For the wisdom of the wise is doomed. Is 29:14

I read in the NYTimes on Monday that there is a new book out by a former Christian who writes that all the suffering in the world proves that the Bible is wrong and there is no God. It is a so-called learned book because he is very familiar with the Bible and had memorized whole sections of the Gospels when he was young. Then I remembered a passage from St. Paul

1Cor. 1:20-25. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Now there are times when Christians who believe still want signs or want some way to have complete understanding of suffering. Jesus says no sign will be given except that of Jonah in the whale… the Resurrection of Jesus. And Jesus once cried out loud in prayer:
Lk.10:21 I thank you, Father, for you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to little ones.

Do we too ask why me? Why my loved one? Or are we content to be little? To walk by faith and not by sight? Are we convinced that our crucified Christ is indeed the power of God and the wisdom of God? The witness to this reality is the resurrection. When we say Amen, we are saying yes to the Will of God. We need to ask God to sustain this yes in us as He did in Mary. Her yes at the beginning went on steadfastly to the foot of the Cross, to the resurrection , to the Cenacle where all were filled with the Holy Spirit. We are Christians not just for our own sake but the sake of bringing the good news to others.

When we meditate, quietly giving our attention to a prayer phrase repeated for about 30 minutes,, we are consenting to our ‘litheness’, consenting to walk by faith. We trust in the power and the wisdom of God – at least for this time – and hope God will have mercy on us and do what He wills in us..

Free us Lord from our blind spots

"Free us, Jesus, from our inner Pharisee, from every inclination to self-righteousness, from every notion of being morally superior, from every tone of voice, every gesture or glance that could shame others or flatter ourselves. Let no cause, no matter how worthy, seduce us into idolizing ourselves or demonizing others. In a world where so many feel isolated and alone, let us be builders, nor destroyers, of bridges. Teach us how to admit and overcome our blind spots.” Bishop Ken Untener

As I reflected on these words of Bishp Untener,I thought that it remains terribly true that people of every religion, every race, every nation, every language, have engaged in horrendous evils. And yet our true response surely is not the trivial feeling of moral superiority. Rather, such evils ought to sadden us, and impel us to examine what seeds of violence lie hidden within our own selves. We will not make much headway in building bridges by trying to make someone else feel inferior. And yet for some of us, in small ways and out of weakness in ourselves, we do this to others.

There is a time and place for political action. There is a time and place for reflection and prayer.

So we meditate. We stand in need of the mercy of God and meditation is a way to open our hearts to the transforming love of God. God looks on us with such tender mercy. And God does indeed will our healing. Even more wonderful, it is well to realize that this standing naked before God in meditation is of more value to the world and to our neighbor than anything else we could do.

How do we know this? Because Our Savior Jesus Christ Our Lord, prayed. And he continued to pray even during the hours he was on the receiving end of horrendous evils, during his suffering and dying and death.

Was not his response to evil one of love? To the thief: This day you will be with me in paradise. And then: Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. It seems to me that this was said first to those who cricufied him but also to all of us sinners.

Let us meditate in great trust. When we come before God without an agenda, without having to think up things to say to God, but simply opening our hearts to God and saying our prayer word as a symbol and a reminder that we are in the hands of God. By meditation we create a space in the universe where God is allowed to freely work his mercy and love. We seek to place no obstacle in the way of the peace which God wants to give us. At least for this ½ hour!