The Leap of Hope
Elie Wiesel contends at the heart of activism for justice and peace requires a leap of hope in the face of dismal realities, undeniable lack of progress, and internal despair. He contends we must not give into despair because hope is a choice. The 5th chapter in Ariel Burger’s memoir-ish like book about Wiesel as a teacher, Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom, describes in story after story how Wiesel’s classrooms generated activism and transformed lives.
Photo by Felicia Buitenwerf on Unsplash
Some themes about activism from Wiesel:
First, hatred is a cancer and its contagion spreads into systemic hatred, which itself will break down all possibilities of peace and justice. The world’s wars and hatred tie themselves into a tight knot. “When you face evil, don’t let it grow, fight it right away.” At the end of this chp Burger tells an amazing story of Wiesel meeting an Auschwitz Jewish guard he knew from his time in the concentration camp. He met him in Jerusalem on a bus. Instead of calling him out, which would have led to the man’s arrest and probable death, “I did nothing. I cannot call this an act of forgiveness. But it was an act of letting go. I am not a judge. I am only a witness.”
Second, two strategies Burger himself learned: one is a top-down, imposition of a narrative requiring “compromise, universal rights, and moderate policies.” The contention is that the compromise is the best for the most. The second strategy is organic and shaped by local worldviews. It is bottom up and respects the views of others. It appeals to “prayer and sacred stories.” The first, so I would say, at times eviscerates a local community’s faith and values, the second respects those as the foundation for peace.
Third, activism is shaped by conscience, the willingness to live with oneself. Justice is to do the right thing and justice at its best is not “belated accountability” or the tragedy of being “too late.” The best justice then does the right thing at the right time.
Fourth, activism is not only shaped by conscience but also is most effective when it is that person’s witness. Effective activism expresses one’s own life and chooses not to remain silent. The authority of that person’s witness comes from that person’s life.
Fifth, one can be an activist in one’s calling, vocation, or life-setting. Politicians and so-called activists are not the only activists. Wiesel put it this way one day to Burger: “I’m a teacher and a writer, not a politician.” Teachers, writers, parents, and on and on and on, can be activists from their own setting.
Sixth, when it comes to war Wiesel contends “bloodshed was so stupid.” Hence, activists not only observe but they discern when civil war is actually genocide, they name it, and when bloodshed is labeled “genocide” the world can begin to act. He describes his activism to get the USA to call Darfur’s violence genocide.
Seventh, the activism for justice and peace is beautiful. Beauty transcends doing the right thing at the right time into the beautiful thing, which means doing the right thing in a way that witnesses to the transcendent truth of rightness.
Eighth, teachers teaching activism change lives. Some become priests, others imams, others workers with the homeless, and others enter into social and political vocations.
Ninth, activism begins where you are: with those in need in your circles and neighborhoods and communities. The needs and our knowledge are overwhelming, and we cannot transform the world. But we can do what we can do in where we are. Activists spot those in need. Great story about Heschel in this chapter.
Tenth, activism begins with what we know, and we aren’t infallible. So, we do what we can in light of what we know and believe to be true.
Yes, the leap of hope is a choice. It's a conscious choice. It's a refusal to be sidetracked by appearances. In one of my favorite old movies, when a simple character is handed a ping pong paddle, he is given one word of advice: "keep your eye on the ball." That's the conscious choice. It's to choose to believe that attitudes and situations can be changed - slowly at times, even imperceptibly, but at times in situations that seem impossible to change, we make that leap of hope because the God of Hope pushes for hope even in what seems to be a hopeless world.