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Machines that used to take up entire rooms or floors of buildings now fit comfortably in the palm of our hand or sit atop our desks. Downloading information from the Internet a few short years ago used to take hours; today that time is measured in minutes and even seconds. Last year's super computer is this year's dinosaur. Each year, we want our computers to do more things and do them faster. It's not enough to get information in 30 seconds or a minute; we want it instantly!
Our society has grabbed onto the whole idea of "instantness" which computer technology has fostered, and is recklessly applying it to every area of life. This is evident in modern morality (perhaps "immorality" is a more appropriate word), in the lack of loyalty in relationships, and in the hunger for quick fixes to social and political problems. Our culture is characterized by a slavish attention to the present and an emphasis on instant gratification. Instant credit urges us to "buy now and pay later". The stream of advertising that hits us daily encourages us to reach out and grab what we want and to do it now. We don't have to wait; we don't have to scrimp and save; we can have everything we want immediately!
This appealing message, pounded into our heads day after day, is extremely destructive to the Christian faith, and has serious negative side effects. One is a disrespect for things of the past. Another is disinterest in things of the future, short-circuiting our ability to hope.
As Christians, so much of what we believe about the past, about the present and, even more importantly, about the future, is inextricably linked to hope. Christianity and hope are glued together. We read in Scripture of "the blessed hope" (Titus 2:13)—the return of Christ for His bride, the church. Paul declares in I Corinthians 13:13 that the three great Christian virtues are faith, hope and love. We are reminded at Christian funerals that we do not sorrow as others who do not have hope in the resurrection (I Thessalonians 4:13). The Holy Spirit is said to be a deposit of hope guaranteeing what is to come (Ephesians 1:13-14). In short, Christianity is a relationship based on hope.
Paul points out in Romans 8:24-25 that we hope for what we presently do not fully know or experience. If we had it now, then we would no longer have to hope for it. Therefore, we must be content to patiently wait for everything that God has in store for us. But a culture that is steeped in the here-and-now, the instantaneous, has been robbed of this ability to hope.
This thus becomes a pivotal issue for the survival of Christianity in our day. Unless we are able to slow down the frantic pace of life, unless we begin to limit our desire to have everything we want now, we, too, will lose the ability to hope.
Hope, I have discovered, is a discipline like so many other aspects of the Christian walk. It is something to be learned.
First, hope needs an environment in which to flourish. This is accomplished by simplifying our lives and by consciously withdrawing from the maddened pace of life around us.
Second, hope grows when we value and cherish the past (that is, God's presence with His church and with us personally) and when we open our hearts to the glorious future God has planned for us. The apostle John writes that when we realize that God's plan is to transform us into replicas of His Son, we are motivated to purify ourselves (I John 3:1-3).
The birth of Jesus 2000 years ago was a laser beam of hope that cut through to the cancer of a sinful, needy world. Let us consciously lay aside the distraction of busyness and the clamour of voices offering us instant gratification. Instead, let us discipline ourselves to hope in all that God has in store for us in that other world He is preparing.
Daniel Hiebert has an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Providence Theological Seminary and attends Northview Community Church in Abbotsford, B.C.
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