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我认识的穷苦人家有很多不同的需要：房屋、新技能、朋友、援助，而他们每一个人最需要的就是盼望，这就意味着始终感受到生活仍然是充满潜力的。盼望令我们确信当今世界的境况不是应有的境况。基督徒尤其是满有盼望的人——这不是妄想或天真的乐观，而是充满对“复活的信念和生活实践”的盼望。在基督里，神已经向我们保证，我们的将来是在神的恩典中有保障的。

圣·奥古斯丁说:“盼望有两个女儿——愤怒和勇气。因现状而愤怒，以及有勇气相信现实不会一成不变。”神既期望一切受造之物都得享平安，我们是应该因贫穷和所有阻挠平安的现实而愤慨的。保罗说：“恶要厌恶”。看到不公、压迫和别人受苦，却不关心或无动于衷，是不会有盼望的。

然而，单是愤怒也不能带来积极的改变。对罪恶愤慨的同时，我们必需要有勇气去采取行动胜过罪恶。保罗说，具有盼望的勇气包括忍耐、分享喜乐和分担忧伤、彼此款待、彼此担当等等。

我认识的最贫穷的人中，有些也是最有盼望的人。他们有足够的智慧去厌恶罪恶，但同时也有足够的决心以勇气面对每一天。天国正是他们的。

The people I’ve met who live in poverty have needed many different things: housing, new skills, friendship, advocacy. And the one thing they have all needed is hope, the sense that life is still full of possibilities. Hope convicts us that the world-as-it-is is not the world-as-it-can-be. Christians are above all a people of hope—and this does not refer to wishful thinking or naive optimism but hope as "resurrection thinking and living". In Jesus Christ, God has assured us that the future is open to God’s grace.

St. Augustine said , "that hope has two daughters—Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are". Because God desires shalom for the whole creation, we are right to be angry at poverty and all that interferes with shalom. "Hate what is evil", says Paul. Indifference or apathy about injustice, oppression, and the suffering of others cannot produce hope.

But anger by itself cannot bring positive change. Anger at evil must be accompanied by courage to act in ways that overcome evil. Paul describes that hopeful courage as consisting of patience, sharing both joys and sorrows, showing hospitality, bearing each other’s burdens, and more.

Some of the poorest folks I have met are also the most hopeful. They are wise enough to hate evil and determined enough to face each day with courage. Theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.