Upcoming: February 11 – When Hope Betrays Us
Conversations at the Edge of Hope
David R. Weiss – February 6, 2025

NOTE: This is about a local event, accessible by Zoom. Details at the bottom of the post.

I’ve been so busy in other ways the past two months—holidays, family, navigating the maze of physical needs and bureaucratic red tape after my dad’s fall and surgery to repair a broken neck, and orienting myself to a prostate cancer diagnosis with its own labyrinth of information, insurance, emotion, and care options—that I have not collected my thoughts on Hope … as I had hoped to do.

But, as part of my own self-care—my deep desire and decision to live in the present and with purpose, I want to persevere in this work, even as I’m buffeted by other forces. So, we will discuss “hope” and its very ambiguous role in meeting Collapse in our upcoming Second Tuesday conversation.

I will have some thought collected by then. But as a way to “prime the pump” for you, here are a few short past pieces by me (each one is just 1-2 pages long) that offer glimpses of my wrestling with hope over the past few years.

NOTE: If you prefer to read these essays offline, you can download an 11-page PDF that includes this announcement and all 5 short pieces bundled together in a single document.

In “JPMorgan: Banking on an Apocalypse” (2020.02.21), I note that even investment firms are running scenarios with Collapse in them. And I ask what it would mean for us to face the inevitable ruin of our world … and still pick up a cello.

In “Collapse … and the Love of God” (2021.08.29), still writing in Christian god-language (though stretching it—hard!), I ask what the prospect of Collapse means for the notion of a loving God. Such a question, reframed, is very pertinent for UU’s as well. What does it mean to place “Liberating Love” at the center of our values and our lives, if Collapse is inevitable, no matter we do?

In “Even Beauty Cannot Save Us” (2022.02.05), I reflect on my bittersweet reaction to an orchestra concert … with Collapse on my mind. Such reactions have become commonplace for me—occasions where I am acutely aware of what gorgeous wonders will be lost. (I felt it most recently at the “Cosmology in Concert” event at First Universalist last month, which blended the science writing of JD Stillwater with the sacred music of Peter Mayer. I relished the awe even as I grieved the world in which such events would be only memories.)

In “Two Things True” (2022.07.15), I grapple with a kindred anguish, this time sparked by the joy of hiking with my grandchildren … and the knowledge that they are so unprepared for the world they are going to inherit. I ask what it means to cultivate a hope that is no longer hopeful.

Finally, in “Family Secrets – More than a Matter of Degree” (2023.07.08), I continue this line of reflection trying to pierce the silence that is “enforced” by hope, “protecting” our children and grandchildren from the knowledge of what’s coming until it is too late.

None of these pieces is “enough.” I need to go further. Exploring in greater depth and writing with more clarity about what hope has meant in white western colonial imperial civilization. Praised as a virtue, an essential component of pursuing the good, it has functioned as an opiate among the privileged, an invisible dampening of our will to act. It has often betrayed us, comprised our ideals, and abandoned the people and the planet we imagine we’re trying to save.

So, in this next Conversation at the Edge of Hope, we will ask these discomforting questions: What if hope is not an ally but a debilitating toxin in our present circumstances? What would it mean to set aside hope? And, between hope and despair, is there a third way we might pursue?

I lead “Conversations at the Edge of Hope,” which is hosted by Merging Waters Unitarian Universalist Congregation as part of their commitment to bring our values of mindful interdependence, authentic curiosity, and courageous love to the very challenging topic of climate crisis. If this will be your first time coming, I strongly urge you to click through this link to learn more about these conversations. (We welcome newcomers at any point! But you’ll find it helpful to get a brief “orientation” in advance.)

We meet on second Tuesdays from 6:30-8pm in Room 7 (lower level) at our shared space with the United Church of Christ in New Brighton (1000 Long Lake Road, New Brighton, MN 55112 – right at the NW corner of I-694 and Long Lake Road). Each month we gather around a recent theme in my writing for conversations that promise to be provocative, insightful—and right at the edge of hope. Intrigued? You can join us on February 11—on site or online (through Merging Waters Zoom room, accessible from their homepage). Contact me (drw59mn@gmail.com) with questions. RSVPs are welcome, but not required.

*******

David Weiss is a theologian, writer, poet and hymnist, “writing into the whirlwind” of contemporary challenges, joys, and sorrows around climate crisis, sexuality, justice, peace, and family. Reach him at drw59mn@gmail.com. Read more at www.davidrweiss.com where he blogs under the theme, “Full Frontal Faith: Erring on the Edge of Honest.” Support him in Writing into the Whirlwind at www.patreon.com/fullfrontalfaith.