Reflective Reading: Gates of Hope

I found the following piece on hope when I was researching for the piece I wrote earlier this week. I felt that this piece was too meaty and good to try and quote in part. The invitation from Victoria Safford to “plant ourselves at the gate of hope,” is something that deserves a thoughtful pause. Read the following piece slowly, or listen to Parker Palmer read the piece here. As you read keep the following three questions in mind. Is there a line or phrase that stands out to you? What do these words make you feel? Is there an invitation for you as it relates to hope? “Hope”by Victoria Safford Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of hope — not the prudent gates of Optimism, which are somewhat narrower; nor the stalwart, boring gates of Common Sense; nor the strident gates of self-righteousness, which creak on shrill and angry hinges; nor the cheerful, flimsy garden gate of “Everything is gonna be all right,” but a very different, sometimes very lonely place, the place of truth-telling, about your own soul first of all and its condition, the place of resistance and defiance, the piece of ground from which you see the world both as it is and as it could be, as it might be, as it will be; the place from which you glimpse not only struggle, but joy in the struggle — and we stand there, beckoning and calling, telling people what we are seeing, asking people what they see. There is so much to discover in these words. Do you find yourself at the ‘prudent gates of Optimism, the ‘boring gates of Common Sense’ or ‘strident gates of self-righteousness?’ What does the line ‘…the place of truth-telling, about your own soul first of all and its condition, the place of resistance and defiance, the place of ground from which you see the world both as it is and as it could be’ mean to you? After a little bit more research and googling I found the paragraph that proceeds the gates of hope. (I actually found the entire essay, it’s short and well worth reading, you can find it here.) We stand where we will stand, on little plots of ground, where we are maybe “called” to stand (though who knows what that means?) — in our congregations, classrooms, offices, factories, in fields of lettuces and apricots, in hospitals, in prisons (on both sides, at various times, of the gates), in streets, in community groups. And it is sacred ground if we would honor it, if we would bring to it a blessing of sacrifice and risk… Victoria Safford The Small Work in The Great Work (Read the Essay here) Where are you being asked to stand at the gates of hope? If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!)

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