Sometimes we lose hope. Perhaps others have let us down. People may have treated us harshly in the competitive world, refusing to acknowledge our humanity and vulnerability. We may become the victim of a scam, or someone heedlessly cuts us off in traffic, endangering our lives. A loved one may act or speak irresponsibly or carelessly, hurting us. At times someone may level an unjust accusation at us. Sometimes we fail to live up to our own ideals and we behave badly toward others. At such times, the flame of hope burns low in our hearts.

Deflation and disappointment may swirl within us during such times. The world may seem like a dark and dreary place. Our faith in humanity–and ourselves–sometimes seems on the verge of being extinguished. We lose hope. We may begin to doubt whether we or humanity can ever live up to such ideals as are expressed in the Fuji Declaration: “To commit ourselves to fulfilling a shared mission of creating lasting peace on Earth through our ways of living and acting.”

The solution to such trying times is to affirm the divine spark. As the Fuji Declaration states, “We affirm the divine spark in the heart and mind of every human being and intend to live by its light in every sphere of our existence.” The divine spark is the hope of humanity.

Within every human being, ourselves included, there exists the divine spark. Henry Higgins said it in My Fair Lady: “I’ve my own soul! My own spark of divine fire!”

An inspiration about the hope of the divine spark can come from an every day example. Sterling silver tarnishes when not in use. As anyone who has ever acquired sterling flatware and serving pieces knows, neglect over a long period of time renders the pieces unattractive, dark, and seemingly irredeemable. Applying the polish seems futile. Yet if one does go through with the polishing, the gleam of the silver begins to shine through the darkness like a divine spark. Rubbing harder, the intricate designs and filigrees begin to show, and the whole piece is illuminated. It is beautiful, luminous, and like new again.

Living and acting in such a way as to create lasting peace is how we polish our inner image, rubbing off the tarnish and beginning to shine forth anew with the light of the divine spark. As we seek to live honestly and truthfully, with integrity, we become shining examples in a dark world. Like a candle flame lighting another candle, we are able to ignite the divine spark in others, too.

It is knowing the worth and value of each human being, vested in the divine spark, that redeems our hope. As with sterling silver, underneath the tarnish we know that the divine spark exists in each person. That knowledge allows us to believe once again and have hope in our own and humanity’s ability to, as the Fuji Declaration states, “advance a harmonious human civilization.”

Sign The Fuji Declaration