Awake, alert and active, to eliminate evil

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 22nd week in Ordinary time

August 31, 2021: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6, 9-11; Luke 4: 31-37

There is this oft-narrated story of the man who asked a Zen master, 'what would you do if the world begins to end right now?' The Master who was busy drinking a cup of tea, looked up at him and said without panic, 'I would continue to taste this tea.' That is the spirituality that Paul and Jesus speak of today. To remain awake, alert, active, always is the key to face the worst of events in life.

Being awake, alert and active - this can today mean for as children of God, amidst so many things that are happening around us in the world, be it, the pandemic experience, the political turmoil in various places, the underground processes that seem to affect the ongoing life of the world at large, the economic forces that are gaining power over the world affairs, and many such issues!

In this context, to remain awake is to look around, be aware and reflect about things that happen around us. To be alert is never to allow ourselves to be deceived by others' opinions and judgements, but to have our own interpretation of things with the help of the wisdom that comes from God. Finally to be active is to know what to do as a result of the reflection and discernment, without falling into a drowsy inaction or an unchristian fatalism. 

We are challenged to grow in the spirituality of keeping awake - it is nothing but being alert to any situation that presents itself to actively do what God wants us to do! As children of God given authority over anything that is here on earth, we are called to live awake, alert and active, ever ready to look at the evil and say, 'be quiet' and 'get out of' here! That is the authority that we are invested with, as children of God: to eliminate evil and to increase good!