A CHRISTIAN VIEW: BEYOND PESSIMISM AND OPTIMISM

Reflection on the Thirty-third Sunday in OT: Malachi 3:19-20a, 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12, Luke 21:5-19

Today’s Gospel from Luke presents us with a daunting scene. Some people are admiring the Temple, this magnificent structure of beautiful stones and sacred offerings. It was the heart of their religious world, a symbol of permanence, stability, and God’s presence. And into this moment of admiration, Jesus proposes a shocking, disruptive prediction: “The days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” This prophecy, which would be tragically fulfilled in 70 AD, shakes the disciples to their core. It forces us, too, to ask a fundamental question: How do we look at our world, with all its beauty and all its chaos? The Gospel invites us to move beyond two common, yet incomplete, ways of seeing.

1. The Pessimist’s View (The Glass Half Empty):

When pessimists look at the world, their eyes are drawn to the cracks, the decay, the imminent collapse. They are the prophets of doom. And, to be fair, they have ample material to work with. We only need to turn on the television or scroll through the news: earthquakes, floods, pandemics, terrorism, financial crises, unemployment, and the slow, creeping dread of environmental collapse. It is a litany of bad news. For the pessimist, these are not just problems to be solved; they are proof that everything is falling apart, that we are heading for an inevitable and catastrophic end. This view pushes us toward fear and discouragement, making us believe that the end is nigh and nothing can be done.

2. The Optimist’s View (The Glass Half Full):

On the other side, the optimists focus resolutely on the beautiful and the good. They paint a larger-than-life picture of advances in medicine, technology, and economic progress. Examining these achievements, the optimist believes that everything is ok with our world. If there are any problems, they will magically resolve themselves. The world can save itself. Soon, they suggest, we will have no need for a saviour, no need for the love of God to overcome the fundamental problems and sufferings of human life. It is a vision of self-sufficient progress.

3. The Christian View:

So, where does that leave us as Christians? Are we to be pessimists, wringing our hands in despair? Or optimists, ignoring the very real darkness in our world? Jesus offers us a third view that focuses not on predicting the end, but on how we are to live now.

(i) It calls for a realistic view. 

Jesus does not deny the reality of suffering. He speaks plainly of wars, insurrections, earthquakes, famines, and persecutions. He is not a blind optimist. But neither does He let us dwell in despair. He tells us, “Do not be terrified.” The Christian vision is balanced: it acknowledges the sickness, the “decay” in our world. We see it in the decline of our Christian discipleship. The Church does at times fail in its mission, reminding us of the Jerusalem temple falling into ruin. To acknowledge this reality is not pessimism; it is the first step toward healing.

(ii) We trust in God’s presence in the midst of trials. 

“Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute”, Jesus promises. Malachi adds, “There will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays”. These are not promises of an easy life, but of a divine accompaniment. The future of our Church is not ultimately our own work; it is the work of God in the Spirit who works through us. We are not called to merely manage a decline, but to open ourselves to the One who is the true source of our life and mission. Our security is not in beautiful stones, but in the living Word of God.

(iii) We embrace our responsibility to work for a better world. 

God has not given us a mere doctrine to follow, but the vocation to be co-creators with God, to build up the true temple, which is the Christian community. Are we putting our energy into renovating our church buildings, or is the more urgent task to build up the faith and hearts of those around us? Our vocation is to make the Kingdom of Christ known in human hearts. Dilexit Te (the recent apostolic exhortation signed by Pope Leo) reminds us, "By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it. A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the Church that the world needs today" (n.120). We are called to make our communities into houses of love, welcome, mutual aid, and mercy—places where people have a taste for life and a desire to return.

The stones of the great Temple did indeed fall. But the true Temple, the Body of Christ, built on the cornerstone of His resurrection, remains. In a world of both blind pessimism and naïve optimism, let us not miss our vocation: to see the world as it is, to trust in God’s abiding presence in an imperfect world, and to roll up our sleeves to build communities of hope.