High Hopes

Frank Sinatra sang a song that keeps running around in my head this morning called “High Hopes.”  I’ve always had “high hopes,” but sometimes I wonder if such “hopes” are futile. These high hopes are part and parcel of what I see as the “Way.”  The early Christians were called “followers of the Way” in the beginning.  But the “Way” has been lost along the way and now we have some Christians who go one way and some Christians who go another way (many claiming their way is the only way). It is all rather confusing.  Doing it our way or my way (which by the way is another Sinatra song) has taken us a long way from being “followers of the Way!”  

What was/is the “Way?”  The “Way” was and is the path that Jesus (and many others along the way) pointed us toward—a Way to live, to love and to be—a Way to be joined in community, not consisting of any one particular people, but inclusive of all humanity, anywhere and everywhere, including Jews, Samaritans, Romans, the poor, the maimed, the hungry, the sick, etc.  What a “Way” to go!  That’s the Way we are all called to go as human beings—not just those who follow Jesus, Abraham, or Mohammed, or Joseph Smith.  This has nothing to do with that oft-scorned term “political correctness;” it has everything to do with becoming fully human.

To be on the Way—not my way, not your way—but the Way that Jesus and others (including our American forefathers and our very own Constitution) have pointed toward for centuries means we have to change and change drastically. In Luke’s gospel Jesus took notice of how  party guests were trying to secure the places of honor around the dinner table, which we as individuals, groups, and nations do all the time.  This is precisely what we are doing in this present day when we say “America First.”  We want to sit at the head of the table, and in choosing that way we make all the other party guests somehow less important than we are.  In fact, we even want to decide who should sit at the table.  This prevalent attitude has long been with us.  It is nothing new.  It is very discouraging, but still I try to sing….with high hopes.

Next time you’re found, with your chin on the ground

There is a lot to be learned, so look around

Just what makes that little old ant

Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant

Anyone knows an ant, can’t

Move a rubber tree plant

But he’ got high hopes, he’s got high hopes

He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time you’re gettin’ low

“Stead of lettin’ go

Just remember that ant

Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant

Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant…