A Year of Sundays: The Sixteenth Sunday (4/20/25) – The Alchemy of Belief

This Easter Sunday arrives wrapped in quiet revelation. Surrounded by the familiar comforts of holiday tradition—the scent of honey-glazed ham in the air, pastel eggs tucked into garden corners, and cherished Bible stories recited anew—I find myself contemplating a deeper layer of faith. It is not merely a set of doctrines but rather a daily practice: the choice to believe in possibilities that lie beyond what the eyes can immediately perceive.

Surprisingly, The New Encyclopedia of the Dog by Alderton (2022) offered an unexpected lens this week. In Chapter 2, which explores the 15,000-year bond between humans and canines, the statement “Dogs reflect back our capacity for unconditional trust” (p. 47) caught my attention. This simple observation became a mirror for personal reflection. What do my own beliefs reflect to me? Just as a Labrador plunges into unseen waters with unhesitating faith, I wonder how often I trust the unfolding of life’s currents.

Psychological literature supports the idea that this kind of trust, or hope, is both essential and measurable. Snyder (2002) proposed “hope theory,” which includes three essential components: goals (clear visions of what we want), pathways (the belief that we can find routes to those goals), and agency (confidence in our ability to pursue them). These principles are foundational in maintaining motivation and resilience (Snyder, 2002).

As I reflect this Easter, I realize that I hold each of these elements in my metaphorical basket:

• The goal of living with authenticity

• The pathway of making daily choices aligned with my values

• The agency to course-correct when I stray, such as choosing rest over productivity last Tuesday as a form of honoring my limits

Pargament (2013) referred to religious holidays like Easter and Christmas as “sacred markers”—events that anchor us in transcendent meaning while grounding us in communal ritual (p. 258). Their regularity offers comfort and perspective. They remind us that resurrection is not only a theological concept but also a psychological one. After every loss, there is a potential for rebuilding. After despair, there is hope.

As I watch my grandchildren hunt for Easter eggs with the same delight I once experienced as a child, I find myself engaging in what Emmons (2007) described as “sacred attributions”—seeing ordinary moments as filled with spiritual meaning (p. 89). The chocolate smudges on their cheeks become a testament to joy. The unique clothing combinations they insisted on wearing reflect independence and creativity.

From this reflection emerge three personal practices for nurturing belief and grounding faith:

1. Ritualize hope—light a candle with clear intention (Emmons, 2007)

2. Track “small resurrections”—journal small victories or comebacks, like renewed friendships or fresh ideas

3. Borrow canine confidence—go for a mindful walk with a dog (your own or a neighbor’s), practicing presence and unconditional openness

This Easter, I choose to move forward with trust, not only in spiritual principles but in the evolving story of my own life.

References

Alderton, D. (2022). The new encyclopedia of the dog. Lorenz Books.

Emmons, R. A. (2007). Thanks! How practicing gratitude can make you happier. Houghton Mifflin.

Pargament, K. I. (2013). Understanding and addressing religion among people with mental illness. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 5(4), 257–269. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033645

Snyder, C. R. (2002). Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249–275. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1304_01