Two versions of ‘I’

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them- 1 John 4:16

Right through the Bible, especially in the context of the Old Testament, we see how God the Father reaches out to His people every time they wander away from His protective Love, and step into evil ways. Satan has always been clever enough to devise innovative schemes that suit the social and political milieu of each passing decade. He has the guile to convince God’s people that the forbidden fruit he offers is, as Eve explained in Genesis 3, “good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.”  In this way, he never misses an opportunity to distance God’s people from their Creator and Father and continues diligently in this task to the present day.

It may be worthwhile to reflect on Eve’s explanation in order to get some clue as to how Satan gains access to the human heart and mind. The first two points speak of the direct gratification of our senses, in this case it is sight and taste. But the third alludes to a higher pursuit, one that demands deliberation and introspection. Since the quest for wisdom is associated with philosophers and scholars, it is not easily discernible as falsehood.

This explains what happened within the Church in 17^th century France, when a Dutch bishop Cornelius Jansen pioneered a movement that highlighted God’s judgement and punishment as the guiding philosophy of Christianity, and eradicated the belief in God’s forgiveness and mercy. It was later discarded as heresy, but, in the meantime, believers found themselves overtaken by fear of eternal damnation and began to withdraw from a religious faith that was felt to be too demanding and difficult. This was when Jesus Christ appeared to  Sister Margeret Mary Alacoque, where He revealed His Heart crowned with thorns and nestled within tongues of fire. He spoke of God’s deep love for mankind and promised to pour out His grace to help them return from the misguided path they had taken.  He disclosed to her His deep grief when people turned away from His love, a grief that was even more painful than His Passion. The Feast of the Sacred Heart is a commemoration of Christ’s love that was poured out for us on the Cross.

The month of June is devoted to the veneration of the Sacred Heart, and this celebration of God’s love for mankind has never been more relevant than it is for the world today. There is nothing secretive or subtle about Satan’s onslaught on mankind in the 21^st century. On the one hand, there has been a multi-pronged attack on the foundational social unit, namely the family. In the name of freedom for the individual called ‘I,’ many of God’s commands and blessings regarding marriage and children have been thrown away, and smart and fashionable social innovations like gender transitioning and abortion have taken their place.  

While this is in itself a serious issue, we need to have our ear to the ground on developments that have targeted the technological, corporate and political leadership worldwide.  Artificial Intelligence is a very powerful bait that Satan uses to entice researchers to reach for hitherto unexplored areas. Its benefits have already been acknowledged in almost every field. But, as Shakespeare said, it has simultaneously become a tool of “Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself, And falls on th'other”. The use and abuse of AI has created a leadership environment of selfish ambition and toxic politics that cares little for the resultant  job loss and economic recession that the world faces today. The race is a blind run for power and profits, and may well turn out to be our very own version of the Tower of Babel!

Undoubtedly, much of this is a result of the education we receive at University level, which develops our intellectual capacities and prepares us for a career that is keenly competitive. The ‘I’ factor  gets sharpened with our own ambitions and workplace expectations as we climb up to leadership positions. Cardinal Newman speaks at length about this in his series of lectures way back in the 19^th century. While acknowledging the inevitability of developing the first “I” of our personalities to suit the requirements of our future workplace, he speaks with emphasis of a second “I” that comes through another curriculum— the curriculum of prayer, receiving the sacraments, reading scripture. It is this that helps us to enter into a relationship of love with Christ, who will guide our path when we are in the pursuit of ‘wisdom.’ Without this foundational connection, this quest could lead us through labyrinthine  paths that  have no final destination.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus speaks of the love of the Father, brought to fruition by the Son on the Cross. The circle is complete only if we return that love in full measure. When this happens we are within the firewall of His grace and mercy. Our intellectual. social and economic progress in life must be rooted in God's Word. Whether we want to gain wisdom, or enjoy the world around us, we are spiritually anchored when we do it within the ambit of His loving embrace.