Musical accompaniment: II. Adagio un poco moto – III. Rondo. Allegro from Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat by Ludwig van Beethoven
I’m writing this in Ohio, watching through the window as the early spring rain pours down and reflecting that hope and sorrow are like conjoined twins. Do they ever appear separately? The title of today’s post suggests perhaps they could be separated. If hope could ever be a certainty, there’s no need for sorrow.
This Frederick H. Evans photograph, In Sure and Certain Hope, was taken in York Minster, a 1,000-year-old cathedral in the north of England. The picture was taken in 1902 and published in Camera Work in 1904.
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I was curious about the title, which is based on a Bible verse, Hebrews 6:19: “This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place.”
Some Biblical scholars cited Hymn 60 by Isaac Watts, written in 1806. Despite its bland title, the lyrics are beautiful. These are the last two stanzas:
Then should the earth’s old pillars shake,
And all the wheels of nature break,
Our steady souls should fear no more
Than solid rocks when billows roar.
Our everlasting hopes arise
Above the ruinable skies,
Where the eternal Builder reigns,
And his own courts his power sustains.
old spirituals 
Isaac Watts wrote many hymns. I think the hymn he wrote from Psalm 90, O God, Our Help in Ages Past (with William Croft’ writing the music) helps explain sorrow and hope. The first verse reads: O God, our help in ages past, Our HOPE for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast (SORROW), And our ETERNAL home!
Hebrews was written with the Jewish people in mind and they would understand the references to the Temple in Jerusalem. In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle built in Moses time and then the Temple built in Solomon’s time had a Holy place behind a curtain where God’s presence was over the Ark of the Covenant. When Christ was crucified, the curtain in the Temple tore in two, representing Christ being the mediator for our sins and people being able to speak to God through Christ. Everything in Scripture refers to God/Christ being our hope even when sorrow comes our way (and in this life, it definitely does!). The Believer in Christ looks to eternity and his/her hope stands firm no matter what happens in this life.
I hope I’ve explained this well enough to understand. BTW, Isaac Watts wrote a favorite Christmas carol: Joy to the World!
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You explained it beautifully and eloquently. I can vaguely remember some of these things from childhood but then there is a lot I never knew. The curtain being torn in two, I never heard about. Was it the same temple Solomon built?
Isaac Watts seems prolific!
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The curtain being torn in two is in the New Testament, in Matthew, 27:51. My husband just told me the Temple in Jesus’ time was the third Temple, restored by Herod the Great.The first Temple was built by Solomon, the second by Zerubbabel, Haggai, and Zechariah. Yes, Isaac Watts was prolific! I looked up his hymns in a hymnal I have and didn’t realize how many he wrote that I’m familiar with.
BTW, that photograph reminds me of Westminster Abbey and I could listen to Beethoven for hours!
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You’re so knowledgeable about the Bible! I love that.
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According to PsychCentral:
Hope can exist even alongside the most difficult situations and emotions. Hope is much more than wishful thinking, as it requires optimism and willpower.
Hope is the belief that your future will be better than the present and that you have the ability to make it happen. It involves both optimism and a can-do attitude.
This definition of hope is based on “Hope Theory,” a positive psychology concept developed by American psychologist Charles Snyder.
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Despair comes in when you feel out of control and it doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do.
I’ve always heard Action is the antidote for despair.
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