An Ateneo HS classmate of my nephew, part of a group of extremely bright young guys I fondly call “Proud Nerds”, recently gifted me with a gripping memoir, “Night”, of Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, the Auschwitz’s-survivor-turned-political-activist who passed away one year ago at the age of 87 years, and has been described as a “fighter” who “fought for the memory of the six million Jews in the Holocaust.”
The dedication that accompanies the book is most striking. It goes: “The audacity of hope meets even the staunchest of prison bars. Hope. And it will carry you through.”
Yes, indeed. Hope is what I passionately cling to in these most trying times in an otherwise blessed life.
Hope that I be released soon from this caged existence, and reunited with my loved ones outside of these intimidating walls…
Hope that I regain my God-given freedoms and recover my daily life…
Hope that my abundant supply of inner strength not dry up…
Hope that the constant flow of moral support from friends and strangers alike will not dwindle…
Hope that I remain whole and unbroken in the face of never-ending adversities…
Hope that those who still doubt my innocence and those who have swallowed hook, line and sinker the lies that are being peddled against me will, one day, be able to tell the difference between accusations and proof; that the utter absence of the latter speaks louder than the lies of men…
Hope that the culture of hatred and lies fuelled by a massive multimedia-based propaganda machinery be dismantled and replaced with an empowered citizenry capable of compassion and critical thinking…
Hope that the key institutions that prop up our freedoms and democratic way of life redeem their dignity and independence, and find the will to withstand both the threats of political pressure and temptations of power…
Hope that people will not abandon Truth no matter how inconvenient; Justice, no matter how hard-won; and Human Rights, no matter the social status of those who claim it…
Hope that the human slaughter ends now and the wheels of accountability and justice grind fast and decisively…
Hope that, as dark as this “night” seems to be, it stands as a promise of a brighter dawn to come…
I hope that all these will not be mere wishful thinking.
Hope springs eternal and hope is both my anchor and my moving force.
Dear Lord, strengthen and fortify my hope to carry me through.