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Enduring
Temptations Inhale some Easter hope, Christ is risen! Like Christ, one passes through some dark times. I’m no mystic but it seems that they are on to the human struggle and need to let go of the ego, be transformed and enjoy our marvelous, unique being in concert with all creation. It only takes a lifetime! Leo 0’ Donovan, Jesuit, and president emeritus of Georgetown University, in a recent Lenten issue of the National Catholic Reporter wrote of This Season Temptation. He reflects on the relevance of Jesus’ temptations in the desert for us moderns. O’Donovan illustrates their timeless relevance through the lens of Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamozov, favorite of Dorothy Day and Freud, an unlikely duo. A wizened cardinal in 16th century Spain captures, interrogates and confronts a Christ figure, the Prisoner, with the intent of burning him at the stake, a dangerous man who has chosen to “walk among his people in silence with a gentle smile of infinite compassion.” The accusation flung at the Prisoner throughout the Grand Inquisitor story, as told by Ivan to his brother Alyosha, is that the religion He has created is elitist; only a chosen few of the elect can possibly adhere to its idealism. The teeming masses are left bereft; such holiness is beyond their capacity, desire or interest. The cardinal/Inquisitor, a master psychologist, vehemently insists man’s condition would be far better if Jesus had said yes rather than no to the three great temptations. The pivotal issue in the story is Jesus’ insistence on man’s freedom and responsibility to choose between good and evil; the sacredness of conscience is the burden of humanity. Jesus rejects bread, too costly a price. The cardinal /Inquisitor berates Him, “Thou would not deprive man of freedom and did reject the offer, thinking what is that freedom worth if obedience is bought with bread. Does thou forget that man prefers peace and even death to freedom of choice in the knowledge of good and evil?” Jesus rejects ill-conceived miracles for the more pedestrian tasks of struggle, take up your cross daily; the Zen sense that there are no short cuts to wisdom and compassion. O’Donovan captures the Inquisitor’s thought, “what conquers and captures the consciences of these wretched, weak rebels is the miraculous, the mysterious and authority.” Jesus’ third refusal, to bow down and worship the “wise and dread spirit” meant the loss of universal peace, a seductive offer indeed. This Gospel story has been enacted in front of our eyes the past four years, but we said yes instead of no. Where Jesus said no to the “spirit of destruction,” our country said yes, to kill the demon Saddam. Did we not, in all truth, proceed there in pursuit of bread /oil, to “protect our way of life.” We were told the freedom to judge the good or evil of the expedition was beyond our limited knowledge, a refrain of Vietnam. The wise and learned leaders will decide for us, entrust your conscience to them. And we brought with us the “miraculous, shock and awe,” the most sophisticated weapons since time began. Ignoring the community of nations we told them that they would see the wisdom of our ways: world democracy, and worship Empire America or experience our righteous wrath. We cannot lay this whole debacle at G.W. Bush’s feet; we all have varying degrees of complicity in this war. Our tax dollars feed the war machine, our way of life, for some of us, is beyond the capacity of mother earth’s bounty, if all her inhabitants emulated us. Hence Gulf Wars 1 and 2 are “resource wars.” Our share of the pie must shrink. Easter hope: an end to this war, our soldiers home, Iraq rebuilt; we begin to create a culture of peace. Indeed, this would be a miracle to celebrate. A culture of peace, made in America! Joe Bradley |