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‘Radical Hope’ was the tagline for this year’s Byron Writers festival.

And so, my daughter and I decided to go and hear what Australia’s secular progressive writers, journalists and thought leaders thought about the world — especially when it came to ‘hope’.

After all, everybody needs a sense of hope to get through life.

Especially in this time of COVID pandemics, lockdowns, a war in Ukraine, the rise of China and economic uncertainty (to name but a few concerns). Without hope — a real robust sense of hope in the future — we risk falling into despair. We risk being paralysed by fear. Without hope, we can fall into harmful coping mechanisms (e.g. alcohol).

Whether secular or religious, we all need hope to thrive in this fallen and broken world.

And so, I was looking forward to what this festival said about ‘Radical Hope’. So, what was the hope on offer at Byron?

My daughter and I went to several sessions that discussed key issues facing our world. Here’s what I noticed about what they said about hope:

1) You need to be your ‘authentic self’ if you’re to have hope

The Weekend Australian’s opinion writer and author Nikky Gemmel led a session on writing and its impact on her. It was fascinating to hear how writing has helped her process some pain and trauma in her life (particular of the romantic kind). And how writing helps her make sense of the world.

But above all, she said, we need to be ‘authentic’ about how we write and live. This helps us focus on whatever hope is around us.

2) Australia’s only hope of avoiding a Climate Catastrophe is by taking serious action now

A panel discussion with young climate activists raised the urgent need for Australia to take climate action.

They were preaching to the converted there at the festival, and it became apparent that many people were deeply anxious about the climate and the planet’s future. One audience member stood up during question time at the end of the presentation and asked, ‘Could you please give us some radical hope!’

The best the panellists could give was their experience of mobilising people to action and ramping up political pressure on the government. Yes, they were optimistic (especially with Labor now in power).

But I’m guessing more than a few people walked out of that session without the radical hope that was promised.

3) To avoid our society being torn apart by polarisation, we must speak and engage with those who disagree with us.

I was surprised to hear this point made by a climate activist, who even went so far as to say that we can learn from people who disagree with us (not a sentiment I’ve heard expressed from those on her side of the climate conversation).

Journalist Ed Copeman also made this point about the dangers of polarisation (especially in the US context, but increasingly in our context as well). When people of different political, cultural and religious views don’t rub shoulders regularly, they can start believing the worst of those who are different. And largely because of this siloing, the US has a level of polarisation not seen since the US Civil war.

Was it insightful? Yes. Hopeful? Less so.

Many of these thought leaders provided great insight, and I found myself nodding along with much (but not all) of what they said.

And yes, many were cautiously optimistic: if we could start the right conversations, convince the electorate, and vote in the right people, then change might happen. I’m sure many would have found a semblance of hope at this conference.

But a ‘radical hope’ that can keep you going during the darkest hours of your life? I’m not sure how many walked away with that.

Falling Short of Radical Hope

As I reflect on the Festival, it struck me how far the hope on offer fell short of radical hope.

For starters, their hope was insecure and fragile. 

It depended on other people (e.g. politicians having the political will to act or the goodwill of others). But people are fickle. They can’t be controlled. And even our best efforts might all be for naught were the political winds to change. For example, author Louisa Lim spoke about the massive demonstrations that broke out across Hong Kong when the CCP brought in its draconian extradition laws: the protests were inspiring, but ultimately they failed.

Their hope was temporary, and easily overturned.

Yes, we might get the politicians that do what we want and make meaningful change. But as we’ve seen in recent history, it’s all one election away from being undone (in the case of the progressives, a Trump victory in 2024 or the return of the Coalition to power in Australia is their nightmare. The former is not at all unlikely!).

And finally, their hope was limited to this world.  

It didn’t deal with the most significant issue facing us all: our mortality. And this is where secular hope falls short – far short. Secular hope can’t answer that final question: ‘what’s it all for?’ in any compelling way. After all, how do we cope if and when our earthly hopes are dashed in death?

There was no discussion about this (not that I expected there to be).

A Different, Radical Hope

Going to the Writer’s Festival made me see the beauty of the different, genuinely radical hope of the Gospel. It’s a hope that provides real answers to the fears and aspirations of the human condition.

In contrast to the Festival’s hope, the Gospel hope is secure, and not fragile (Romans 5:5).

It’s a hope that doesn’t depend on the fickleness of others, but the accomplishments of God in raising Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).

It’s a hope that not even death can disappoint (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Thanks be to God, that’s a radical hope.

(Pity it wasn’t discussed at the Festival.)