During the pandemic I became addicted to my cell phone. It began when I couldn’t cope with the waves of anxiety that washed over me in the middle of the night. I would turn on the radio to distract myself from worrying, using a little pillow speaker so that I wouldn’t disturb my husband. But the news was often so unsettling that it made my anxiety worse. Eventually I started picking up my phone and playing one or more of the New York Times games: Spelling Bee, Wordle, Mini Crossword, a math game that I loved but which has now been replaced with Connections. All of these became crutches to keep me sane when the world seemed out of control and there was absolutely nothing, I could do about it. I am sure they are all a waste of my time, and I am working to reduce time spent (really, I am!), but the out-of-control sense of the world hasn’t changed, if anything, now that it is an election year, it has gotten worse. I have heard people in the midst of noisy chaos remark that it was so loud they couldn’t hear themselves think. When I experience the world as chaotic, I don’t want to hear myself think.
In one of the commentaries I was reading for this Sunday’s Gospel, Mark 1:12-15, the author spoke of Jesus going into the desert to hear God’s voice amidst the silence and solitude. The desert is representative of time and space away from the chaos, the clutter of worries, and daily activities. It is not, however, necessarily an easy place. Jesus went out into the desert and was tempted by Satan and surrounded by wild beasts, according to Mark’s story. Mark also tells us that Jesus was ministered to by angels, in other words, he had what he needed to survive while he faced the challenges before him, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.
Fr. Jose Pagola in his commentary suggests that the difficult times that Christianity is going through is like a desert, and he asks if it isn’t “God who is sending us out into this desert?” He goes on to say that perhaps we need “something like this to free ourselves of so much vainglory, worldly power, vanity, and mock successes unconsciously acquired during so many centuries?” (Pg. 48, Following in the Footsteps) It is a thought-provoking point of view. In the same way I believe it is possible for us, as residents of an empire that claims to be one nation under God, to consider the difficult political times we are in as a needed desert space. Our country, great as it can be, also has a need to divest of the attitudes and use of power that benefits a few at the expense of the many. The crisis at the border for example, is a crisis brought on, in large part, by our own nation’s past political and economic decisions that adversely affected people in other countries. No country is eager to take responsibility for past mistakes, but it may not be possible to stem the flow of desperate people without considering, and redressing, our country’s role in the conditions they are fleeing.
Many years ago an immigrant friend suggested I read the book Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala ( Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer. Harvard. 1st edition 1982) I was surprised to discover that ‘American interests’ in Latin America, both political and economic, generally meant monetary interest. I actually cried at discovering that the country I loved and lived in, was also a nation that could make dreadful decisions. It was a rite of passage for me, the beginning of a journey into the reality that my country, like my church, was not perfect. That knowledge did not lead me to abandon either one, even though to this day I have friends and loved ones who challenge my participation in the church and in the politics of the country!
I find it oddly comforting to think that God has sent us out into this desert of political chaos to help us free ourselves of false notions of who we are as a church, and as a country that likes to think of itself as righteous and good. We are not more exceptional, set apart, better, smarter, or more-clever than our brothers and sisters around the globe who are part of different faiths and different countries. Until we recognize that we are one species, one family of humankind, we will not understand how interconnected and dependent we are on one another. Bad actors here create chaos abroad, and vice versa.
The first reading for this weekend comes from Genesis 9: 8-15. It is a passage at the end of the story of Noah and the ark, where God establishes a covenant with human beings, and with all living creatures, and declares that s/he would never again cause a flood to cover the earth and destroy bodily creatures. It is a story of the chaos and death that results from living out-of-sync with God and Creation. It is also a relevant story to tell when speaking about environmental destruction and climate change. People live their lives adapting to the culture around them without even noticing, straying only a bit at first from what is good for the earth and for life on earth, and little by little over time the human family finds itself utterly out of alignment with one another, with God, and facing the chaos and death that inevitably results. All around are waves of injustice and situations that seem impossible to correct. For example, greedy people and their corporations fueled the exploitation of Central America, destroying local economies, propping up dictators who were willing to sell out their people for wealth, and creating the conditions for drug cartels, and other nefarious actors to thrive. People leave their home country in order to have a life for their families. They head north where all the wealth has gone. There is no easy fix, and many violent responses.
In the midst of the chaos there are communities, people seeking God, called to assess the situation and forge a pathway forward, toward the light, toward reconciliation and peace. They lead by example. It is never a short journey, always long and difficult, and full of sacrifices. It is fueled by a compelling vision of the future most will not live to see. And yet, there is abundant joy in moving toward the light, joy in living in right relationship with others, with God, and with creation.
After a prolonged period in the desert Jesus returned only to discover that his chosen resistance leader, John the Baptist, had been arrested. Back to Galilee he went knowing that he was the one to pick up the mantle of justice and call people toward the light. ”The time has come! Turn away from darkness.”
May you find moments of calm from the storm, faithful companions, and light for the journey
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