The Buoyancy of Hope

I know I am not alone when I say that sometimes I feel as if I am sinking. It is almost a whirlpool effect that takes place, like a piece of toilet paper being flushed down the toilet (hey, that is the only thing I could think of). Imagine for a moment, if you will, that you are treading water. It is easy at first, but then it becomes more difficult and you begin to struggle to stay afloat. You see, you can only tread water for so long before your head begins to bop in and out of the water, making a dire situation even worse, repeatedly taking in a mouth full of water. Without something or someone to embrace and keep you afloat you will eventually sink. Without a buoy of hope we will become like the piece of toilet paper drowning into a pile of… (well, you know).

I wish I could take credit for the phrase, the buoyancy of hope, but I can’t. I came across the analogy last night while reading, I Have A Dream: Writings & Speeches That Changed the World, by Martin Luther King Jr.. The editor of the book has done a fabulous job in compiling numerous writings and speeches throughout King’s life. In doing so, the reader receives a fluid, yet evolving perspective into King’s theology and philosophy of non-resistance; a perspective that is best summed up by the “Gandhian perspective of satyagraha (satya is truth which equals love, and graha is force;satyagraha thus means truth-force or love-force).”

Any reader of this blog is aware of Martin Luther King Jr. and the life he lived in the midst of such hatred and despair. In a time when racism was rampant and voices were silenced and rarely heard, his voice served as a rallying cry for those who were hushed and muted for far too long. From December of 1955 to his untimely death in April 1968 Dr. King paid the price for being the voice and leader to millions of men and women who sought equality for all. In his own words, written in an article entitled, “How my Mind Has Changed” in 1960, King tells us of the importance that hope played during this time in his life.

In the midst of outer dangers I have felt an inner calm and known resources of strength that only God could give. In many instances I have felt the power of God transforming the fatigue of despair into the buoyancy of hope.

This would not be the only time King uses the phrase, buoyancy of hope. In September of 1963, Dr. King delivered a sermon at the funeral of three young girls who were killed by a bomb as they were attending Sunday school. Here is what King says to family, friends, and mourners at the service.

At times, life is hard, as hard as crucible steel. It has its bleak and painful moments. Like the ever-flowing waters of a river, life has its moments of drought and its moments of flood. Like the ever-changing cycle of seasons, life has the soothing warmth of the summers and the piercing chill of its winters. But through it all, God walks with us. Never forget that God is able to lift you from fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope, and transform dark and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of inner peace.

Don’t miss the transformation that Dr. King mentions here. By the power of God, the fatigue of despair can be transformed into the buoyancy of hope. I don’t know about you but, if given the choice, I would rather be supported by the buoyancy of hope than be flushed down the toilet, only to end up in a pile of dung.