Saint Augustine said: "Let those who dread be allowed to hope,"

But what exactly is hope?

I’ll start with Greek Mythology because I’m reminded of the story of Pandora.

Mythology stated that Zeus first created only men. Prometheus first stole fire for man then tricked Zeus into giving man the best parts of any animal sacrifice, and leaving the gods with fat and bones.

That made Zeus mad, so in retribution, he created Pandora, the first woman. Which doesn’t really sound like much a punishment to me but hey, it’s the Greeks. Zeus made her a shy maiden with a name means “gift of all.” All the rest of the gods of mythology gave her gifts of silvery raiment, streams of flowers and a crown of gold.

The story says when Zeus presented her, she was a wonder for all man and gods to behold. She was made to be the mother of all women.

Later all the gods made another gift for her. They took a box and put all the plagues and evils inside. Then they presented it to her, warning her never to open it. She was then sent to Prometheus’s brother even though he’d been cautioned not to let her stay.

Pandora never knew what was in the box. Eventually her curiosity overcame her. When she lifted the lid, all the evils, sorrows, ills and plagues escaped. She tried her hardest to close it, but it was too late. After all had escaped, there was one good thing left in the box … HOPE.

Mythology had said hope remains as mankind’s comfort during times of misfortune.

But for us, direction comes in Romans. 15:4:

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

So what is hope?

Hope is a comfort according to the Greeks that made up the mythology some 2600 years ago.

In the encyclopedia it says: “hope, in Christian thought, one of the three theological virtues, the others being faith and charity (love). It is distinct from the latter two because it is directed exclusively toward the future, as fervent desire and confident expectation.1

According to St. Augustine, “Hope deals only with good things, and only with those which lie in the future, and which pertain to the man who cherishes the hope. Since this is so, faith must be distinguished from hope: they are different terms and likewise different concepts. Yet faith and hope have this in common: they refer to what is not seen, whether this unseen is believed in or hoped for.”

And further he says, “Therefore, the apostle Paul approves and commends the faith that works by love and that cannot exist without hope. Thus it is that love is not without hope, hope is not without love, and neither hope nor love are without faith.”

Hope is a lot of things. It can even mean the difference between life and death. In the military, we went through classes and studied what happened if we were captured and taken prisoner. We were taught that when someone gave up, they were lost, and not only giving up hope but they give up on living. That’s one reason it’s. But also at the Army War College I found and article that said: “Hope is not just a strategy; it is at the heart of the most successful components of American grand strategy over the last seventy-plus years. Yes, hope – standing alone, unmoored to any concrete action or contingency plans – is not a strategy. But we would do well to remember that when it comes down to it, hope is not just a strategy; it is the only strategy America really has, and it should spur us to action, instead of remaining paralyzed by endless, realist, what-ifs.”5

With all these definitions, is it a wonder that it’s been the subject of study? In an article by Dr. Adam P. Stern MD

What hope does for us

"[it’s] is also beginning to reveal its value in scientific studies. Among young adults with chronic illnesses, greater degrees of hope are associated with improved coping, well-being, and engagement in healthy behaviors. It also protects against depression and suicide. Among teens, hope is linked with health, quality of life, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose. It is an essential factor for developing both maturity and resilience.”3

….

Life seems to have little to offer without hope, but with it you can accomplish almost anything.

I remember reading the Diary of Ann Frank. She and her family went into hiding when they realized they had no more chance of escaping. A friend hid them in the attic of his spice mill. There they were sheltered with another family and a dentist as well.