We are constantly invited, in this world to embark on so
many projects; so much can be demanded of us at times that it feels that we
don't know which way to turn that in the end we begin to suffer from a number
of problems, poor concentration, failure, fatigue, and a sense of inadequacy.
We might be begin to see that where others have success, we don't and so we
begin to feel overwhelmed by all the world has to offer and unable to cope, we
might feel that we cannot cope or that in some way we are not good enough or
clever enough, or have enough staying power, enough strength to see something
through to the end.
One of the key factors in all of this is to be able to focus
the mind to know what it is that we really want. There in the synoptic gospels is the story where after crossing the Sea of Galilee Jesus comes to the country of the
Ger'asenes and there he is confronted by a man who is completely insane, so
much so that by night and day he lived amongst the tombs, cutting and bruising
himself with stones. He was said to be possessed by demons. When Jesus asked
him what his name was he said his name was Legion, because he was 'possessed by
many'. In other words, the man's true self was overcome by many other aspects
of his mind all going and pulling in different directions so that he himself
was not whole, his true self was divided and confused. This was the cause of
the man's anguish. In the story Jesus heals the man, he performs a miracle by
driving out the demons and sending them into a herd of pigs who consequently go
mad themselves by rushing down a steep bank and drowning in the sea. We might
recall that Jesus also said that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand,
neither can a house divided against itself stand. In other words there must be
a unity of purpose, at every level in order to succeed and to have coherence
and to be whole.
In the Gospel of Matthew we hear the words of Jesus again on
the same question when he says that the lamp of the body is the
eye and if we keep this eye
single, or in other words bear this in mind at all times, then we shall remain
full of light, the whole body shall be full of light. When he says the lamp of
the body is the eye, he means the mind or the minds eye. In other words if we
only allow things of light and goodness to occupy our minds we will find that
we will not so much dwell in the darkness of confusion but in the light of
single-mindedness, we will not so much be easily overcome by conflicting and
unhealthy desires or live in pain and distress as did the man from the
Gera'senes but rather we will enjoy more clarity of thought and have a real
sense of purpose. We do not forget that in this Lenten period that the trials
that Jesus faced in the wilderness were testing trials of choice and this trial
confirmed his turn from the world to the spiritual life. Jesus is
of course the ultimate exemplar the way, the truth and the life.
On our journey through life, in our
struggles we have to even sustain the sustaining power of faith itself. As a
building must be constantly maintained so we have to maintain our own spiritual
well being, we have to be alert to the unwelcome thoughts and impulses that can
surreptitiously take over and lead us into darkness or into the despair that
robs us of our joy and our belief in ourselves and God. We need to encourage
ourselves and each other. We are always assailed by the difficulties and
hardships of life and no more is this recognised in than in the book of Psalms.
Here we can hear the voice of Israel,
the very human outpourings of grief, of yearning, and anger but emphasis is
always on faith and redemption as the faithful believer struggles and is
consoled:
The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.