I've been reading and re-reading Mystical Hope by Cynthia Bourgeault, which I first learned about in one of Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew's newsletters. While the book is introducing me to some new thoughts on the topic of hope, it also has affirmed much of what I've been thinking about—and learning about from others—in recent years while working on my current manuscript. Here's a section from Mystical Hope that speaks about hope as a responsibility. While the word 'responsibility' usually has a heavy ring to it, Bourgeault's language in this paragraph shines on what can emerge.

"[H]ope is not intended to be an extraordinary infusion, but an abiding state of being. We lose sight of the invitation—and in fact, our responsibility, as stewards of creation—to develop a conscious and permanent connection to this wellspring. We miss the call to become a vessel, to become a chalice into which this divine energy can pour; a lamp through which it can shine."

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ps. I'll be sending out my Dear Reader newsletter this weekend; if you don't already subscribe, and would like to, you can do so by clicking here.

[Photo: taken of the Stone Arch bridge on a spring evening here in Minneapolis.]