Dare to hope

In the lead up to Yom Kippur this year I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about Little S and about how I've been approaching The Day.

I've realised that the worrying I've been doing about what horrible things could happen to Little S is not only counter-productive (as, having committed to the operation, there is nothing we can do to affect its outcome) but it is also the easy option. Much harder to my mind is to dare to hope that things are going to turn out alright.

To hope (as distinct from just blindly assuming everything will be fine) takes faith, courage and belief in our decisions and the risks that they imply.

Is this the same as religious faith? Quite possibly. What is certainly true is that being Jewish has provided me with a history and theology that allows for and promotes hope, however dark the world might appear.