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MOCHAS, MIDRASH AND MYSTERIES Mochas, midrash and mysteries: Choosing light to banish the darkness By Daniel Murphy DailyTidings.com By Daniel Murphy Posted Jul. 2, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Daniel Murphy Posted Jul. 2, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> “Darkness does not exist in and of itself, but as the absence of light. Likewise evil occurs when good is removed from a situation.” — Rabbi Abraham Skorka, On Heaven and Earth Rabbi Joshua Boettiger and I meet for study and dialogue (“chavruta” in Hebrew), with an aim to discover together a deeper truth, a better seeing — both of one another and of the text we are reading aloud to each other and discussing. The language of darkness Last month, Rabbi Joshua reflected on what he called the “language of darkness,” considering the insights of Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) on the topic of the devil. Rabbi Joshua noted that G-d is everywhere and when we block G-d’s presence, we craft inner darkness and contribute to darkness around us. The darkness we create is the “absence of light” and can set the stage for evil to occur. G-d’s presence and light are banished. The ideology of Aryan supremacy with its demeaning and dehumanizing implications created the darkness for the inconceivable genocidal evil of Nazism. Consider a more ordinary situation. Someone takes advantage of me — say, using my time and energy with the understanding that what I am doing for him will be compensated. Then, he refuses to follow through with his agreement. I am understandably offended and hurt, especially because I thought that this transaction was embedded in a trust-based relationship. My emotions well up, and my impulse is to lash out. Instead, I choose to surrender the issue to prayer and discernment. In time, I can see that something better is coming of this objective wrong — a new direction. I forgive the person and move toward the new opportunity. I approach this person, in time, with equanimity and realize that circumstances to make the payment were hard for him, and even outside his control. I grow in empathy, compassion, and love for him and all others caught in a web of complicating circumstances. Light floods my inner life and permeates my relationships. While the behavior of the person who wronged me is still wrong, a greater good has come of it and my attitude allows good to come into the world, rather than the darkness of resentment and bitterness. An unholy Trinity: the world, the flesh, and the devil Catholic tradition and teaching points to a three-fold undermining of our spiritual/moral attitudes and behaviors. To understand the theological meaning of this “unholy trinity,” it’s important to grasp a central truth in Catholic faith: what 19th-century writer and churchman John Henry Newman called “the aboriginal calamity.” It’s often referred to as the “fall” of Adam and Eve, who succumbed to the wiles of the serpent/devil in the Garden of Eden. Catholic understanding is that this original fall — mythically portrayed as the eating of an apple from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge — darkened human intellect and will, causing an inner wound, a weakening, a moral susceptibility. A fall from grace, from integrity of being. “The world” refers to cultural aspects that arise from widespread prideful egoism: fixation on wealth, power, and influence for their own self-aggrandizing sake, not for the good of others. “The flesh” describes the tendency to see things in a distorted, often selfish, way and to prefer me-ist considerations to right relationships with others and the community. “The devil” is Lucifer — the brightest angel who said “no” to G-d’s authority and brought down a third of the heavenly angelic beings in a high-stakes, cosmic, prehistorical battle. These angelic beings are understood to be bent on self-will, power, and control — doing whatever they can to unseat truth, goodness, and beauty in human beings and affairs. These three saboteurs bombard our integrity, and vitiate our ability to bring light and good into ourselves and the world. Thinking and acting rightly come hard, given this “conspiracy” of antagonistic forces. Daniel Murphy promotes human flourishing through Integrity of Life Services LLC, and is a member of Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church in Ashland.     By Daniel Murphy DailyTidings.com By Daniel Murphy Posted Jul. 2, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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