“Even some that appeared to have ‘hopeless’ problems make great strides in learning to detach from many of the harrowing episodes in the alcoholism.” (ODAT, 2 December)
The paradox of hope is that it becomes useful only in a situation that appear not to warrant hope.
If the situation was hopeful, I would not need hope.
Similarly: faith is required only where the facts do not inspire confidence; charity is required in the face of inexcusable behaviour; forgiveness is required precisely for the apparently unforgiveable.
It is helpful to recognise that what I can see is a fragment of the whole.
The apparent hopelessness stems from blindness to the thousand factors that are invisible.
Every story turns out OK in the end, with God.