topleft05.jpg (18208 bytes)HOMILY
Pentecost Sunday (A)
12 June 11
 


 

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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