Hope

The four greatest hopes of humanity:
1] The coming of the Messiah (in the case of Christianism, the return of Christ; in the case of Islam and Judaism, the first coming);
2] the cure of cancer;
3] the discovery of extraterrestrial life; and
4] world peace.
(Source: research on the most hoped-for newspaper headlines, 1996)

The individual’s four greatest hopes:
1] Meeting the beloved one;
2] being free of financial problems;
3] being free of sickness;
4] immortality.
(Source: Irving Wallace, The Book of Lists, 1977)


At the end of the forty days of deluge, Noah emerged from the Ark. He disembarked full of hope, lit some incense, looked around him, and all he saw was destruction and death. Noah cried out:

"Lord Almighty, if you knew the future, why did you create man? Just for the pleasure of punishing him?"

A triple perfume rose to the sky: the incense, the perfume of Noah’s tears, and the aroma of his actions. Then came the answer:

"The prayers of a just man are always heard. Let me tell you why I did this: so that you might understand your work. You and your descendants will use hope and will always be rebuilding a world that came from nothing. In that way we shall share the work and the consequences: now we are both responsible."

Source: Warrior of the Light