Perhaps you may recall the scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” when a
giant boulder was rolling down a narrow tunnel and bearing in on
the archeologist and adventurer, Indiana Jones. Trapped in that long, narrow tunnel and running as fast as he could
for fear boulder would crush him, it was all but impossible for
anyone viewing the scene not to feel hopeless yet, at the same time,
to feel hope rising up within that Indiana Jones would somehow escape.
There also were those scenes in the “Star Wars” movies where Luke
Skywalker would confront Darth Vader. In those confrontations, it
always seemed that Darth Vader had the upper hand and for viewers to feel
hopeless that Luke Skywalker would survive each confrontation. Yet,
it was also near but impossible for viewers not to feel hope rising
up within that Luke Skywalker
would, yet once again, escape unharmed, if not finally emerge
victorious in his confrontation with the villainous Darth Vader.
Confronting what appeared to be a hopeless situation, Indiana Jones
depended upon his mental acumen, physical dexterity, and plain
old-fashioned luck to escape unharmed. Also confronting what
appeared to be hopeless situations, Luke Skywalker depended upon the
“Force”—“The
Force be with you”—
an omnipresent energy created by all living things that
surrounds human beings, penetrates them, and binds the entire galaxy together.
Reflecting upon those thrilling confrontations, that’s pretty much
how many of us define hope, isn’t it? Against all the odds, we will
prevail...somehow.
As exciting as those scenes in movies can be, they are not the stuff
of real life—of flesh-and-blood people like you and me—who
oftentimes find ourselves trapped in what we feel are hopeless
situations. Consider those boulders bearing down upon many
people: a “bad”
marriage; the unexpected and sudden death of a spouse or child;
being told of a terminal disease; discovering that a child is
addicted to controlled substances; having to sell a home and move
into assisted living; or, being dumped by someone you
were very serious about.
When we must confront what makes us feel hopeless, where do we place
our hope?
Like Indiana Jones, we can depend upon our mental acumen, physical
dexterity, or plain old-fashioned luck to escape unharmed. Not very
likely. Or, like Luke Skywalker, we can count on the Force to
be with us and to protect us. Unfortunately, the “Force” is the stuff of fantasy.
Let’s reconsider today’s gospel to consider where we might place our
hope when we feel hopeless.
The disciples have enclosed themselves in what can be described as
nothing other than a “self-made” prison. Alone together in the
upper room, they have barred the doors shut so that no one can
enter. Remember: the disciples had barred those doors shut because they
were filled with fear, namely, “fear of the Jews.” They were
hopeless with no apparent way to escape and, as anyone can figure out, they
eventually would have to confront what they fear the most. As
we all known, fear can be held at bay for only so long before
something must give.
Yet, notice that what the disciples fear the most are human beings
and what they might possibly do to them. As much as the disciples
feared the Jews, however, they feared death even more. Yes, the
disciples would rather be dead than have to confront what they
really fear! The Jews were only a means to that end.
Reconsider those boulders of a “bad” marriage, the unexpected and
sudden death of a spouse or child, being told that you have a
terminal disease, discovering that a child is addicted to controlled
substances, having to move into assisted living, or being dumped by someone you were very serious about.
What do we typically do when we must confront those boulders and
feel hopeless?
We lock ourselves into self-made prisons. “Leave me alone,” we will
say to anyone who tries to break through the barred doors. But
remember: we bar those doors shut because we are filled with fear,
not “fear of the Jews” but fear of confronting evils like a “bad”
marriage, the unexpected and sudden death of a spouse or child,
being told that we have a terminal disease, discovering that a child
is addicted to controlled substances, moving into assisted living, or being dumped by someone we
were very serious about. We feel hopeless—just like Indiana Jones,
Luke Skywalker, and the disciples—having no way of escape. But, as
anyone can figure out, we eventually will have to confront what we
fear.
If we are not to be overpowered by those evils, what will we (or do
we) hope in
at that point?
In the middle of those feelings of hopelessness the disciples were
experiencing, Jesus suddenly appeared despite the barriers they had carefully
erected, forcing the disciples to confront something they
feared even more than the Jews and, yes, even death. They had to
confront Jesus, their friend, the one whom they had betrayed.
Imagine what that must have felt like. Ironically, the doors the disciples had
earlier barred shut to keep out what they feared and made them feel
hopeless now closed off any possibility of escape from what they
feared the most.
When we confront similar situations, it’s not usual for us to say,
“I’d rather be dead.”
But, instead of accusing his disciples of their treachery,
Jesus breathed into them spirit of forgiveness, the force giving
them hope that they could move beyond the situation in which
they found themselves by confronting their fears and overcoming them
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
When we find ourselves in our self-made prisons, alone and feeling
hopeless, how often do we consider that God is present despite all
of those barriers we have erected to protect ourselves from
what we fear?
When we find ourselves in our self-made prisons, alone and feeling
hopeless, how often do we turn to Jesus so that he may breathe into
us the spirit of forgiveness, offering us hope that we can move beyond
the situation into which we put ourselves by confronting what we
fear most and overcoming it through the power of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus
is present despite
those bolted doors but we must allow him to breathe the force into us. Not the force
that’s going to enable us to stop a gigantic boulder that is
weighing down upon us. Not the force of Obi-Wan Kenobi that will
overpower Darth Vader. No, the force that Jesus will breathe into
us is the force of God’s
love. Only this force
has the power to transform the fear that breeds hopelessness
into the peace from which springs hope: the power of the Holy
Spirit.
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