Lent 2015 - Eight

So what's it all about, life on planet earth? When you examine the social/political structures of our world, it is evident that there are many different approaches people have undertaken to make their societies work and to give life meaning and purpose. Here are the five most common political systems operating around the world:

1. Democracy: in a more traditional sense is a political system that allows for each individual to participate.
2. Republic: the main characteristic of a republic is that the government is subject to the people, and leaders can be recalled.
3. Monarchy: commonly thought as absolute monarchy, in which the monarch truly has the ultimate say in matters of government.
4. Communism: where states are dominated by a single party, or a group of people, often considered an authoritarian political system.
5. Dictatorship: where a dictator is the main individual ruling the country making most of the decisions, and usually having enforcers.

In all of these systems, those having power and authority make the rules by which everyone is to conduct their life in that society. When a person refuses to live by the rules, they will be punished, they are taken by force and separated from the rest of the society. The most severe form of this is execution, otherwise it is imprisonment.

But there is one overall governing order for everything that exists, which we know as God's Kingdom of heaven and earth. God alone is the creator of heaven and earth. It is God, who has designed the heavenly realms and all that they contain. It is God who created the universe we know and assigned everything its purpose in creation. God created this world and gave life to all living things. The crowning form of all life that God created is human kind; it is us, who scripture reveals are created in God's image and likeness.

So why are we here? Philosophy and science, and all the social designs of man, can only bring us to the outer doorstep of the visible universe. They have no way of accessing, directly, knowledge of the Kingdom of God, nor can they tell us anything of the special purpose God has designed for us in creation. For this information we must turn to revelation. Revelation tells us that God, who has given us natural life, has planned for us to be transformed and to take on a new form of existence. We are to live in God's presence, in harmony and peace forever.

To live in God's presence, we must first learn how to live in God's presence. Our minds and hearts must be purified of all falsehood. They must be re-formed into perfect harmony with God's will. This purification of our minds and hearts begins here, in this life. The bible has our books of studies, and our lessons of formation begins with the Ten Commandments.

Revelation tells us that among the heavenly beings that God created, there were some who rebelled, rejecting the purpose God had given them. Because of this they were expelled from God's presence. They are the Fallen Angels or Devils and Lucifer is their leader. But their ongoing rebellion against God's creative design continues. Now they attempt to persuade us, to reject God's plan and join them in their rebellion. (There is a tradition that suggests that the reason some angels revolted was learning about God's plan to give man, this lowly worm that evolves out of the mud of the earth, a dignity that will be higher than they; What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor. Ps. 8:5)

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Rev. 12:7

Their strategy is simple, lies and deception. And so it begins:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Gen. 3:1

There is a REASON for everything. But who assigns that reason? How do we know what is true? Who do you believe? If you believe in God, then you must trust, must give your whole existence over in faith. But what if you are wrong?

It's this seed of doubt with its many convincing arguments, that is constantly whispered in your soul - are you sure - but what if ...?

Today, one of the predominant propositions set before us is atheism; "there is no God". It is up to you to determine, "what is good and evil".  A spin off of this is the discrediting of religion. Who's God do you believe? Why do religions fight each other? What of all the scandals if religion is so holy? If God is good, why all the suffering in the world? If there is a God, where is the evidence? And you, you who believe, why is doubt always there in the back of your mind? 

And then there is the ever present, "I'm a good person, I can figure out 'what is good and evil'."

Lent begins with Jesus in the wilderness, but not alone. It climaxes in the garden, and again, he is not alone. That voice, ever present voice, questioning, casting a pall of doubt and fear; twisting, deceiving, ever rational and logical, yet always outside of the whole truth works on him.

In the wilderness, Jesus' response is precise and clear, dispatching his antagonist summarily. But in the garden the voice has returned with a new weapon. What is it, how is it able to crush the heart of Jesus so that the very sweat of his struggle is his life's blood? We discover it in Jesus' words on the cross. “My God, my God, why have you abandon me?”

Abandonment. There is nothing more destructive to a trusting faith than to experience being abandon. St.  Ignatius, in his rules for discernment, tells us that God will allow some souls to experience such a test. He calls it "desolation". The full weight of all the negative arguments against one's trust comes crashing down. The soul is left alone and is no match for the Prince of Darkness. Once our faith has passed through the test of abandonment, the devil has no greater weapon left with which to attack our faith.

Jesus brings with him into the garden his disciples, to pray with him as he prepares to enter his test of abandonment. He comes and finds them sleeping, (a condition not unfamiliar to many believers). His exhortation to them and to us: "Stay awake and prayer, that you may not undergo the TEST" 

As we enter these final days of Lent, Jesus' exhortation is now addressed to us. Are you ready and awake? Are you praying for the grace of "unshakable trust"?

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In his passion of ABANDONMENT, Jesus' prayer on the Cross draws on the words of psalm 22. It offers us much support and inspiration for our prayer at this time. The following is the first part of psalm 22.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Why so far from my call for help,

from my cries of anguish?

My God, I call by day, but you do not answer;

by night, but I have no relief.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

you are the glory of Israel.

In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted and you rescued them.

To you they cried out and they escaped;

in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

But I am a worm, not a man,

scorned by men, despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

they curl their lips and jeer;

they shake their heads at me:

“He relied on the LORD—let him deliver him;

if he loves him, let him rescue him.”

For you drew me forth from the womb,

made me safe at my mother’s breasts.

Upon you I was thrust from the womb;

since my mother bore me you are my God.

Do not stay far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is no one to help.