Hope in Hard Times

Organizer and activist Mariame Kaba reflects on hope as a discipline.

For me, hope doesn’t preclude feeling sadness or frustration or anger or any other emotion that makes total sense. Hope isn’t an emotion, you know? Hope is not optimism….

The idea of hope being a discipline is something Kaba first heard from a nun many years ago. The teaching was connected to the importance of being both of the world and in the world. Rather than treating faith or hope as a way to escape the present, this kind of hope was grounded in daily practice.

The hope that she was talking about was this grounded hope that was practiced every day….

Kaba describes this understanding of hope as a philosophy of living. In a world where it is easy to feel that everything is broken, nothing will change, and hopelessness is the only reasonable response, she chooses a different way.

I choose to think a different way, and I choose to act in a different way. I choose to trust people until they prove themselves untrustworthy.

She also draws on the words of Jim Wallis, who describes hope as believing despite the evidence and then watching the evidence change. For Kaba, that vision of hope makes sense because she believes there are more people who desire real justice than those working against it.

Taking the Long View

Kaba also describes how short-term thinking can keep us from accessing hope. Hope requires a wider view of history, movements, and change. It asks us to remember that we are part of a much larger story.

I take a long view, understanding full well that I’m just a tiny, little part of a story that already has a huge antecedent and has something that is going to come after that.

This long view can free us from the pressure to see every result in our own lifetime. The work may feel small in the sweep of history, but it can still matter deeply to the people touched by it.

Kaba shares this message often with young organizers. Their personal timeline is not the timeline of movements. Their growth matters, but it is only one part of a larger unfolding story.

Your timeline is not the timeline on which movements occur. Your timeline is incidental. Your timeline is only for yourself to mark your growth and your living.

That perspective does not make the work less important. It helps people do what is necessary without being consumed by the demand for immediate results. Hope becomes a practice, a discipline, and a way to remain present in the struggle for justice.

Why Hope Matters for Justice Work

Hope is not passive. It does not deny grief, anger, sadness, or frustration. Instead, disciplined hope gives people the strength to keep showing up, building relationships, organizing, teaching, and acting for the good of others.

For communities of faith and justice, this kind of hope is not sentimental. It is spiritual, practical, and communal. It helps us live faithfully in the present while trusting that the work we do today can contribute to a future we may never fully see.

Featured Answer

What does “hope is a discipline” mean? “Hope is a discipline” means that hope is something we practice through daily choices, action, trust, and commitment. It is not the same as optimism. Instead, it is a grounded way of living that helps people continue working for justice even in hard times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who said hope is a discipline?

Organizer and activist Mariame Kaba is widely associated with the phrase “hope is a discipline.” She describes hope as a daily practice that sustains justice work.

Is hope the same as optimism?

No. In Kaba’s reflection, hope is not optimism or simple positive thinking. Hope is a practiced commitment to act, trust, and work for change even when circumstances are difficult.

Why is the long view important for justice work?

The long view reminds organizers and communities that meaningful change often takes time. It helps people stay committed without measuring the value of their work only by immediate results.

How can hope be practiced?

Hope can be practiced through daily action, community-building, advocacy, faith, reflection, and continued commitment to justice even when the outcome is not yet visible.

Reference

Mariame Kaba, We Do This ‘Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice (Haymarket Books, 2021), 26–28.

Image credit and inspiration: Dyu Ha, untitled (detail), 2019, photo, Unsplash. We reach out with a deep desire to connect to hope and a sense of timing beyond our own.

Source: Center for Action and Contemplation, cac.org.