By Dr. Andria Porter

I once asked a former Honduran Catholic priest how he could continue to have hope in the midst of suffering. He told me that he had no hope, there was only la Lucha, which means “the struggle.” He said, “I am the struggle because if I had hope, I would wait to see how things turn out. Evil always destroys itself, but hope is a friend to it.” Sometimes it is the absence of hope that leads to positive change. 

When one hopes, it is usually for a specific outcome — a good health report, a good grade, or the election of our candidate for public office, because we hope that our candidate or party will fix everything that we think is broken. The problem with focusing on an outcome in the midst of serious social and cultural upheaval is that it often leads to the end justifying the means.

I have been asked many times in my life why I participate in the struggles of other countries, sometimes at the risk of my own life. I am asked if I really expect to change anything by my actions. My response is that I do not expect to change anything at all. 

It is not about the outcome, it is about who I am as a human being. It is about the relationships that I have formed with people from other places and my care and concern for their struggles. It is who I am. To discard that in exchange for a specific outcome, is to betray myself. You see, it really is not about the outcome, it’s about the struggle. It’s about who you are as a person within that struggle. 

So what does giving up hope mean for us as human beings? 

For me, it means that we must take responsibility for one another. If we throw up our hands and say “the world is too evil, I cannot change it,” we are failing to honor the life that is our gift. If we explain away the pain and suffering in this world as “human nature” or part of “God’s plan,” then we absolve ourselves of any responsibility for others. If we choose to do nothing because we think it will not change anything, we are abdicating our responsibility to each other. 

Our eyes should not be set on an outcome. No one ever sacrifices themselves for another unless they have let go of their attachments and perceived outcomes. It is really not about the end result. 

When someone tells me that they have given up hope, I think to myself that is a good thing; because when hope is gone, the focus on outcomes is diminished. When hope is gone, all we have is each other….and that is where things begin to truly change. 

“Dear Neighbor” authors are united in a belief that civility and passion can coexist. We believe curiosity and conversation make us a better community.