Faith, Hope, and Charity – the three great virtues, as Paul enumerates them (1 Cor 13), are often considered as three distinct things. Paul’s treatment of Charity (or Love) as somehow superior could lead us to think of maybe choosing between them, that one is more important than the others.
Today’s readings give a very different perspective. We start with the Wisdom tradition (Wisdom 18:6-9), built on by the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19). These take Hope as the starting point, the foundation of this trinity of virtues. Faith grows out of Hope, or rather Faith is the exercise of Hope. Throughout the ages people of God have hoped, often without seeing the realization of their hope. That hope is faith.
And charity, where then does that come in?
Jesus at his most tender and encouraging tells “his little flock”, the sheep milling around, never sure of which way they should be going, to have faith, to wait in hope. As the little flock waits for the kingdom they have been given, what should they do? – “Sell your belongings and give alms.” Our hope, our faith, leads to and is sustained by practical works of charity – giving alms, as it used to be called. (Luke 12:32-48)
The third of the virtues listed by Paul is typically translated now as love, which is good because it helps us appreciate we are talking about a relationship. But the risk is we drift into imagining we are dealing with a feeling. Jesus doesn’t deal much in feelings, with the notable exception of fear. He presents himself over and over as the antidote to fear. But what follows is action – the action of charity or love, not a warm feeling.
Why is reexamining this triangle of virtue helpful? Just as the persons of the Trinity exist only in relation to one another and cannot be separated, so these virtues are bound together, each feeding off and sustaining the others. There are times when Paul’s focus on Love as the foundation is helpful, but in hard times, when we feel ourselves under threat, a focus on Hope may be what we need. We hope, which becomes faith, which leads to love.
Why do we hope, even in dark times? Those dark times have often been the experience of the people of God, the little flock, throughout the ages, from the Israelites in Egypt or Babylon, to the early Christians singing on their way to martyrdom in the Roman Colosseum, to the slaves working the plantations of the Americas. Somehow they were able to believe that God loves us.
So the circle is complete. Love leads to hope, to faith, and back to love.