Imagine yourself sitting on a hill somewhere in central Alaska. It is this time of year and not January, so you can enjoy doing so without risk of frostbite! You are watching a herd of caribou grazing. Then a wolf runs full speed at the herd. In rapid response, as one, the herd runs. If they remain tight and run as one, the wolf will give up quickly so as to preserve its energy.
The goal of the wolf rushing the herd is to isolate a younger, weaker, or sickly caribou. If able to do so, other members of the pack will then come in to help and take down the isolated prey.
The enemy: Satan, his evil spirits, and demons, is a predator and works in the same way. The enemy seeks to isolate us by tempting us into sinning and then when we do, stab us with shame, and then lie that we need to keep our sin a secret because if we tell anyone they won’t understand. The enemy tells us that we will be judged, condemned, that we are unlovable, as well as a myriad of other lies. In falling for this next level of attack, we then isolate ourselves further from those who care for us. In this way, we are more susceptible to be tempted again, and again, and fall deeper into sin, slip into desolation, and even despair.
To remain free of the snare of the enemy, we need to walk by the light of Christ. His word is the light that shines in our darkness. A nice clear beam is offered to us this morning:
“For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).
What we attempt to hide is revealed, at times overtly as the truth will more often than not come to light. Even if it doesn’t, the lie, the untold offense, or sin, creates a wedge that separates us from God, our true selves, and others that are close to us, even when it appears another does not know because they can feel or sense it. This is true because God has created us to be in unity and as one, we are interconnected with one another.
God knows and we know what we have done and what we have failed to do. The best thing we can do for ourselves and our relationships with God and each other, is to be honest, humble, and trust in the love of God and each other. There will be hurt involved but much less than any holding back inflicts. And once we come forward, the bleeding will stop, and the healing can begin. Bringing our vices into the light will also help us to break any cycle or pattern that has developed over time, and we can then work with God and others we trust to create new habits that can lead to virtue.
God loves us more than we can ever mess up, there is nothing he will not forgive. He never tires of forgiving us, let us not tire of seeking his forgiveness. The more we trust in Jesus and allow his light to shine in our darkness, the more we will experience his forgiveness, love, and healing, and the lies will dissipate.
None of us are perfect. When we trust God with our worst, experience his forgiveness and love, we can come out from the shadows into the Lord’s light, and be there for each other. We can forgive, love, and hold each other accountable which helps each of us to resist temptation better because we are no longer isolated. We need to trust in Jesus and surround ourselves with those people we can trust, hopefully family, but in our fallen world sometimes that is not always the case.
Let us turn to God our Father and stand together against the enemy with those we trust for: “Love is given freely, it’s not deserved, and our deficiencies don’t prevent God from loving us – just the opposite… we always have the hope of advancing in love. God can make us, sinners that we are, into saints: his grace can accomplish even that miracle, and we can have unlimited faith in the power of his love” (pp. 39-40, Interior Freedom, Jacques Philippe).
Photo: Evening Rosary walk in August, Egret Landing, Jupiter, FL.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 