All churches occasionally have “snake-vision.” Here’s how to see the way to hope.
CYNTHIA WOOLEVER
Parish Paper
Do we see a snake or a rope?
In this metaphor, the snake is fear, disappointment, discouragement, despair, anxiety, distrust, bitterness, or dejection. What is the rope? It is hope.
All churches have hope, but they may occasionally experience snake- vision: the illusion of no hope, only despair about the future. A Theory of Hope A leading researcher in positive psychology, C. R. Snyder, wanted to understand how hope and forgiveness might be beneficial to health, educational attainment, successful work experiences, and a sense of personal meaning in life. He believed that children could be taught a set of skills that shaped what they did naturally: think about the future. His theory of hope involves three main ideas related to hopeful thinking.
Last Updated on July 31, 2017