.

I’m encouraged by the way in which much modern secular psychological writing and teaching is a pretty sound presentation of what is found in old, very old, and even ancient sacred texts.

I suppose this is another way of saying that most of what is good, beautiful and true is more about foundational human reason than it is specifically religious teaching.

We shouldn’t be surprised at this since healthy psychology doesn’t contradict healthy religion and healthy religion doesn’t contradict healthy psychology.

Today I’m recalling the caution of Ignatius of Loyola 500 years ago: expectations lead to desolation, or in the words of one 2025 writer: expectations are pre-meditated disappointments.

This was the struggle of Zechariah, the Old Testament priest. In conversation with the angel Zechariah is unable to let go of his own little plans and expectations, even when he is offered a much greater (albeit non-specific) adventure.

Zechariah‘s problem is that he wanted to be sure of a specific promise. “How can I be sure of this” he responds to the angel.

And the scripture passages in these pre-Christmas days which have got me thinking about expectations are the Old Testament prophecies of the birth of a Messiah.

I can’t think of them back then 2000+ years ago without wondering if my expectations of encountering Christ today are equally narrow and therefore problematic.

The point is that Old Testament prophecies did promise a Messiah. But Jesus Christ in his thirty-three earthly years was unrecognisable to those who were expecting a worldly king wielding power and strength.

The vast majority of those who saw Jesus’ miracles and who heard him speak remained unconvinced. God-with-us in flesh was too much of a shock for those who had replaced God-centred hope with their own little projects and expectations.

So many of these witnesses saw and they heard and then they walked away.

While hope is a good thing, specific expectations are problematic since we usually measure our daily successes and failures, joys and sufferings by how much our day has turned out as expected.

My expectations are most often projections of my own fears and limitations of my own potential.

Hope is open to whatever breadth and depth of divine experience God offers.

You’ve probably heard that old adage: if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans / expectations.

I like that.