Is 'Hope' the best hope for us?

How many of you have watched the recent Netflix series " The Sandman " ? if you have yet to watch it, I would suggest go and watch it. I must say this is one very dark, deep with layers and excellent script and plot- master of storytelling drama. Not to be a spoiler, there is a scene in it- worth our further contemplation and reflection. The scene between Lucifer, the fallen angel and Ruler of Hell (Devil) with Morpheus- the God of Dream and Sleep. In the battle of wits with supernatural powers between them (known as the 'Oldest Game'), evidently, Lucifer is much stronger, and would outsmart Morpheus with powerful manifestation of the 'dire wolf', 'bacteria' to the concept of 'anti-life' - even when Morpheus counter with becoming the 'world'- he is no match for the Devil. When all seem lost, and a mortally wounded Morpheus- King of endless Dream.. suddenly declared " I am hope" . And without a suitable counter because Devil could not conceive of anything that could best 'Hope', Lucifer finally conceded defeat.

Hope. Is hope our best hope? In the context of a very sick world today, and the daily negativities of what seems to be a very hopeless society- with Earth in dire- drought, heatwave, floods, energy crisis, extreme weather disasters on a magnitude scale, not to mention pandemic, mutated viruses (omicron, monkeypox etc) and diseases, mankind is nothing but in constant suffering.

The recent revelation of several people from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia been duped to Cambodia on the pretext of attractive monetary rewards, jobs and a brighter future ended up in tragedy of a dark and horrid human trafficking scam activity- with these people been 'sold' for their organs, blood, or forced into prostitution, or forced to help their captors to scam others to redeem back their freedom. As news of such inhumane acts gradually surfaced, you really wonder - is life so worthless? Is dream for a better future seem futile?

As I listened and watched these painful and sad news, I started to think of hope. What is hope? and how can hope be of help? I think hope is a very powerful thing- to keep us going, just like in the sandman- battle between Lucifer and Morpheus. What can kill hope? Nothing is stronger than hope. We hope for a better live, we hope for a better job, we hope for a better home, future...... We have a hope. As much as we all have a dream of something, we have a hope to hold on to. But what about when hope is dashed, when someone put an end to your dream.... what is left to hope? Despair? I meditated on this..... for a long long time. I struggled deep within myself- what is the use of hope? Why do I even profess to hang on to hope ? And my inner voice tried to answer me- but if there is no hope, then perhaps there is no life?

We live to see another day... as the saying goes.... This is a profound question. But an important one. Of late, someone told me about 'practical hope' ! Hope should be practical? So there is impractical hope? So hope which is not practical is but nothing? Perhaps it can only be a fantasy? Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.?A dream is a cherished ambition, ideal or aspiration, or an idea created in fantasy.

Shouldn't we all have a dream? It will be unimaginable if we have lost that faculty to even aspire to. Perhaps with dream, we should conceive practical hope (not just hope)? How can we have practical hope? The very word 'practical' would mean to anchor in realities- and as we dream we should also take practical actions to deliver the fulfilment and realization of our aspiration- so called 'Practical hope' ?

Hope can provide us the motivation, the impetus, the catalyst and the desire, and above all, I think the most important 'power' to live.

Maybe in today's seemingly bleak and sad world we are living in, the offer of' practical hope is even more critical and necessary ever before. Like in the Sandman, what could best hope? And like Morpheus reminded Lucifer-that Hell has no power if the damned cannot dream of Heaven !

let's say Hope is the best hope for us. So do not give up on hope.

So what's your hope?