The Illness of Hope in a World of Lies

We see the truth in the suffering of those who are told to be patient, wait for change, and accept their lot in life as if it were a divine decree.

We stand here today, not just as witnesses, but as bearers of a painful truth—a truth that gnaws at our collective consciousness and refuses to be silenced. It is a truth that makes our hearts heavy, that twists our stomachs, and that forces us to confront the reality of our world. We are living in a time where the very idea of hope has become an illness, an affliction that arises from the clarity of seeing the world for what it truly is.

This illness of hope is born out of disgust—a disgust that comes from witnessing the lies, the manipulation, the gaslighting, and the half-truths that are served to marginalized people as if they were gospel. We are told that we are free, that we are progressing, that our voices are heard. But these are the very lies that suffocate us, that chain us to a reality that is anything but free.

For context, James McBride’s The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store takes us back to the 1920s and 1930s in the vibrant, close-knit Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Amidst the bustling streets and humble homes, it is where Black and Jewish families lived side by side, building a community that shared dreams, joys, and hardships in equal measure.

McBride also paints a picture of a world where the truth is unmistakable, yet constantly denied. The characters in his story see the world for what it is—a world where oppression is disguised as free thinking, where power is maintained through deception, and where hope is twisted into a weapon used against those who dare to dream of something better.

In our world, too, we see this illness of hope in every corner. We see it in the communities told to be patient while their schools crumble, in the workers promised a better life if they just keep grinding, and in the voices of the marginalized assured that change is coming if they just wait a little longer. It is the hope that keeps us blind to the reality of oppression, that keeps us complicit in our own subjugation.

We see the truth in the inequality that persists, in the systemic injustices that remain entrenched, in the way the powerful twist narratives to maintain their grip on society. We see the truth in the suffering of those who are told to be patient, wait for change, and accept their lot in life as if it were a divine decree.

But it is this very clarity, this unrelenting recognition of the truth, that brings with it an illness—an illness of hope. This hope is not the gentle, comforting kind. It is a hope that burns, sears, disgusts us as we stand witness to the world’s deceptions. It is the hope that comes from knowing that things could and should be different, but that they are not.

This illness of hope is infectious. It spreads among us as we share our stories, recognize the lies we’ve been fed, and come to understand that the world we live in is built on a foundation of falsehoods. And with this understanding comes a deep, visceral response—a turning of the collective stomach, a refusal to accept the world as it is, a burning desire to tear down the facades and expose the truth.

But let us be clear: this is not true hope. True hope is not passive; it does not sit and wait for change to come. True hope is revolutionary. It sees the world as it is, with all its ugliness, and fights for the world as it should be. It forces us to see the world as it really is—ugly, unjust, and in desperate need of change. It demands action and challenges the lies that uphold systems of power. True hope also empowers us. It drives us to speak out, challenge the lies and demand justice for those who have been silenced.

We must not shy away from this illness. We must embrace it, let it guide us, let it fuel our fight against the deceptions that surround us. For it is only by confronting the truth, acknowledging the reality of our world, that we can begin to heal, to build something better and just.

The illness of hope may be painful, but it is also necessary. It is the fire that burns away the lies, that clears the path for truth, that opens the door to real change. And so, let us carry this hope with us, let it give us strength into true hope, let it lead us to a future where we are no longer sickened by the world we live in, but inspired by the world we are creating.