Prisoner of Hope: Praying Beyond the Fecal Hurricane

Are you facing personal struggles or global crises that tempt you to despair? In moments like these, we need Desmond Tutu’s words: “I am not an optimist, but I am a prisoner of hope.”

Some days, the world feels like it’s spinning in a hurricane of rage. As a pastor, I’ve adopted “fecal hurricane” as my go-to phrase—because, well, it’s colorful enough to capture reality and still appropriate for my whole audience. 😉 Believe me, I could add plenty to the storm. I want to clap back, fight fire with fire—but Jesus reminds me: you can’t cast out the devil with the devil. And let’s be clear—there’s plenty of opportunity to say something destructive.

Not just on the world stage. Many of us are weathering personal tempests that leave us feeling like Dorothy, spinning through Oz, losing our sense of home. But instead of getting swept away, I pray. And not just for my own people (who are hauling freight right now), but for those I’d rather ignore. I refuse to go small in prayer.

A Call to Transformative Prayer

Prayer is not a magic trick to change God. It is a force that changes me. It shifts my perspective from “me” to “we” (mwe), pushing me beyond my personal anxieties into a broader circle of concern. Paul captured this when he wrote to the struggling Christians in Rome:

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

He wasn’t writing to people comfortably scrolling Instagram in their cozy homes. He wrote to a persecuted, marginalized community under the crushing weight of an empire. Rome wasn’t trending in their favor. And yet, the call was clear: Hope. Patience. Prayer. Not as passive resignation, but as active resistance against despair.

Hope in the Midst of Affliction

Hope is not for the comfortable. It is for those in the trenches. Paul’s audience in Rome knew affliction. So do the people of Ukraine. So do countless others. And yet, in the face of suffering, world leaders have echoed the same truth:

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk: “Dear Zelensky, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.”

French President Emmanuel Macron: “There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a people being aggressed: Ukraine. We were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue doing so.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson: “You are not only fighting for your freedom but also for all of Europe’s.”

Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkevics: “Ukraine is a victim of Russian aggression. It fights the war with the help of many friends and partners. We need to spare no effort for just and lasting peace.”

Desmond Tutu once said, “I am not an optimist, but I am a prisoner of hope.” If he, who stared injustice in the face, could say that—how dare I surrender to cynicism?

The Temptation to Hate (And Why We Must Resist)

It’s tempting to fight fire with fire. To let my speech mirror the very voices I lament. But if I do, I have already lost. The enemy of my soul doesn’t care who I rage against—as long as I rage.

But Christ calls me to something different: faithfulness in prayer, patience in affliction, joy in hope. Not as a retreat from reality, but as a defiant way forward.

Hope in Action—What Now?

So here’s my challenge: refuse to go small in prayer. Pray for the people and leaders you love, the ones you don’t, and even the ones you love to hate. Choose words that heal, not wound. And when you feel tempted to join the storm—pause. Take a breath. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.

Because the world needs more prisoners of hope.

A Benediction of Defiant Hope

May you walk in hope that refuses to shrink. May you pray with the boldness of someone who believes transformation is possible. May you be patient, not because suffering is easy, but because grace is real. And may you refuse to let the hurricane of hate shape you—because you are a prisoner of something greater.

Mwe: A term coined by Dr. Daniel Siegel, a Harvard Medical School graduate and clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA. He is the executive director of the Mindsight Institute and founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA.

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