At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Myths of every nation and culture have stories of titanic struggle. I think of the Assyrian god-man Gilgamesh and his contest with the animal-man Enkidu. The Greeks gave us Hercules and his seven challenges; their fighting continues in children's video games. Egyptians hoped to survive the grueling journey through the afterlife to a peaceful kingdom. Americans study the Revolutionary and Civil Wars to discover their own identity.
The Jewish version of this story is rather homely and far less dramatic. A man who has swindled his brother and fled from home returns several years later with two wives, a dozen children, and much property. But as he nears that familiar place, he spends a long night in an inexplicable fight with an unidentified stranger. What is that all about?
Their contest is resolved only when the divine stranger strikes Jacob on the hip and leaves him with a permanent limp. But even then, Jacob refuses to quit and demands some compensation for his defeat. He is rewarded only with a new name -- Israel, meaning "you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.” And then, like Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the two separate as lifelong friends.
The Lord's struggle with the Pharisees has yet to be resolved in amicable friendship. They harrassed him at every point during his brief career, until his more dangerous opponents -- the Herodians and Sadducees -- conspired against him and orchestrated his crucifixion. However, God the Father raised him from the dead and his struggle continues as his disciples -- who are sometimes split into two camps of liberal and conservative, or traditional and reform -- meet welcome and opposition wherever they go.
This contest is not unlike the epic struggles found in today's cartoons, film excerpts, and video games. Many people scoff at these stories, and explain them with words like patriarchy, collective unconscious archetype and most damning of all, religion. And then they create new champions to save the universe.
But the mystery persists. No one denies there is evil in the world and every society is polluted by it. Every person and every culture espouses some hope, plan, or strategy for righting the wrong. Christians realize the contest is complicated. It is internal because evil has deep roots in our fears, attitudes, and deliberate choices. And external, because evil runs deep in our customs, languages, and policies; and is built into our infrastructure.
Because we are compromised within and surrounded without, we turn to the One who overcame his fears, surrendered his life to the Lord Sabaoth of Israel, and suffered an agonizing crucifixion while praying for his enemies.
And then we know we are saved and the universe will be restored because we find compassion for our enemies within ourselves.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.