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Problem Solving – Kill, Destroy, Annihilate – part 2

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It is possible that in one’s lifetime, in order to prevent further hurt or killing, a person may be faced with the necessity to use violence or to kill. Our conscience can recognize the need to act in this way, but will never see taking life as right or good. We can try to use our gift of reason to override our conscience, but all that amounts to is internally screaming in an attempt to drown out the voice we are not ready, willing, or able to hear. Over time we can find ways to ignore or numb our conscience.

We macho males have a tendency to equate meekness with weakness. By definition, meekness is strength under control. Consider Jesus. He had access to amazing powers, yet he chose to not use them to protect himself from brutal suffering and death. Jesus is the epitome of meekness. 

Jesus knew that one evil cannot be effectively confronted or destroyed by another evil. In fact, such an attempt only serves to further entrench and disperse evil. Violence begets violence. Evil begets evil. In the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, as Jesus is about to be seized by the night-shrouded troops and guards (Matthew 26:50a-53) one of his followers draws a sword and strikes out with it, wounding one of the High Priest’s men. “Put back that sword!” Jesus commands. Those who rely on weapons and violence are most likely to perish through them.

Jesus goes to Calvary, refusing to call upon “legions of angels” to protect himself in an apocalyptic battle against evil. He is crucified, trusting that this is the way Abba-God has opened for him in the face of our rejection of his message. Being raised from death ratifies his decision. Jesus chooses to confront evil with the only power that can eliminate it: Love. Christianity is not a religion for the immature or cowards.  Following Jesus means faithfulness to the way of Love, even when this leads to a cross.

Problem Solving – Kill, Destroy, Annihilate

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James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were among the first and the closest of Jesus’ followers. They were present at a number of special moments in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus had reason to give them the nickname, “Sons of Thunder.” John, in zealous protection of the authentic “Jesus brand,” is ready to put out of business a person who was casting out demons and relieving people of suffering by using Jesus’ name (Luke 9:49-50). Jesus, with broader vision and deeper wisdom, points out that anyone who is not actively against is for you. Think about that.

Just a few verses later (Luke 9:51-56) we have this incident. When Jesus, reading the signs of the times, recognizes that this is the moment to bring his person and message to the seat of power, he “sets his face” toward Jerusalem. Now the quickest route between Galilee and the capital was through the territory of Samaria. Israelites and Samaritans, as a rule, tended to hate one another. (Jesus was an exception.)

Jesus sent out an advance party ahead of himself to prepare for his passing through. One Samaritan town, mirroring the mutual animosity between the two peoples, refused to welcome Jesus and his entourage. James and John, filled with righteous fervor and indignation, approach Jesus with what they have decided is the only appropriate response to the unthinkable insult of a whole town refusing to offer the sacred obligation of hospitality. “Let us call down fire from heaven on them!” 

How saturated our mentality is with the clear, simple and direct solution of whatever we feel is a problem!  Kill! Destroy! Wipe it/them out! Look at how popular culture is permeated with the concept that the only effective way to deal with evil – or what we see as evil – is to eliminate it through some manifestation of violence (books, movies, video games, music…). The hero (or superhero) is the one who survives by taking the lives of all the “bad guys “and ingeniously finding ways to destroy all their  weaponry (unless a sequel with even greater violence and destruction is planned, of course). We feel good that there is such a clean, straightforward method for overcoming evil.

And Jesus’ response to James and John? He scolds them in no uncertain terms and heads on to another village. Jesus knows that destruction and killing is never a solution. 

 

What More…? Maybe not.

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One of the most poignant encounters in Jesus’ ministry is between a “rich, young man” and himself, related in the three synoptic Gospels. Here is someone filled with the energy, generosity and enthusiasm of youth, seeking a new and more challenging path for his life. He runs up to Jesus, falls on his knees, and bursts out with: “What do I need do to enter into fullness of life?”

Jesus points him to the commandments as a sure way forward. The response from the youth is almost comical, if it weren’t for his obvious earnestness: “I have kept all these my whole (albeit brief) life. What more do I need do?” Jesus, Mark notes, looks at him with love. 

This young person senses that there is more within himself to give, and Jesus takes him very seriously. “If you really want to give yourself completely,” Jesus responds,”Sell what you have, give to the poor, and then come follow me.”  The youth was not ready for this. He turns and walks away sad, because he had many possessions. And how does Jesus feel at this moment?

Do we desire fullness of life? Do we sense that we have more of our life, of our self, to give? Jesus invites us to dispossess ourselves, to use our wealth to enrich the lives of those who are needy, and to let him guide us each step of the way through life as his disciples. 

What possesses us?  In what do we invest our time, energy, loyalty, and that we guard out of fear of losing? What holds us back or holds us in from giving ourselves more fully and freely? What is more important to us than our relationships, than our care for ourself, than our very integrity? What claims our life as a substitute god? Is it a career, the image we project, some seductive activity, substance or relationship? Have we surrendered our life to a beguiling unfreedom? It is difficult to untangle ourselves from this demonic, deadly, yet familiar, dynamic.  Letting go is the first step.

We all have gifts enough to share. What is our “wealth?” What do we cling to that would bring blessing to others? Is it our time, money, presence, care, a particular art craft or skill, education, the ability to listen, our smile, an ability to speak out for the good and against all that divides and all that is evil? Share in a way that makes life easier or better for someone.

Once we are freer from the tyranny of possessions, have begun giving our gifts to and for others, then we can follow Jesus, without looking back over our shoulder at what we left behind or to see how others are looking at us. There are more than enough challenges, sacrifices and joys walking close to Jesus to engage us totally for the rest of our days. “Come, follow me.”

A “Freedom” that Kills. Discernment part 4

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One of the greatest gifts from God is our human freedom. We can choose. We can even choose against God’s Will for us. This is a wonderful, terrible responsibility. This freedom we have is in no way absolute. We don’t have divine perspective to see all the options, and all the implications of those options, that present themselves throughout our lifetime. We are inhibited and blinded by fear and ego from within, and by expectations and other pressures on us from outside. We are free, but…

When we act as if we have absolute freedom to do as we have decided is best, we are no longer talking about freedom, but about license. We are not God. No human person (Jesus excepted) organization or ideology is God. It seems that millions of people today, acting out of their “freedom,” are doing so with no discernment. We are in the middle of a global pandemic, moving into a third year with no sign of stopping. For the vast majority of people, to refuse to be vaccinated when we desperately need to create mass immunity, cannot be equated with following God’s Will. How many more will die because of individuals asserting, as an absolute, their right to choose?

Our personal choices are never private. What we decide impacts the lives of others, whether we are aware of this or not. We have no right to deliberately choose actions that cause harm to our selves or to others. We are all interconnected and our choices need to take into account a greater good – the common good. Discernment invites us to consider consequences beyond our individual perceptions and perspective. 

Discernment is there to guide us in a healthy use of this gift of limited freedom, which God has entrusted to us. Discernment helps us to sort out how the possible choices before us are being presented to us or are shaped by forces other than the Spirit of God. Discernment leads us to a sense of the “goodness” or “rightness” of our decisions. If the action we are about to take is truly good for us, it will bring good to others as well.

I Want to Be Concert Pianist, or Maybe Find a Cure for Dementia, or… Discernment part 3

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We can have more wishes and desires for our life than we have abilities, energy, or years on this earth.  Which ones could be from God, and which are my own preferences or fantasies?  If I have no musical ability, no matter how much I enjoy listening to Chopin, it is most unlikely that God, who made me, is asking me to become a concert pianist.  If I feel ill or faint when I see blood, God is probably not inviting me to become a surgeon.

Then there’s the fact that God isn’t into giving us multiple choice tests.  Discernment is always binary – as much as we prefer to keep all options open (just in case…) – a choice between two mutually exclusive good paths. Am I called to serve God and others, using my gift for numbers, as a teacher of mathematics or as a financial counselor?  Am I called to serve God and others, using my gifts of compassion and in the area of science, as a researcher seeking cures, or as a hospice nurse?  

But if we have discerned that our vocation is marriage, we are not asked to discern if we are called to marry John or Matthew.  Here the binary discernment is: Am I called to marry John, or not. And the same goes for Matthew, or not.

Discernment is rooted in our concrete reality: who we are as we are, with our gifts, our limitations and the circumstances that shape our life as it is today. It is never theoretical, nor does it deal with “what ifs” or “maybes.” Discernment seeks the better of two, real choices, not the best or the ideal choice.

That’s Very Nice, but What About…? Discernment part 2

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We’re called to be loving. Nice, but not very helpful in the concrete circumstances that make up our lives. Our days are filled with countless decisions and choices. Discernment is about learning how to choose well.

Most of our decisions do not have life-shaping consequences: which socks to put on; do I prepare my cup of coffee before or after I make toast; which book do I choose to read first…  Our preferences don’t require discernment.

Someone rear-ends the car I am driving; I am diagnosed with an aggressive and unpredictable cancer; someone I care about sends me a card for no particular reason…  Things happen to us that we have little or no control over, These are not discerned.

Do I lie rather than admit that I ate that last piece of cake – that I knew someone else had already claimed?  Do I steal a cell phone that someone left on the park bench? Do I lash out in anger or do I hold my tongue? Is what I am choosing to do, or how I am choosing to live, ruining my life, destroying my relationships, stealing peace and joy from me? No need to discern between right and wrong, bad and good. God desires that we always choose what is right and good, no matter how difficult it may be for us. God wants fullness of life for us.

What does that leave? Discernment is for major decisions, life-direction (vocation), choices that significantly impact our life and the lives of others. God desires to be involved, a partner, when we face these types of alternatives – alternatives that arise out of the circumstances of our lives like a fork in the road. How do we decide which way to turn? Discernment.

Can We Know God’s Will? Really? Discernment part 1

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Along with prayer and community, discernment is one of the most important and most demanding of the spiritual disciplines. Discernment is all about coming to know what God wants for us, as individuals, and as communities. This isn’t some arrogant human effort. We can discern God’s Will because God empowers us to.

God has given the concrete model of Jesus’ life as well as the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of love, to be with us and to guide us. Clearly Jesus invested many hours in prayer, in coming to an intimate, deeply personal, familiarity of Abba and Abba’s preferences. Prayer and discernment go hand-in-hand. 

As Jesus lived and taught, we are all called to live our lives with a single focus – to become holy. God wants us to be holy. Holiness requires our wholehearted dedication, within the specific circumstances of each of our lives – not in some idealized, detached perfection. And what are we to be so completely dedicated to? Loving!

As disciples of Jesus, he commands us to love one another – as he has loved us – with his whole being – to the end. This is God’s Will, always and in every situation. To come to this depth of loving, we need to put aside any and all manifestations of ego: self-referencing, self-centeredness, self-assurance. Loving demands that we are free enough from our selves to be present, attentive, and available to others as they are; free enough to enter into the need and pain of the other. to care and to give, more and more fully, of what we have been given.

It’s Highly Contagious!

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There must have been something strikingly memorable about how Jesus made sure a huge crowd of hungry people ate, and went home satisfied. All four Gospels tell the story, while Mark and Matthew have two versions of this wonderful event. Whether it was the location (deserted, apart), or the amount of time the people were with Jesus (three days), Jesus is concerned for their welfare.

In Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus has just received the terrible news of John’s death at the  often-bloodied hands of Herod. John had been a kind of mentor to Jesus. He had baptized Jesus in the river Jordan. When John was arrested, Jesus took up and expanded upon John’s mission and message. 

It seems natural that this bitter news would go straight to Jesus’ heart. He would need time and space to grieve this painful loss. John’s death would also make even clearer Jesus’ own fate if he chooses to continue the work of God.

Jesus and his disciples get into a boat and head off to a place away from the needy crowds, to feel, to process and to reevaluate. A crowd figures out where Jesus is headed and arrive at the spot before him. Jesus puts aside his need for a time, out of compassion for these little, broken and oppressed people. He gives them all he can.

It is getting late in the day and the disciples are becoming anxious about the needs of the crowd. Maybe their own stomachs are beginning to grumble a bit? They come to Jesus and lay out the situation for him (as if he, sensitive as he is, hasn’t already taken this all into account). These people need food. They are in a deserted place.

Jesus who has been tending to the hungers of these people’s hearts and spirits for hours, turns the responsibility back to his disciples – to us. “They don’t need to go anywhere. You feed them.” This is the moment of truth. What is our response? The disciples, having surveyed their resources, come up with five loaves and two fish, and fervently hope that Jesus won’t ask them to give away their supper. 

Jesus has the crowd make itself comfortable on the grass, lifts the loaves and the fish in blessing, and asks his disciples to share what they have. Is it possible, or even likely, that Jesus’ disciples are the only ones in that vast throng to have had the forethought to bring along food when going to a deserted place? The people recognize their common need and their shared gratitude for what Jesus has given of himself to them. The sharing is contagious. Barriers fall. There is more than enough food to go around.

Have we been paying attention to Jesus? Are we frozen in the realization of our littleness, our inability to solve such huge problems, or by the meagerness of what we feel we have to offer? Jesus doesn’t ask us to impoverish ourselves, just to give what we can – to bless what we have and share it with those God places in our path.

Who’s the Wise Guy?

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Bernard of Clairvaux was a monk in the rugged Cistercian order and a dynamic, engaging preacher. Bernard lived in the twelfth century, and had a charism for turning people’s hearts toward God. For him, growing in wisdom was a sign of someone who was on the spiritual path.

According to Bernard, you could tell if a person was moving into wisdom. There are three unmistakeable markers: Admission of one’s sins, giving praise and thanks to God, and speaking only in a constructive way. I find a challenge here. 

It’s not too difficult to own the fact, in general, that one makes mistakes, tries and fails, or is responsible for some not-so-loving actions, thoughts, or speech. But it can be hard to say to someone (especially someone you have hurt), “I did it. It was wrong. I’m sorry.” Our tendency, if caught in a wrongdoing or if we do something shameful, is to deny, explain away, blame…, anything but admit our guilt. Bernard encourages us to simply say, “It was my fault. I sinned.” I am not, and I don’t need to pretend to be, perfect.

Giving praise and thanks to God! No problem? At least not when everything seems to be going the way I want it to. But what about when it feels like my world is disintegrating and I can do nothing to prevent it. In that moment the invitation is to remember that God is the very source of my being. God chose to create me, gifted me, and surrounded me with wonderful people and situated me in this amazing universe. Not only that, God is with me in all that happens – no matter how it feels to me. Thank you, God, for all that has been, for all that is, and for all that will be!

For me, the biggest challenge comes with the third indicator of wisdom – to always, with everyone and in every circumstance, speak in a way that builds up – to never use words, intonations or non-verbal language that tears down. Regardless if the target is another person, an institution or myself, I am to find a way to express myself positively. 

Maybe this is hardest when using constructive criticism. Constructive criticism sounds almost like an oxymoron. We are to use our gifts for observation and critical thinking to formulate evaluations that build up, not undermine. Sometimes faulty construction or an inadequate foundation requires a gentle dismantling. Constructive criticism often does not feel good to the one on the receiving end. It needs to be delivered wrapped in love for the person, organization or idea being criticized. Constructive criticism is a critical step in re-building even better than before. Isn’t this what God constantly does with us when we are shown our weaknesses, our failures and are invited to grow beyond where we are now?

 

 

What is the Question Again?

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Big, bold, black letters painted on the sidewalk along a busy street near our home: “I AM READY TO DIE!” Do we live in an age of denying, dodging, and defying death? Death is a fact of life – a key component that offers both humility and perspective. Is it bravado to claim that one is ready to enter this singular passageway to what is yet to be? Maybe. Maybe not.

It seems possible that too many people are readier to die, to go so far as to taunt or to court death, rather than to deal with the challenges in front of them. What do they have to live for? Piling up more of whatever they deem as worthwhile? Cheap thrills? The riveted attention of the masses (or at least of someone)? They can never be the absolutely outstanding idol that social pressure goads them to be. They mistake fantasy for reality.

To live takes resources beyond one’s self and demands courage and resilience. To live well invites us to put aside childish, self-centered ways (the line of least resistance): to choose the path of integrity and self-gifting love, to discover and to become passionate about the gift we have been given to develop and to share, moved by God’s Spirit to work wholeheartedly to make this world of ours the place that God dreams it to be. In short, life to the full requires all that we are and all that we have. That’s what makes it worthwhile. 

The question is: “AM I READY TO LIVE?”