The term “expectant hope” has always been hard for me to wrap my head around.
It feels like an oxymoron. How could I possibly have hope and be expectant at the same time? The phrase has followed me around during many seasons of my life. I would hear it come out of the mouths of my family members, friends and teammates. Yet it wasn’t until just a few weeks ago that I decided to figure out what expectant hope really means, and how it could show up in my own life.
Trying to understand expectant hope caused me to experience a bit of cognitive dissonance at first. I just couldn’t connect all that I knew about hope from my faith background with the concept of being expectant at the same time. Holding these two ideas in tension with one another was extremely difficult. How could I possibly approach God in humble hopefulness AND confidence? It felt wrong to expect anything from the Lord at all. Shouldn’t I just focus on being thankful?
As I began to ponder this term and its purpose, God began leaving me little clues. During a conversation with a professor, some of Wendell Berry’s works were referenced, and I was quickly captivated by his beautiful poetry. After reading his poem “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front”, the last line stayed with me for quite some time. Why did Berry feel the need to tell his audience to “practice resurrection?” Why did he say this after urging his readers to do many things that go against our cultural norms?
In our world today, “practicing resurrection” can seem daunting. It doesn’t take much time or effort to get stuck in the trials and tribulations we face nearly every day. Small victories can be hard to hold onto in the face of so much negativity. Yet Berry challenges us to go against our instincts, shake off discouraging circumstances and push on. Living a resurrected life requires intentionality. It calls Christians to transcend their difficult situations and lean on the Lord.
Berry hides some simple ways to practice a resurrected lifestyle in the lines of his poem. Two of my favorite ones are “Invest in the millennium” and “Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.”
Berry encourages his readers to serve others over themselves. Investing in the millennium won’t result in rewards for ourselves. This is a kind of sacrificial love for which we will never be repaid.
Choosing to be joyful in the midst of failure or disappointment is tough because it doesn’t make sense or feel right. Yet every time we do this, we recognize Christ’s sovereignty in our lives and follow Job’s example in Job 13:15, “Though He slays me, I will hope in Him.”
So where does expectant hope fit in with Berry’s resurrection lifestyle? I believe that the first step in practicing resurrection is demonstrating expectant hope. Without this mixture of hope and confidence, we cannot understand or reap the benefits of Christ’s death on the cross.
