Hope & Fear: A parable

Fear and Hope walked down the leave-covered path.  Both waved their arms wildly as they carried on a conversation for the ages.  Leaves fell to at their feet as they walked into the darkness.

“I’m winning!” Fear proclaimed.

Hope slowed down and thought about the last few years.  She had to admit that Fear had a point.

“People are starting to snap.  Protests are erupting, families are in despair and leadership is pretty much nonexistent,” Fear smugly continued. “Business has never been better. People are giving up.  Institutions and heroes are failing. And to quote James Brown, ‘I feel good!’ about it all.”

Hope continued to walk silently, allowing Fear’s boasts to sink in.  Hope and Fear were like stocks and bonds. Traditionally, when one was up, the other was down. Judging by the evening news, it would be fair to say that Hope was down right now.

More leaves fell off the tree and crunched under their feet. Winter was approaching rapidly and the last of the foliage was on the ground.  These were cold, dark times.

They came to a clearing overlooking a small reservoir.  Both sat down on the hillside and Fear pointed to the sky. “Look at the darkness.  Look at the inky black water beneath it.  That’s where the world is right now.  People have given up on you, Hope.”

Hope just sat quietly.  Then she stood up, brushed off her bottom and started to silently mutter a quiet prayer. She raised her hands toward the stars and pointed to the same dark sky in front of them.  A chorus of birds chirped in the distance as if to announce something grand in the works.  Hope continued to stand silently and overlook the water.

The first pink rays of dawn erupted on the horizon. Pink and purple turned to red and then orange.  The blackness of night recoiled in horror almost like the Wicked Witch doused by Dorothy’s bucket.  Light tickled across the water to their feet. Hope stood up straighter as the day pushed back the night.  It was the promise of a new day.

Fear looked at her and knew that he had been temporarily beat back.

Hope began to speak, “You may be winning, but I’m still here.  And if people have hope, even in the smallest amount, you may win the battle but you will NEVER win the war. Hope is a gift given to humans.  And I intend to be there for them.”

“Let’s go have breakfast,” Fear abruptly changed the subject. “I’ll buy.”

“You’re on,” said Hope. As they walked back toward town, she knew that Fear would get the best of her again. But for right now, she knew that she had the upper hand.