This morning I participated in on-line Daily Prayer. I do it almost regularly along with a number of others from our provincial church conference. It has become a good habit - an opportunity to read and listen to scriptures and prayers prepared for any who care to log in to the dedicated Zoom account. For this retired workaholic, this 'scheduled spirituality' together with fellow pilgrims is definitely a benefit. Prayer, the essential ingredient, is done silently together. It is a providential coronavirus discovery of the value of an old treasure.
Today the gospel reading was from Mark 9:14-29, definitely not boring, this one. Jesus, coming down from the mountain just after the transfiguration experience and still in conversation with Peter, James and John about that mountain top, is met by a frenzied crowd (:15), they too overwhelmed by something they are facing. A demon possessed boy with frazzled parents is among them. And frazzled disciples are doing Q and A about why they haven't been able to get rid of the vexing thing - all this in presence of the poor frothing and thrashing young fellow. When Jesus shows up they all turn to the one who surely must have the solution. Jesus' response? 19 “You unbelieving generation. How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” I cannot but smile at this response. I do not quite understand the source of Jesus' exasperation, but it receives no more attention at this time. He moves right into what needs doing! He gets rid of that pesky spirit.
A contemporary application comes to mind. The United States of America have just completed their 2020 Presidential election. One week after closing of the polls, Associated Press declares Joe Biden the 46th President-Elect with 290 Electoral Votes and Donald Trump the incumbent, with 217. [Update as of U.S. Thanksgiving Day, Nov 26: Biden 306; Trump 232]. During this last week Mr Trump is alleging fraudulent vote counts including charges laid in several states. Apparently charges are unsupported and will not survive even if taken to the Supreme Court. Common media assessment: Trump is a sore loser. Indeed Trump is an egocentric narcissist who depends on sound bites which are eagerly consumed by half of the country, those who like plain and simple solutions, which Trump provides via tweets and campaign-style press conferences. The world's largest democracy is losing credibility by the day. Even Trump supporters are urging the President to face reality and concede.
The U.S.A's motto "In God We Trust" might be reason enough to come to Jesus and ask, "Who won?" I can visualize an easy first answer Jesus might have used, drawing on the Old Testament wisdom of Solomon. This wise king offers to cut a disputed baby in half and the real mother protests, proving undeniably she's the mama. Seems to me Jesus' early and obvious answer to Trump and to the people would be, "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21). In other words, people and emperors or Caesars (or presidents) are accountable to God. Therefore, duh, a democracy must yield to an agreed-upon procedure, and when the procedure declares a winner, accept the verdict.
Seems to me however, that Jesus' response is of a greater depth. It gets a little tougher than that. As Jesus confronts the evil spirit within the boy there is travail; there is crying and convulsion, and when the evil finally lets go there is the stillness of death, "the boy was like a corpse" (:26), and then the boy rises peacefully. Imagine the relief of the boy's parents, and also relief of the disciples and then probably their self critique. "Why could we not do it?" Why? Because some things are just beyond our human insight, our strategies. Some things can only be accomplished by confession, by prayer. Several days ago I read an article by Paul Edwards in Counterpunch (Nov.3, 2020), pointing to the U.S. fury at Julian Assange the Wikileaks whistle blower in exile in the U.K. for exposing criminal strategies at the heart of America. The U.S.A, he says, has become criminal to the core, whereby recent elections are no longer the process of a God-fearing country, but by pretenders, presently "two demented old white shysters", and a Congress of pimps ruled by the "monstrous criminal racket that scorns them as mindless serfs". Strong words by this man, slightly unnerving even for a next door neighbor like me. Many of us Canadians like to be assured all is well down there. Methinks, however, Edwards has it right! We are observing a disgusting election standoff. While the country (and the neighbors) await the final count and recounts there is a dark sadness no longer salved by Democrat or Republican. It is a spiritual condition (see also America's Original Sin, Jim Wallis, 2016).
I posit the sin of rampant individualism as the Spirit which was recognized by Jesus. As he confronted and fought it out of the boy, he also is available to fight it out of us. Our politicians and our status quo churches and our hope for corona vaccines are kind of inadequate this time around. As Jesus said to his dumbfounded disciples, "This kind can come out only through prayer" (:29). Perhaps my on-line Corona prayers are putting me onto thoughts bigger than I, but mercifully also into the hands of One bigger than all of us.
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