Once, there was a sailing race. During the race, the on-shore team would communicate with their team’s ship via radio. One year, one of the competitor teams decided to adopt a strategy to create disunity in among their competitors. And so, they began sending misleading radio messages to one of the ships in one of the competitor teams (pretending to by the on-shore team) so that they would be able to mislead the team so badly that the ship would become completely lost.
And their strategy worked. Their opponent’s ship became completely lost, in relying on the directions that they were receiving on the radio, and their competitors won that sailing race in that year.
The following year – being aware of the risk of disrupted communications – none of the sailing teams listened to or trusted the instructions being delivered to them via radio. And the result was exactly the same – the ships became lost for the second year as well.
And this story – for it is only a story and not a true event – reminded me of something important… You see, we are living in a time where the Evil One does not even bother to hide anymore. He stands in plain sight and still the world cannot see him…
And though that seems so improbable – it is completely believable. After all, how could we possible see evil, if we completely fail to see GOOD?
“‘The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.’ And He said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Lo, there!’ or ‘Lo, here!’ Do not go, do not follow them... But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (Luke 17:20-25).
You see, we did not see GOOD – GOD HIMSELF – when he came to earth to suffer and die for us. And as I experience the season of advent this year, I have been reflecting on that suffering of PERFECT goodness on earth. For if I were alive when Christ lived, I would have looked past Him and His Glory and seen only His rags. And that makes me bow my head with shame, because Saint John Henry Newman wrote, “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.”
For my Beloved came to earth for me to sow unity and peace. And when I think about the story of the boats, it occurs to me that I am far too easily influenced by the lies of the Evil One, when my radio should only be tuned to the voice of my Beloved. After all, the path to Heaven is one of Unity with Him – and the Evil One comes to sow disunity – that is all he does…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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