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Greetings, SBT Readers:
Though the Doomsday Clock is a symbol not an oracle, nevertheless it reflects how close we are to planetary catastrophe. Maintained by the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the hands of the Doomsday Clock remain at 90 seconds before midnight, the same position in which they were last year. A statement in the Bulletin outlines all the hazards facing humanity at the present time -- and what can be done to mitigate the risks. The "Good News" is that we are not yet at midnight and that there is still a path forward -- if we embrace peace, end wars, attend to climate change, control AI, monitor evolving biological threats, and end the nuclear arms race. This is a tall order to be sure, but if we and our elected representatives cannot turn back the clock's hands ourselves, let us at least call on the Creator of the Universe to summon life out of chaos and Light out of darkness once again. If we really believe that "With God all things are possible," then now is a time to pray without ceasing.
Many Blessings!
Elizabeth
SUNDAY REFLECTION
Link to Readings
Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath
Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. Everyone was astonished at his teaching, for he taught as one having
authority and not like the scribes. In the synagogue was
a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Quiet! Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit convulsed the man and with a loud shriek came out of him. All were amazed and asked each other,
"What is this? A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Mk 1:21-28
We live in a desacralized universe or, to be more precise, in a universe that we have stripped of its splendor, exploited for material gain, and sullied with hatred, violence and indifference. Wars rage, people starve, and heinous crimes against humanity and against life itself threaten the future of our planet. As we struggle to understand how we have arrived at where we are today, we look to history, religion, political science, psychology and other academic disciplines; what we seldom, do, however --and perhaps because this is not the intellectual approach-- is consider that all the horrors that surround us are part of an age-old cosmic battle between the forces of Good and Evil.
This, of course, sounds very medieval, very foreign to modern consciousness, and yet this archetypal warfare is present not only in the texts of the world's religions but also in film, art, music, dance and literature. The images shift from culture to culture, but their very omnipresence suggests that deep in the unconscious lies the knowledge that Good and Evil co-exist -- not only this, but they co-exist within ourselves, as well as externally. The spiritual task of every human is to embrace the Light while resisting the temptation to "go over to the other side"-- meant here not as a euphemism for death but as a metaphor for dying to all that is holy. Just as Judas sells Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, so we are tempted to compromise our values, ignore the needs of those around us, live a lie, and give in to the glamor of evil.
Typically, this descent into the inferno doesn't happen suddenly and dramatically, but is a gradual downhill journey marked by a succession of poor choices. After telling one lie, it is easier to tell another; after one act of infidelity, it is easier to continue being unfaithful. Blinders on, we can be oblivious to the subtle ways in which Evil is captivating us. Surprisingly, those at greatest risk are often in positions of leadership precisely because they become addicted to being famous and having a following -- or to knowing the answers and saving humanity. The ancient Greeks named this "hubris" -- the greatest sin against the gods as it was tantamount to self-deification.
In today's Gospel, there is a direct confrontation between the forces of Good and Evil, right in the heart of the synagogue. Of course, we could look up medical conditions to diagnose what was ailing the man with an unclean spirit, but the very words he utters suggest there is more than some pre-existing condition at work. The demon within the man recognizes Jesus as the Holy One, and whether his words are uttered in fear or spewed out as a challenge, God's house becomes a battleground. The encounter is brief. Jesus commands the demon to be silent and then casts him out, thereby healing the man of his affliction and demonstrating that he has power over demonic forces. This story reminds us that "spiritual warfare" is not some fundamentalist preoccupation or New Age concept but a force to be reckoned with. Spiritually speaking, our greatest mistake is to become complacent and to forget that the antidote to Evil is prayer.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
* Have you ever encountered someone who seemed capable of evil?
* What temptations have lured you (or continue to lure you) from
your spiritual path?
* What is your understanding of "spiritual warfare"?
* How do you protect yourself from the forces of Evil?
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