[Pearls Ep 131: Answering atheism Tuesday.]
We’re finishing our reflection on being prepared, as we carry into the week Sunday’s Gospel message, “You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
We always want to be prepared to serve our Lord. And, from two weeks ago, we were reminded that an indispensable way of being prepared is detachment – unburdening ourselves of the snares and tendrils and allurements of the world and our fallen nature – so that we’re free and available to serve God and neighbor (and become who we are created to be).
The fallen world has a different take on preparation and detachment. Perhaps no other word better captures the secular approach than “resilience.” The world’s version of “you know not the day nor the hour” is “shitake happens” – and so we need to be prepared for when challenges arise.
Here’s a little exercise – do a giggle search on “become more resilient” – almost all of the methods will be chock full of “you” – “be aware of your thoughts … edit your outlook … learn from your mistakes” and on and on. Some sources might give lip service that you also need to believe in something greater, but never dip a toe into what that “greater” might be.
This brings us to, what is arguably the most dangerously ignored scripture verse in our time:
“Without Me you can do nothing.”
To which a fallen world says, “Oh? Really?”
Remember Governor Cuomo and his grandstanding amidst the entire covid fear-mongering madness: “The number is down because we brought the number down …God did not do that. Faith did not do that!”
Or, just look at the entire world since the “enlightenment” (once again, what my deacon-buddy calls the endarkenment). It’s as if the entire fallen world is crying out to God like a petulant child, “Oh yeah? Who needs you? Look at everything we can do!”
And to be sure, the world is a beehive of activity. They’re doing all sorts of things. Doing, doing, doing…
So what does Jesus mean that “without Me you can do nothing”?
Going back to our favorite Clintonism, it all hinges on the meaning of the word “do.”
On our own we can do all manner of things. Steve can pick up a ball peen hammer and whack himself in the head. There, he just did something. But was it fruitful? Did it do any good? (well, maybe it would knock a little sense in…).
Jesus is telling us that without Him, none of our endless activity will actually accomplish what we desire (which is happiness).
Here’s St. Augustine: “Jesus does not say, ‘without Me you can do little.” Unless the branch abides in the vine, and lives from the root, it can bear no fruit whatever.”
We can busy ourselves all we want, apart from Christ there will be no fruit.
What kind of fruit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)
A secular society would object – “are you saying we’re not kind and generous and loving?” (actBleually, judging from the last two years, the secular world wouldn’t so much object as just cancel us and light a bunch of dumpsters on fire for good measure). First off, the kindness and generosity and love of the world is none of those things if it doesn’t lead people to Christ. That’s a challenging statement, but 100% true. Second, to the extent that there is genuine kindness and generosity and love in the secular world, it is only because of God’s grace enabling people of good will rise above the fallen world.
None of that is to make sport of the fallen world. It is a great sadness that the world recognizes the need for resilience – which is a genuine need – but then seeks it everywhere but the one-and-only place it can be found – in the person of Christ.
The best thing we can do for a fallen world is become more and more who Christ created us to be. That also happens to be the best way that we can prepared, as Christ tells us to be prepared – by doing our best to grow in virtue, and detachment, and bearing always in mind, “without Me you can do nothing” and it’s counterpart – “with Me, all things are possible”.
Blessings to you on your journey with Christ –
Steve and Karen Smith – Interior Life