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Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons - 17 March 2019


Second Sunday of Lent

As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great, dark dread descended upon him (Gen 15:12)

We live in confused times with dark days. This week the chaos of British politics showed itself at its worst, then came the appalling news of the massacre of the Muslim communities at their Friday prayers in Christchurch New Zealand, 49 dead 11 at least, left injured-and how many more numbed and dead in their hearts at this time? It is sickening, made more so because this is the action of hate, hate that churns on its way through so many lives, led on in this instance by right wing supremacists, but it has its origins in vile and loose talk that any of us can get involved with. So it's a wake up call! Listen to Paul who warns us, "For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction". (Phil 3:18,19a)

I had reason to look at Twitter accounts going on about Cardinal Pell's conviction this week, a total mess of noise and confusion! Those who feel he is innocent as well as those convinced of guilt, seem in thrall, not to voices of compassion for victims and contrition for dreadful sin, but hate: it's as though a collective madness gets hold of people and the worst side of us emerges, drowning out and silencing more balanced, nuanced voices. Where I wonder is a sense of moral responsibility? Paul teaches us that our lives influence others for good or bad, but as Christians we can only act in one way and that can never be to climb on that bandwagon of condemnation:

"But why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you show contempt for your brother or sister? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ".(Rm 14 10.)

Yet it does take time, energy and sheer hard slog to stand out against the tide. In accounts of the New Zealand massacre there is a chilling comment on a song playing in the perpetrators car, I've just lifted the news quote: "The singer bellows, "I am the god of hellfire!" and the gunman drives away. Hideous: I am the god of hellfire? What distorted, twisted imagery is this? Maybe in essence the song is a rabble-rousing song that connects with video games and sci-fi stories. I shudder because in that small phrase I glimpse the enormity of our task. God is not that, but we seem to have lost the connection for people and this sort of thing will fuel the religious hatred war even more.

We are like Abram, falling into a sleep of confusion and dread, numbed, but fearful. And oh, don't our religious hard liners play on all that? So many of us are guilty of fomenting hate either by omission, just turning away, or commission casting shots at each other in quasi-religious wars. Yes the Catholic Church of today is full of it, cheap shots, our sinful activities laid bare for all to see, conspiracy theories, personal and vile attacks on Pope Francis, even by shepherds who have let the demons of division right into their folds.

But hold on, do hold on! All is not lost; all cannot be left to darkness. Lent is that time of battle, sorting, sifting, hanging on. Abram dreams in fear but wakes to hear God calling. Christ dying on the cross lets his last words be of forgiveness and welcome into paradise. The Gospel of the Transfiguration catches in our throats, for if we really took it seriously, and it is certainly one of those moments in scripture whose pedigree is real and true: then this blasting of nuclear light, of fearful brilliance by the Christ-light is only the inability of ourselves and Peter James and John to hear and see properly, for the fearful voice and brilliant vision is simply that of LOVE.

Our God is not the God of hell fire, but of hell's destruction, the white light of Tabor is what we one day will be, revealed in our glory, the glory that burns away all sin and death! Despite all, I will not leave the Church or my faith journey, I pack into this weeks haversack the provisions of Tabor, that light of hope and glory, I take with me the cries of the poor and anguished to share their burdens so they too can walk accompanied by me as well as all of you, but as my compass I hold on to Paul's comforting words:

"But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body" (Phil 3:20)

Lectio

Martin Luther King

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.


Thomas Merton

"Asceticism is utterly useless if it turns us into freaks. The cornerstone of all asceticism is humility, and Christian humility is first of all a matter of supernatural common sense. It teaches us to take ourselves as we are, instead of pretending (as pride would have us imagine) that we are something better than we are. Pride makes us artificial, humility makes us real. In II Thessalonians 3, the Apostle sees work and supernatural acceptance of ordinary life as a protection against the restless agitation of false mysticism. We are to work and live in simplicity, with more joy and greater security than others, because we do not look for any special fulfilment in this life. We are to live in peace among transient things. It is supreme humility to see that ordinary life, embraced by perfect faith, can be more saintly and more supernatural than a spectacular ascetical career. Such humility dares to be ordinary, and that is something beyond the reach of spiritual pride. Pride always longs to be unusual. Humility not so. Humility finds all its peace in hope, knowing that Christ must come again to elevate and transfigure ordinary things and fill them with his glory."

Fr Robin Gibbons is an Eastern Rite Catholic Chaplain for Melkites in the UK. He is also an Ecumenical Canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

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